My JB Food Diary (June 7-8): Dim Sum, Seafood, and an Honest Cafe Review

Searching for the best JB food can be overwhelming. With endless recommendations for classic hawker stalls and new, aesthetic cafes, it’s hard to know what’s truly worth your time and money on. I go to JB rather regularly to visit my grandmother and also a self-proclaimed foodie and I would like to share more about the places I’ve visited as I begin my blogging journey.

Instead of a curated “best of” list, I believe in sharing the real experience. This past weekend, I explored five different places, and this is my honest food diary. From exceptional seafood to a hyped cafe that didn’t quite deliver this time, here’s a transparent review to help you plan your own journey across the causeway.

A Quick Rundown: 5 JB Food Spots Reviewed

For those short on time, here’s a quick summary of my findings.

My Detailed JB Food Diary & Reviews

📍 Restoran Onggi Dim Sum: Fresh, Made-to-Order Dim Sum in JB

• The Vibe: We found this spot refreshingly calm for a weekend lunch (I would suppose more come for breakfast). If you’re looking for quality dim sum in JB without the chaotic queues, this is a great find (and trust me, I’ve been to a lot of dim sum places in JB)
• The Food: Everything is made-to-order, which makes a huge difference. Our food arrived fresh and piping hot, and sequentially so we always had something to eat. The Salted Egg Yolk Lava Bun was a perfect balance of textures—a sweet, slightly crispy crust giving way to a warm, savoury, and salty filling. Another standout was the Steamed Rice Roll with Curry Pork Ribs. The rice roll had a Reanderful, soft texture, and the curry was fragrant and genuinely spicy. The Siew Mai were small but juicy and succulent and one of the better ones I’ve had, and the Fried Prawn Roll was exactly what you want: crispd , well-fried, and not at all oily. The Deep Fried Pumpkin with Salted Egg was fried well, good flavor, the crispy exterior contrasting with the soft pumpkin interior. The Porridge tasted slightly weird hence we returned it unfortunately, and that was the only downside of the meal.
• The Verdict: A solid choice for a delicious dim sum meal. Highly recommended.

Read more about the history and what makes dim sum good here!

📍 JB Yap Brothers Food: A Taste of Nostalgic Johor Bahru

• The Vibe: Walking into this wholesaler is like stepping into the past. It’s a tight, bustling space packed with locals browsing aisles filled with a huge variety of nostalgic, old-school snacks. Seeing the iconic biscuit tins stacked high brought back a wave of memories.
• The Experience: A large variety of goods available at good prices. There were people coming in non-stop.
• The Verdict: A good visit. I left empty-handed this time, but I’ll be back.

📍 Senibong Bay Seafood: A Classic Waterfront Seafood Restaurant

• The Vibe: This is your quintessential large, open-air JB seafood restaurant. It’s lively and family-friendly, set against a waterfront view with live music in the evening.
• The Food: The Hiang Bao Fish was the undeniable star of the table. The soup it was served in was deeply flavourful and fragrant, and the fish itself was perfectly cooked, sweet, and fresh. The Butter Sauce Crab was another winner, with a satisfying crunch from fried shrimp and a sauce that was rich without being overly heavy, goes very well with the mantou. The Richman Fried Rice was a great accompaniment, full of texture from bits of dried squid, crab, and prawn.
• The Verdict: An excellent choice for a family dinner. A reliable spot for fresh, authentic seafood that makes the trip to JB worthwhile, and I made sure to buy some prawn crackers to take home.

📍 Attic by Raw: An Honest Review of a Hyped JB Cafe

• The Vibe: This cafe is a clear winner on aesthetics, with its industrial-chic decor. It’s no surprise it’s popular on social media and on Google. I’ve heard great things about it from my family as well. However, my experience didn’t quite match the visuals and the hype during my visit.
• The Experience: We faced long waits to be seated and to order (a testament to its popularity given it was a Sunday). I ordered the Nasi Lemak, but it fell flat. The chili was good, but the rice wasn’t fragrant or rich enough to be called lemak, the chicken was dry, and the papadam had gone lau hong (soft). The Shakshouka was served with two slices of bread (one well-toasted), and was slightly overcooked. We ordered a seafood arrabbiata tagliatelle but it did not arrive after 40mins and we canceled the order. My tiramisu was served partially frozen, with ice crystals still in the ladyfingers. (the flavors were still good with a large protion but unsure whether this was intentional).
• The Okay: The truffle fries were a standard, decent side, and my mocha was thick and strong.
• The Verdict: If you’re cafe hopping in JB, you might visit for a coffee and the photo op. I would return again to give their delicious-looking deserts, as well as their handmade pasta a try (and will update again on my experience given the 4.6 star review on google with over 1200 reviews), but would probably give the Asian food a miss.

📍 Jire Handmade: A Quality Bakery for a Quick Bite

• The Vibe: A perfect grab-and-go bakery with impressively fast and friendly service, even when busy. There are some seats available if you want to have your food there.
• The Food: The Seaweed Pork Floss Bun (adorably named “Little Bae”) had a perfectly soft bun and wonderfully crispy floss, though I wished there had been a bit more filling. The Cream Puff was excellent a crisp choux pastry shell with a light and tasty cream filling (we got the durian flavor)
• The Verdict: A great spot to remember if you’re in the area and need a quick, quality pastry.

Final Thoughts on This JB Food Trip

This weekend was a valuable snapshot of the Johor Bahru food scene. You can find incredible quality in traditional places and sometimes feel let down by the spots that are over-hyped online.

My biggest takeaway is to seek balance. For every trendy cafe you visit, try to find a long-standing local gem. That’s where the most rewarding travel experiences often lie.

If I were to recommend a plan based on this weekend’s diary, it would be this: Start with a satisfying breakfast/lunch at Onggi Dim Sum, and end your day with a big, celebratory seafood dinner at Senibong Bay Seafood. These two were the clear winners, representing the kind of rewarding and delicious experiences that make every trip to JB worthwhile.

What are your thoughts? Have you visited any of these spots, or do you have other favourite places to eat in JB? Let me know in the comments below!

For more of my immersive travel guides, check out my complete Johor Bahru Travel & Food Hub (Coming Soon), or my Malaysia page if you are interested in any other destinations.