When it comes to getting local products from Johor Bahru, many people, including locals, will recommend Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory’s (协裕面包) banana cake and coconut bun. The traditional bakery (since 1919) is located in Tan Hiok Nee Heritage Walk, right next to the Heritage Walk's archway and opposite Kopitiam Kin Hua (锦华茶餐室).
The bakery's menu and schedule of cakes and buns are pasted on a wall near the entrance. Other than banana cake, there are butter cake and coffee cake (available on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday morning only), and buns with different fillings, such as coconut, red bean, peanut, kaya, butter sugar and otak-otak. Both banana cake and coconut bun are the bakery's hot-sellers.
Note that pre-orders can be arranged with Hiap Joo Bakery through phone call or WhatsApp (message only) but no reservations allowed on the ground.
The banana cake, cut into 10 pieces each, is packed in a sturdy plastic container. The cake is moist and very fluffy with a nice banana aroma and mildly sweet. It will be best to finish the cake within 2 days as no preservatives are used. Unfinished cake has to be refrigerated after 24 hours and will be able to last for 2~5 days. To eat the cake with its softness and sponginess intact, it will be best to consume them before being refrigerated.
When buying freshly-baked banana cake that is still-hot, do keep its plastic container opened to prevent condensation that can make the cake soggy. Wait till the cake has cooled sufficiently (after about 4 hours) before closing the cover of the container. It is not advisable to sink your teeth into hot banana cake.
Hiap Joo's popular coconut bun is not too sweet too and carries the aroma of burning woods that are used to fire the oven. This is very good too.
Both the coffee cake and butter cake are also very soft and with coffee or light buttery aromas and not too sweet also. Unlike banana cake, coffee cake and butter cake are not meant to be moist and offer different textures and taste experience. Try all three cakes at one go — on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday only.
To buy Hiap Joo Bakery's banana cakes and buns, one may have to queue for it, especially on Saturdays and public holidays. Or go as early as 7:30am in the morning to buy — except Monday, which starts at 11:30am. Alternatively, go after 3pm when the queue is usually shorter. The last batch is at around 4:30pm (timing may change depending on day-to-day operations).
Note that all breads and buns are freshly-baked and available only after 11:30am from Monday to Saturday.
The bakery is not baking anything on Sunday but banana cakes can be purchased from the bakery's counter from 7:30am, while stock lasts. One good thing about Sunday's banana cakes is that they are sufficiently cooled (not hot), easier to carry around Johor Bahru and usually without needing to queue for it. However, it will be best to finish the cake by Monday — if not refrigerated on Sunday night — as the cakes are baked on Saturday afternoon.
Address:
13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours:
7:30am to 5pm | Daily (On Sunday, only banana cakes will be sold)
Thinking of going to Hiap Joo Bakery? Read about my experience on my first visit to the bakery, avoid the mistakes I made and plan your visit carefully.
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