For anyone unfamiliar with the structure of Malaysian night markets, most locals visit our pasar malams for the primary purpose of purchasing groceries, specifically fresh produce. You might notice that a lot of the tents shielding vendors from the bright sun and heavy rain are labelled with “pasar tani”, short for “pasar petani”. In English, that’s “farmer’s market”.
Now, the pasar malams in Malaysia are more than just places to get your weekly kangkung stock. They’ve leaned into the ready-to-eat food aspect, so they’re a lot more diverse in their offerings. This list features a compilation of night markets that are highly rated as of Oct 2024.
Without further ado, here are 10 pasar malams in JB that are rated 4 stars & above, for every day of the week.
1. Pasar Malam Kampung Melayu Majidee
The only way to get rid of the Monday blues is by indulging in some good food. At Pasar Malam Kampung Melayu Majidee, you’ll find enough treats to get you through the whole week.
After a long day at work, I’m pretty sure cooking a meal is the last thing on your mind. If you need a quick bite that’s as delicious as it is affordable, check out of the vendors there selling various types of fried delicacies— just keep an eye out for the stall with giant woks lined up out front. They have fried rice, char kuey teow, and fried noodles.
Frequent visitors of this market always make it a point to stop by Popia S.S. Ali for some freshly fried Popia Goreng and juicy Popia Basah (RM8 for 5 pieces, RM9 for a separate sambal container). Nothing is more Malaysian than the act of putting cheese on top of everything, so be sure to try some pisang goreng cheese while you’re there.
Other fun items you may find are meatballs with mashed potato, boba with milk, and takoyaki.
13, Jalan Masjid, Kampung Melayu Majidee, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Mon: 24 hrs
Closed from Tue to Sun
2. Night Market @ Jalan Seladang
Night Market @ Jalan Seladang located at, you guessed it, Jalan Seladang, is open every Monday from 5pm to 10pm. The market is pretty close to KSL Mall. So, if parking is an issue, you can consider parking your vehicle at the mall.
Locals recommend going early, specifically within the 1st hour of the market’s opening. This is not only to avoid the crowd, but to also ensure that you get to purchase and try everything you want as a lot of the food can sell out fairly quickly.
Here, you can find dishes like Sarawakian kolo mee, cucur udang (RM2) and otak-otak. Fans of salted egg treats will be delighted to know that there’s a stall serving nothing but a whole salted egg fair. You should check out their salted egg squid, mushroom, and even broccoli. If local delights aren’t what you’re craving for, don’t worry, they’ve got a sushi stall too.
Other than the usual pasar malam suspects like tarts, buns, and kuih, visitors can also feast on gyoza. The gyoza fillings available include chicken, mushroom, and veggies.
48, Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Mon: 5pm – 10pm
Closed from Tue to Sun
3. Taman Tampoi Utama Night Market
Although payments through QR codes have become commonplace in Malaysia, those visiting Taman Tampoi Utama Night Market (or any pasar malam for that matter) are advised to bring cash, especially small change. This market can get pretty crowded, but locals keep going back for the delicious street food.
From the picture above, it’s pretty clear that they offer a lot of local delicacies, especially light snacks. Here, you’ll find a couple types of steamed rice flour kuih, better known as putu piring and putu bambu. They also have cut fruit served with asam, grilled corn, and rojak.
This is a great spot for Kelantanese cuisine too. On top of the fresh nasi kerabu and laksam, customers can also enjoy some ayam percik, a heavily marinated chicken dish that’s cooked in coconut cream and then grilled. I personally think that ayam percik is a solid enough reason to visit Taman Tampoi Utama Night Market.
Jalan Sri Perkasa 1/1, Taman Tampoi Utama, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Tue: 5pm – 9pm
Closed from Wed to Mon
4. Pasar Malam Bukit Indah 2
Although Pasar Malam Bukit Indah 2 isn’t the biggest pasar of the bunch, it sure does pack a punch. Reviewers on Google state that this market has everything you need— food, fruits, fresh vegetables, it’s no surprise that it’s a hit among locals.
Do note that this pasar malam doesn’t provide any seating, so you’ll have to eat your food on-the-go or tapau everything back home. If you’re not into the latter, opt for easy-to-eat snacks like pork sausages or salted egg fish skin.
Those on the hunt for a filling dinner should keep an eye out for this one stall that sells ayam goreng kunyit (RM4.50), as well as another one serving Penang laksa, black sauce chee cheong fun and curry chee cheong fun. For protein, check out the vendor offering roasted duck.
As always, don’t forget to round off your meal with some dessert. Here, you’ll find sweet treats like apam balik, chocolate Oreo apam balik, and kelapa and pulut hitam apam balik.
47, Jalan Indah 22/2, Taman Bukit Indah 2, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Wed: 5pm – 9pm
Closed from Thu to Tue
5. Pasar Malam Taman Dahlia
Located in the neighbourhood of Taman Dahlia, Pasar Malam Taman Dahlia attracts residents and crowds from the surrounding areas at the same time. This market has a wide variety of fresh produce as well as street food and cold drinks.
Pasar Malam Taman Dahlia is a fantastic place to tapau dinner. You can find authentic Malay cuisine like nasi dagang and nasi kukus, but beware— you might have a hard time choosing between the dozens of lauk and pre-packed rice dishes.
The selection of local fruits is pretty big too. Depending on the season, you’ll see table after table of dragonfruit, starfruit, mangosteen, and longan. Shopping at a crowded market can be a hardcore sport, so don’t forget to rehydrate with beverages like watermelon juice and iced Milo.
Persiaran Dahlia, Taman Dahlia, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Wed: 5pm – 10pm
Closed from Thu to Tue
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6. Johor Jaya Food Street
At Johor Jaya Night Market Food Street, if a feast is what you want, a feast is what you’ll get. When you look up this pasar by keying in something like “pasar malam Johor Jaya”, you’ll most likely be met with 2 markets of the same name, one of which only operates on Tuesdays. This night market in this list is the one that’s open everyday, and is listed as “Night Market/Pasar Malam – Johor Jaya” on Google.
Seating here is a free-for-all, so I suggest coming in a group so that 1 person can book a spot while the rest hunt for food. Many patrons come here to relish in the fresh seafood. Whether it’s grilled with sambal or on its own, there are so many ways you can enjoy a whole fish.
Other dishes served here include chicken wings, carrot cake, oyster omelette, and the Malaysian staple, satay.
Jalan Dedap 14, Johor Jaya, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Wed to Mon: 5pm – 12am
Closed on Tue
7. Pasar Karat
Pasar Karat is perhaps one of the most popular night markets in Johor Bahru. Its name can be translated to “Rust Market”. Pasar karats (yes, there are many around Malaysia) are named after what they used to be— antique or flea markets. While many of these markets stay true to their DNA, most, including this one, have branched out to offer more than just pre-loved goods.
If you’re visiting Malaysia for the first time, there’s no way you can miss out on our national treasure: Ramly burgers. I suggest trying the ayam special or daging double. For the full Malaysian experience, be sure to eat the burgers fresh off the griddle, either standing by the stall or sitting on a flimsy plastic stool.
Unlike the other pasar malams on this list, this one doesn’t have fresh produce. Instead, you can find jewellery, phone accessories, and clothes. In fact, there are more vendors selling these types of items than there are food stalls. That being said, Pasar Karat is highly recommended by online reviewers for its variety.
26, 20, Jalan Segget, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Wed to Sun: 6pm – 2am
Tue: 12pm – 2pm & 6pm – 2am
Closed on Mon
8. Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Night Market
Taman Ungku Tun Aminah Night Market, sometimes referred to as TUTA, is said to be Johor Bahru’s biggest pasar malam. Traffic here can get a little intense, so be prepared to park your car further down. This wouldn’t be an issue if you’re just going to grab something to eat on the spot, but may be troublesome if you’re planning on getting some fresh produce.
This market has everything and anything, truly. You can find a huge selection of lauk, or side dishes, for dinner. Not in the mood for rice? No problem, because this place offers other eats like freshly grilled satay, colourful Nyonya kuih, egg tarts, and much more.
You may not find any seats to sit down and enjoy your fare. Instead, many visitors will make their way to Hometown Seven Restaurant (TUTA 777), which is a hawker centre nearby. Not only will you find even more things to eat at this open-air food court, there’ll also be plenty of tables and chairs.
Jalan Perkasa 5, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, 81300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Sat: 4.30pm – 10pm
Closed from Sun to Fri
9. Permas Sunday Night Market 星期日夜市
Permas Sunday Night Market 星期日夜市 is just a stone’s throw away from Renaissance Hotel. Besides the expected local fare, this pasar also has Thai and Taiwanese cuisine. Looking through the reviews, it seems that this is the place to be, as locals who live nearby find themselves back at this market every Sunday. They’ve got household items, clothes, and freshly cooked food.
If you have children with you on this trip, you might want to stop by the stall selling adorable colourful jellies on skewers. Their dessert selection doesn’t stop there, though. Be sure to check out the tau foo fah and avocado juice for some wholesome treats.
Keep an eye out for another stall selling peanut-covered mochi as well, where you can get a pack for only RM5.
As for the savoury eats, visitors can find dishes like satay (RM1 per stick), lap cheong, and fried chicken wings. A reviewer also suggested to get you char kuey teow and fried mee fix at a stall manned by a mother-daughter duo.
Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Masai, Johor, Malaysia
Sunday: 5pm – 9pm
Closed from Mon to Sat
10. Pasar Malam @ Larkin Aman
Much like the other night markets, visitors are advised to drop by Pasar Malam @ Taman Larkin before the crowd rushes in at around 8pm. This is another spot offering more Malay food options, so if that’s what you’re aiming for, this pasar is for you.
One of the best things about the pasar malams in JB is the variety of dishes originating from other states that you can find. Hunting down good Terengganu food outside of the coastal state is like a wild goose chase. Luckily, Larkin Aman folks can find sata ikan, a type of grilled fish cake, here from RM3 a stick.
Other than that, you can also get fresh produce like fruits and vegetables, as well as clothing, shoes, and a variety of household items to cater to your needs!
Jalan Gagah, Kawasan Perindustrian Larkin, 80350 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Sun: 4pm – 9pm
Closed from Mon to Sat
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