Johor Bahru Souvenirs: 4 Places for Crafts and Food Gifts
Johor Bahru souvenirs are mostly edible: boxes of banana cake, cookies and snacks from old-town bakeries and city-centre shops. For something that lasts, Johor Bahru (JB) also has a state craft centre selling batik, rattan and the folded tanjak headdress.
This guide covers 4 places to buy Johor Bahru souvenirs, checked in October 2026. Kompleks Kraf Johor and FIDANI are confirmed on official pages, Hiap Joo Bakery through our own hawker food research and JMM Cookies through its current GrabFood listing, and we say plainly where hours could not be confirmed. Biscuit shops we found only in OpenStreetMap, such as those beside KSL City Mall, are left out. For packed Johor foods, see the local products guide linked below.
Jump to a shop (4)
At a glance
Kompleks Kraf Johor
Kompleks Kraf Johor (Johor Craft Complex) is run by Kraftangan Malaysia, the national craft agency. Its Karyaneka boutique sells Malaysian-made textiles, batik, rattan, pottery, metalwork and gifts, and craftspeople give live demonstrations of block and canting batik, tanjak headdress sewing and rattan weaving.
You can also make your own batik, tie-dye T-shirt or rattan basket, with packages from RM5. Kraftangan's page gives opening hours of 9 am to 6 pm every day and a phone number of 07-235 0433; parking is free.
Hiap Joo Bakery
Hiap Joo Bakery has baked in a wood-fired oven on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee since 1919, and a box of its banana cake is the edible souvenir most visitors carry home from JB. Our Johor Bahru hawker food guide has the details: a box of 10 pieces costs about RM13, and there are buttery coffee cakes and old-style buns too.
It opens early and closes when the day's baking is sold, so go in the morning. OpenStreetMap lists Monday to Saturday, while some guides list daily opening, so check before a Sunday visit. Phone 07-223 1703.
JMM Cookies
JMM Cookies (ๅฌๅชฝๅชฝ) is a Johor Bahru cookie and pastry shop. Its outlet in JB City Square, the mall a short walk from JB Sentral and the Causeway checkpoint, was on GrabFood in October 2026 with daily hours of 11 am to 9 pm. Around the Mid-Autumn Festival its menu is mostly baked and snowskin mooncakes and gift boxes.
JMM's own website showed a maintenance page in October 2026, and GrabFood hours are delivery hours, so check the shop's hours and range in person. OpenStreetMap also lists a JMM shop beside KSL City Mall, but we could not confirm that branch.
FIDANI Chocolatier
FIDANI is a Malaysian chocolatier founded in 1999 that makes hand-finished pralines, truffles and chocolate gift boxes using Belgian chocolate. Its shop at Johor Premium Outlets is in Suite 206, and the outlet centre lists a separate FIDANI Galleria shop as well.
The chocolates are Malaysian rather than specifically Johor-made, but they are a neat gift if you are already at the outlets. The centre is open 10 am to 10 pm daily; the store phone is 07-590 9300. Keep chocolate out of the sun on the drive back.
Tips for Buying Johor Bahru Souvenirs
Where to start
Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and the streets around it in the old town are a short walk from JB Sentral, so you can pick up banana cake on the way back to the Causeway. Pasar Karat, the nightly street market in the city centre, also has cheap trinkets; see our Johor Bahru night markets guide.
Food gifts
Banana cake and soft buns keep only a few days, so buy them at the end of your trip. Boxed biscuits keep far longer and travel better.
Crafts
Batik prices depend on the method: hand-drawn canting batik takes longer and costs more than block-printed cloth. Kompleks Kraf Johor's staff can explain the difference, and you can try both techniques there.
Johor Bahru Souvenirs: Frequently Asked Questions
What souvenirs is Johor Bahru known for?
Food gifts are the most popular, especially banana cake from Hiap Joo Bakery, which has baked on Jalan Tan Hiok Nee since 1919, and boxed traditional biscuits. For crafts, Kompleks Kraf Johor sells batik and other Malaysian-made handicrafts.
Where can I buy batik in Johor Bahru?
Kompleks Kraf Johor in Larkin sells batik and other crafts in its Karyaneka boutique and runs batik demonstrations and do-it-yourself sessions. It is open 9 am to 6 pm daily.
Are there souvenir shops near the Causeway?
Yes. Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, with Hiap Joo Bakery, is about 10 minutes on foot from JB Sentral, and JMM Cookies is in JB City Square, a short walk from JB Sentral.
When should I buy banana cake at Hiap Joo?
Go in the morning. The bakery opens at about 7:30 am and closes when the day's baking sells out, often well before evening.