Most Singaporeans who cross the Causeway on foot head straight into City Square or Komtar JBCC. Both are fine. But if you walk out of the mall and turn away from the checkpoint, a very different part of JB opens up.
JB City Centre is the oldest part of the city and the neighbourhood closest to the JB Sentral transport hub. It has heritage shophouses, a food trail that locals have been doing for decades, street art tucked into back alleys, and kopitiams that have not changed their menu since the 1950s. It is also the neighbourhood directly connected to the upcoming Bukit Chagar RTS station, which means it will be the first thing many Singaporeans experience when the train opens later in 2026.
This guide covers the things to do in JB city centre that are actually worth your time out of the malls.
- Getting your bearings: streets near JB Sentral and the checkpoint
- JB old town food: what’s worth eating in the city centre
- What else can you do here
- Street art and back alleys worth exploring in JB old town
- Thrift shopping in JB: the Jalan Tan Hiok Nee pre-loved strip
- Practical notes for your JB city centre day trip
Getting your bearings: streets near JB Sentral and the checkpoint
The city centre sits between the JB checkpoint (CIQ) and the waterfront. The main streets to know are Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Jalan Dhoby, and Jalan Trus. They form a loose grid you can walk across in about 20 minutes.
Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is a 250-metre one-way street named after a Straits Chinese businessman. Jalan Wong Ah Fook runs parallel, a busier main road passing malls and attractions including the Skyscape observation deck.
From City Square, you can reach Jalan Tan Hiok Nee on foot in about 10 to 15 minutes. From the future Bukit Chagar RTS station, the walk will be similar.
JB old town food: what’s worth eating in the city centre
Hiap Joo Bakery — the banana cake you cross the Causeway for
Hiap Joo has been baking with the same wood-fired oven since 1919. It is on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and is famous for two things: banana cake and coconut buns. The banana cake sells out. Come before noon to be safe. A box of banana cake costs RM13 (around S$4.10) and the bakery opens from 7.30am, with banana cakes typically available from 11.30am on weekdays.
The newer pastries are fine, but the coconut buns and banana cake are what people come for. Buy a few boxes to bring home.
Restoran Hua Mui
Hua Mui on Jalan Trus is a Hainanese restaurant that has been around since the 1950s. It serves Hainanese Chicken Chop for around RM18.90 (about S$5.70) and Chicken Mee Mamak at RM10.90 (about S$3.30). The kopitiam atmosphere is old-school. Go for breakfast or lunch here.
Mollie Makes
Mollie Makes is a two-storey Chinese dessert teahouse at 30 Jalan Dhoby, about five minutes on foot from CIQ. The interior is designed around a zen garden theme, with a communal table styled like a rock garden, water features, and linen lanterns overhead. It sounds more elaborate than it is — it is actually a calm, quiet spot to sit after walking the heritage streets.
The menu focuses on handcrafted desserts rooted in Chinese flavours with a modern twist. The Pistachio Beancurd Mochi (RM23.50) is the signature — pistachio flavoured silky beancurd with chewy mochi, pistachio paste and cheese foam. They also do shio pan (Japanese-style salty bread) in flavours like mentaiko and mala, and drinks including a Coconut Milkshake (RM25). Tarts and bakes are from RM10 onwards.
Good for a dessert stop after Hiap Joo or lunch at Hua Mui. The space is small so it can fill up on weekends.
Kokoro Don and Noodles
Kokoro Don and Noodles is at 18 Jalan Trus, a short walk from Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. It opened in late 2024 and serves Muslim-friendly, no-pork-no-lard choices. The restaurant has two levels with wooden furnishings and warm lighting. The menu is built around rice bowls and noodles — think chicken and fish katsu dons but they also have a good range of desserts and coffee. Mains start from RM13.90. The Spicy Soy Sauce Noodle with Crispy Fish is a regular order.
It sits in a part of the neighbourhood that most Singaporeans walk past on the way to Hiap Joo. Worth stopping for lunch before or after the heritage street walk.
Kafe Alhambra for the evening crowd
Kafe Alhambra at 30 Jalan Ibrahim is a short walk further out from Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, heading deeper into the older part of town. It is not a daytime cafe. The place comes alive in the evening when locals settle in over satay and shisha.
The vibe is unhurried and local. Tables spill out, there is no pressure to leave quickly, and the crowd skews toward regulars rather than day-trippers. It is about 10 minutes on foot from Pasar Karat, which makes it a natural end-of-evening stop if you have spent the day in the heritage street area.
Pasar Karat night market
Pasar Karat is a night bazaar held along Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and adjacent streets that opens from 6pm to late (closed on Monday and Wednesday). The area fills up with traders, street food, and a general buzz that the daytime version of the street does not have. If you are staying for dinner on a Friday or Saturday, this is worth timing your visit around. Street food pricing, local crowd, no tourist markup.
What else can you do here
The heritage street area is not a tourist set-piece. Locals use it as a daily cut-through, eat breakfast at the kopitiam, and pick up baked goods. The rejuvenation of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee in the 2000s brought cafes and boutiques, but the old businesses stayed. Alongside newer eateries, there are still traditional grocers, camera shops, neighbourhood restaurants, clan association offices, and a museum.
The Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum on Jalan Ibrahim is worth 45 minutes of your time. Entry is RM6 per adult. The museum covers the history of Chinese immigrants in JB, including the arrival of different dialect groups and the trades they took up. It is compact and genuinely interesting.
The Johor Ancient Chinese Temple on Jalan Trus is JB’s oldest temple. It serves as a shared place of worship for all Chinese clans in JB: Teochew, Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese, and Hainanese. Visitors can enter and observe the ceremonies. It is free to visit and usually open from 7am to 5pm.
Skyscape JB is an observation deck on the 34th floor of Menara Jland on Jalan Wong Ah Fook. Entry starts from around RM28 for Malaysian adult and Rm38 for non-Malaysian adult. It has a glass sky bridge 149 metres above ground. The views stretch across JB and toward Woodlands on a clear day. Worth doing once, particularly if you are bringing family or want a birds-eye read of how the city is laid out before you explore it on foot.
Street art and back alleys worth exploring in JB old town
Most people walking Jalan Tan Hiok Nee stick to the main street. The alleyways behind it are where the street art is. Graffiti by local artists covers the walls of buildings and alleyways, particularly near the back of Masjid India Johor Bahru. Nothing is labelled or signposted. Just walk Jalan Dhoby.
The Red House at the corner of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Pahang is one of the most photographed heritage buildings in downtown JB. It is a 19th-century corner shophouse with a distinctive facade. Marrybrown, which previously occupied it, has closed. At the time of writing the space is vacant, but the building itself is still worth a look and a photo.
Thrift shopping in JB: the Jalan Tan Hiok Nee pre-loved strip
The stretch of Jalan Tan Hiok Nee around and past the Red House has quietly become one of the better spots in JB for vintage and pre-loved clothing. Several shops have opened in the shophouses along this block, and the prices are noticeably lower than anything you would find in Singapore.
Kedai Dhoby Shanghai at No. 53 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is one of the most talked-about on TikTok and Lemon8. Pieces start from RM10 and the selection covers graphic tees, Y2K sweaters, denim, and accessories. The second floor is dedicated to women’s fashion. They also stock vintage cassettes and vinyl records. Open daily from 11am.
Rebirth Inc. at No. 51 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee runs across two floors. The first floor stocks higher-quality branded items from labels like Adidas, Champion, and New Balance. The second floor is more accessible pricing for everyday vintage finds. Known for jackets, graphic tees and primarily for men’s clothing. Open Tuesday to Sunday.
Fara First at No. 52 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee focuses on pre-loved and contemporary fashion with a clean, well-organised layout. The selection skews toward trendy and wearable pieces rather than deep archive vintage. Open daily from 10am.
RedChilli Vintage is around the corner at 15C Jalan Dhoby, off Jalan Pahang. The shop has a purple and blue interior and a curated selection of Y2K pieces including overalls, baggy denim jackets, and tank tops. Prices here are a bit higher than the Tan Hiok Nee stores, but the curation is tighter. Open daily 12pm to 7pm.
B-side.room at No. 66A Jalan Tan Hiok Nee is directly opposite City Square Mall. Good for oversized jerseys, denim, and sports brands like Nike and Dickies. Vintage tees from RM10. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am.
The whole strip is walkable in under 15 minutes. It is worth building into the same visit as the heritage food trail, since the shops and eateries are all within the same few blocks.
Practical notes for your JB city centre day trip
On foot is the right way to do it. The streets are narrow and parking near the heritage area is irritating. If you drive to JB, park at City Square or Komtar and walk from there.
Morning is the best time for food. The kopitiams are at their best before noon. Hiap Joo banana cakes sell out. The streets are cooler and less crowded on weekday mornings. Weekend afternoons get busy.
Stay into the evening if you can. Pasar Karat picks up after dark on Fridays and Saturdays. Kafe Alhambra on Jalan Ibrahim is worth ending on if you want somewhere to sit before heading back.
From Bukit Chagar RTS station, this whole area will be walkable. When the RTS Link opens later in 2026, you will exit at Bukit Chagar and be within 10 to 15 minutes of every spot mentioned in this article. The city centre is the neighbourhood that benefits most from the RTS.
For businesses in JB City Centre and nearby, browse our JB listings. And if you are planning your first trip to JB via the RTS, read our complete RTS guide for everything you need to know before you go.
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