Best Dim Sum in Johor Bahru

The best dim sum in Johor Bahru depends on when you want to eat it. JB has old neighbourhood dim sum houses that open at dawn and wind down by lunchtime, air-conditioned restaurants where trolleys still roll between round tables, and a few places that keep steaming baskets coming late into the night. Prices are generally lower than in Singapore, but the best shops sell out early, so plan your timing as carefully as your order.

Every restaurant below appears in at least two food guides from 2025 or 2026 and was open at time of writing. Hours and rest days change, so check each restaurant’s map listing or social media before you go.

JB dim sum by time of day

When	Where	Area
Early morning	Restoran Gim Cheng, Restoran Kak Kak	Taman Daya, Taman Maju Jaya
Brunch with the family	Cha Lao Dim Sum, Pin Ming Xuan Cantonese Dim Sum	Taman Abad and Taman Century Garden, near KSL
Modern twists	D’Shanghai Dim Sum	Several outlets
Supper	Restoran Changman Dimsum	Taman Nusa Bestari

Plan your morning by area

JB’s best dim sum is spread across a few clusters, so choose one and build the rest of the day around it.

• KSL and Taman Abad: Cha Lao and Pin Ming Xuan are both close to KSL City Mall, so you can eat first and shop afterwards.
• Taman Pelangi and Maju Jaya: Kak Kak is near Plaza Pelangi, a short drive from the city centre.
• Taman Daya and Tebrau: Gim Cheng is in north-east JB, handy for Mount Austin, AEON Tebrau City or IKEA Tebrau afterwards.
• West JB: Changman in Nusa Bestari suits trips through the Second Link, or a day in Bukit Indah or Iskandar Puteri.

Early-morning dim sum houses

These are the places JB families go to before work or on weekend mornings. They are casual, busy and finished by early afternoon.

Restoran Gim Cheng

On Jalan Sagu 36 in Taman Daya, Gim Cheng is the name that tops many JB dim sum lists. It makes more than 50 kinds of dim sum, from har gow and char siew bao to fried prawn fritters, carrot cake and egg tarts. Queues are part of the experience, and it is best enjoyed with a group so you can try more. It closes around lunchtime and has a weekly rest day, so check before you go.

Restoran Kak Kak

Kak Kak, on Jalan Maju in Taman Maju Jaya near Plaza Pelangi, has been serving dim sum for decades and keeps it old-school, with handmade dumplings and low prices. Try the lor mai gai (glutinous rice with chicken), chee cheong fun and stuffed vegetables. It opens very early and is usually done by early afternoon.

Yum cha with the whole family

Cha Lao Dim Sum

Inside the Holiday Villa hotel in Taman Abad, across the road from KSL City Mall, Cha Lao is an air-conditioned dining room with plenty of round tables and push carts doing the rounds, which feels a lot like a classic Hong Kong teahouse. More than 35 types of dim sum rotate through the menu. It is a comfortable choice for grandparents and young children, and big groups can sit together.

Pin Ming Xuan Cantonese Dim Sum

Pin Ming Xuan’s main outlet is on Jalan Serigala in Taman Century Garden, close to KSL, with branches in other parts of JB including Kota Puteri and Horizon Hills. Its dim sum is steamed to order in the Cantonese style. The pan-fried carrot cake and custard buns are popular, and it serves porridge for anyone who wants something lighter.

Modern dim sum: D’Shanghai

D’Shanghai Dim Sum, with several JB outlets, mixes Hong Kong, Shanghainese and Sichuan ideas. Expect soup dumplings in the xiao long bao style, rice rolls wrapped around crispy you tiao and a few Western-inspired fried items. It works well when your group wants something different from a traditional teahouse.

Dim sum for supper: Restoran Changman Dimsum

In Taman Nusa Bestari, on the west side of JB, Changman is a small corner shop known for keeping long hours, which makes it one of the few dim sum places locals go to for supper as well as breakfast. The style is local rather than strictly Cantonese, with prawn siew mai, stir-fried carrot cake and sesame salad you tiao alongside buns and rice rolls. It is handy if you are staying in Iskandar Puteri or heading back through the Second Link.

Dim sum in Mount Austin

Jiah Xiang Dim Sum has several JB outlets, including Mount Austin and Plaza Sentosa, and offers creative fried items alongside the classics. If you are heading to Mount Austin anyway, our Mount Austin food guide covers where to eat there from breakfast to supper.

What to order: a quick dim sum guide

• Har gow: prawn dumplings in a thin, translucent skin.
• Siew mai: open-topped pork and prawn dumplings.
• Char siew bao: fluffy buns filled with sweet barbecued pork.
• Chee cheong fun: steamed rice rolls with prawn, char siew or you tiao, served with sweet soy sauce.
• Lor mai gai: glutinous rice with chicken and mushroom, steamed in lotus leaf.
• Lo bak go: radish (carrot) cake, steamed or pan-fried.
• Liu sha bao: buns filled with molten salted egg custard.
• Egg tarts: the classic sweet finish.

Practical tips for dim sum in JB

• Arrive early. At the morning houses, the best items go first and tables fill quickly on weekend mornings.
• Know how to order. Some places use push carts; others give you an order sheet to tick. Pay attention to the tea charge, which is usually per person.
• Share everything. Dim sum is made for groups of four or more, so you can try many dishes without over-ordering.
• Check halal status. Traditional dim sum uses pork, and none of the restaurants above is halal-certified. Muslim diners should look for certified restaurants and check the certificate on the wall.
• Takeaway is easy. Ask to “tapau” buns for later, but remember Singapore has rules on bringing meat products home; see our customs allowance guide.
• Make a day of it. A dim sum breakfast pairs well with a morning at the shops; our JB shopping malls guide helps you choose one nearby. Or swap dim sum for a bak kut teh breakfast on your next trip.

Getting there for an early start

Morning dim sum and a long weekend queue at the checkpoint don’t mix well, and the classic shops are in residential areas away from the bus routes. A private car makes the early start easy. With Luxway SGMY, your driver picks you up anywhere in Singapore at any hour, you stay in the car through immigration at both checkpoints, and you are dropped at the restaurant door. Fares are per car and include tolls, checkpoint fees, fuel and parking, from SGD 100 one way in a Toyota Innova, with the same fare for the trip back. Families with small children can request a child seat for a small top-up.

If you want to keep eating all day, our Day Trip Service gives you a car and driver for 8, 10 or 12 hours.

Book your dim sum morning

See fares and vehicles on our Singapore to Johor Bahru private car page, then Whatsapp us with your date, pick-up time and group size, or use our online booking page. No deposit is required; you pay the driver on arrival.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 14 October 2026