Johor Bahru Eats & Buys: Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk (新山.陈旭年文化街)

23 April 2026

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, also known as Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk (陈旭年文化街), is a 300-meter cultural street renowned as Johor Bahru’s historic hub or the “Chinatown of Johor Bahru”. It features charming pre-war shophouses, retro cafes, and vibrant street arts, offering a mix of history, local cuisine, and nostalgia within walking distance of JB City Square Shopping Centre or Johor Bahru Checkpoint (JB CIQ).

When the sun is up, Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk offers rows of traditional eateries, modern cafes and bakeries for traditional pastries, and the historic Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum (新山华族历史文物馆). Comes nightfall, the street turns into “Pasar Karat” night bazaar with rows of stalls offering affordable vintage finds, street food, apparel, etc, in a crowded, musical atmosphere.

Eating Places

Below is a list of eating places / cafes / bakeries in Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk, and adjacent streets, that I/we have visited.

For food options outside Tan Hiok Nee area, see:
JB Eats: What to Eat in Bandar Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru Buy: Hiap Joo Bakery (协裕面包) Banana Cake & Coconut Bun @ Tan Hiok Nee

Hiap Joo Bakery’s is a traditional bakery popular for its wood-fired oven-baked cakes and buns. Its banana cakes and coconut buns are hot-sellers — literally.
Johor Bahru Cafe: Naug Cafe @ Tan Hiok Nee

Naug Cafe, located above Naug Just Plants, serves beverages and desserts, featuring butter waffles with a selection of ice-creams with different flavours, and more.
Johor Bahru Eat: Roast & Coffee (三姐妹) Retro Garden 1968’s @ Tan Hiok Nee

Restoran Roast & Coffee serves traditional coffees and Nanyang cuisines typical of a Nanyang kopitiam. Go for their coconut hor kar sai and three-flavour toasts.
Johor Bahru Eat: Ah Ma TeoChew Kuih (阿嬷潮州糕)

Ah Ma TeoChew Kuih is a heritage cafe chain in Johor Bahru specialising in authentic, handmade, traditional Teochew kuihs and popular Malaysian delights.
Johor Bahru Eat: Pacific Kopi (民洋茶室) Kopitiam

Pacific Kopi is popular for its fried rice cakes, and also Nanyang delights including traditional toasts, nasi lemak, biryani rice, curry laksa, noodles, etc.
Johor Bahru Cafe: Sweet Blossom Coffee Roasters @ Taman Pelangi

Sweet Blossom Coffee Roasters sources their specialty coffee beans through blind tasting, self-roast the beans and offers them to coffee-lovers for self-brewing.
Johor Bahru Eat: Pine Chicken Rice (松香鸡饭)

Pine Chicken Rice serves chicken rice dishes by combining different types of chicken (steamed, roasted, fried, barbecued, curry, etc) with rice / noodle.
Johor Bahru Eat: Kokoro Don & Noodle (心丼) @ Tan Hiok Nee

Kokoro Don & Noodle has been serving Japanese fusion dons with chicken / fish in Batu Pahat and has entered Johor Bahru, adding noodle dishes to their menu.
Kulai & Johor Bahru Eat: Chai Ji Fish Soup (财记鱼汤)

Chai Ji Fish Soup specialises in fish soup, including fish-head pot, seafood pot, sliced fish soup, fried fish soup, etc, as well as pork noodles.
Johor Bahru Eat: IT Roo Cafe @ Tan Hiok Nee

IT Roo Cafe’s signatures are crispy chicken chop and fried rice among a list of Western food, Chinese food, noodles, etc. Go for their old-school root beer float.