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

16 June 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

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.
Johor Bahru Eat: Restoran Hua Mui (华美茶餐室) @ Tan Hiok Nee

Restoran Hua Mui is popular for its toasts, especially charcoal-grilled butter-kaya toasts, Hainanese chicken chop and traditional Nanyang coffee.
Johor Bahru Eat: Tian Xin Lou Dim Sum (添心楼粤式点心茶楼)

Tian Xin Lou Dim Sum serves a wide range of dishes, including dim sums, noodle dishes, porridges, wanton / dumpling soup, traditional pastries, etc.
Johor Bahru Eat: Triple K Cafe (牛肉面家) Beef & Mutton Noodles @ Tan Hiok Nee

Triple K Cafe is a traditional beef noodle house that serves more than just beef noodle, there are mutton noodle / dishes and a long list of others.
Johor Bahru Cafe: Palates & Bagels by T.A.M. @ Tan Hiok Nee

Palates & Bagels @ Jalan Dhoby is about bagels and taste experiences, serving palatable and well-presented dishes and savoury bagels with different fillings.
Johor Bahru Cafe: Sunday Morning Coffee Shop @ Tan Hiok Nee

Sunday Morning Coffee Shop, a Japanese cafe, serves cold drip and hot hand drip coffees using Japanese hand-roasted coffee beans with home-style Japanese food.
Johor Bahru Eat: Kopiloco by 1993 @ Tan Hiok Nee

Kopiloco by 1993, a Halal-certified Nanyang Kopitiam, serves kopitiam fares including traditional coffee, Hainanese toasts, Malaysian delights and Singaporean dishes.
Johor Bahru Buy: First Visit to Hiap Joo Bakery (协裕面包) for Banana Cake & Coconut Bun

A story on my first visit to Hiap Joo Bakery in June 2022 where I queued for their banana cake and coconut buns. Get a hindsight from my experience.