Old Town

Review Rating: ⭐⭐ (Below Average)

Address: Johor Bahru City Square, J3-25A, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia (Located within JB City Square Mall)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3oW5TZvjmhL8kzqc6
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

🍜 DN1 BBQ Chicken & Fried Wantan Dry Egg Noodles 炭烧鸡炸云吞干捞全蛋面 = RM16.90

☕ WC6 Old Town Nan Yang-O 舊街埸南洋乌 = RM6.10

Service Tax 6% = RM1.30

Click here for the Full Menu and Receipt 
(Opens in a New Tab, Price is accurate as of Posting Date)

This is One of the First Eateries you will see when you come to JB City Square Mall directly from the CIQ. Its also one of the Earliest to Open at 8.00am 🕗(According to Google Maps). Most people will come here to Chill and Relax 😌 and Grab a Bite 😋 while waiting for City Square Mall to open at 10.00am. 🕙

The Brand itself is Regular Coffee Brand that is a Mainstay in Most Supermarkets that you most likely have seen before. ☕🤔 I've always thought Old Town was just a typical 3-in-1 type of Coffee Brand, so I was quite surprised to see them actually have an Outlet here. 🤔 Its another one of those Typical Modern JB Kopitiam where you have Various Local Favourites Dishes on the Menu.

Even on a Monday Afternoon, it was Popular and Crowded as you can see. 🤔 The Interior is a Large Area and Aircon is Comfortably Cooling. ❄️😌 There is no Free WIFI however. The Menu uses QR Code and if you don't have Internet Access, you can order via the Pen and Pencil Method. 📝 However, therein lies the First Main Issue that I encountered. 🤔

How other Modern JB Kopitiams usually Operate

If you have visited such Modern Kopitiams in JB, normally you would be greeted by an Entrance Staff who will guide you to your seat. 💁 When you are at your Seat, you will then either order via QR Code or Pencil and Paper. 📝

There will be some Button on your Table that you can press to Call for Staff Service who will either take your Order or tend to your other needs. 🤔 Once you've finished your meal, you will go to the Cashier where you will pay for the Bill. 💵 This is a Very Standardized Entry and Ordering Procedure. But it is not the Case for this Eatery however. 🤔

Frustrating Entry Experience

When I initially stepped up to the Entrance, there are No Entrance Staff, 🤔 also No Signages whether I should wait at the Entrance or just Walk In. 🤔 Other than the Cashier at the Entrance who was busy tending to a Customer, there was No One else there. The other Serving Staffs were busy roving about tending to Other Customers within the Eatery. 🏃

Actually the Cashier was busy not because she was settling the Bill, she was busy because she is also doing Double Duty of Taking Orders! 📝😳 The reason for the delay was that there is this Couple who was taking their own Sweet Time browsing thru the Menu, 📜 slowly choosing whatever items they want. And while they were doing this, a Line of Customers queued and waited at the Entrance for them to finish. 😅 OMG! After standing at the Entrance with a Queue of Customers behind me for about 1 Minute while waiting, I got impatient and resorted to grabbing the attention of one of these Roving Staffs to get an Allocated Seat by him. 🙋‍♂️ The other Customers in the Line followed suit. 😅

Frustrating Ordering Experience

When I was eventually allocated a Seat, 🪑 I was advised to order via a QR Code. I didn't have Internet Access available, and this place didn't have any Free WIFI so I asked for the Pencil and Paper system. 📝 After doing my Ordering on the Paper, I had to grab another Roving Serving Staff to pass him the Paper. 🙋‍♂️📝 (There are no Button on the Table to Call for Service) Imagine my surprise when he told me I have to bring the Paper all the way to the Front Cashier to Pay First. 😳

So ok, I approached the Cashier, who was still busy with another Customer, so I had to wait. Again. 🙄 Eventually when it came to my turn, she looked at my paper and THEN ONLY she told me that the Dim Sums I ordered were unavailable! (This was not indicated in their Menu) 🤔 At least she was Polite and Courteous about it.

So what to do? I had to go back to my Table and lo and behold, my Original Seat was actually ALLOCATED TO SOMEONE ELSE??? 🪑😳 Luckily the Staff there managed to find me another Available Seat. After removing the Dim Sums, I then chose something else praying hard that it is available. 🙏 After this 2nd Round, I went up to the Front Cashier to pay it and went back to my Seat to wait for the Food. 🤔


I'm sorry you have to read thru all that, but that was my Exact Experience here in this Eatery. 🤔 Frustrating, Frustrating, Frustrating. Unbelievably Frustrating! 🙄 Luckily the Staffs were Polite and Courteous and relieved abit of my Frustrations. To be fair, alot of the issues can be alleviated if I had Internet Access but still alot of Process could be improved for a Better 1st Customer Experience. 🤔

☕ WC6 Old Town Nan Yang-O 舊街埸南洋乌 = RM6.10

It took 4 Mins for this Coffee to be served up. I thought it had a Nice Roasted Coffee Aroma ☕👍 and while its not the Super Strong Smack You Awake type of Strong, it is still Noticeably Strong. ☕ Bitterness is Noticeable but Not Overpowering. Not Bad for a "Wake Up Type of Coffee" in the Morning. ☕🌞

This is a Very Minor Note, but I like their Cup and Saucer Set. ☕😅 It looks Classy. I especially like their Cup Handle which gives a Good Grip. 👍 You know sometimes when you hold a Cup of Coffee the Handle is Not Very Grippy? Not for this one. I find that I can easily get a Good Grip without it slipping. Hahaha just a Small Detail I noticed. I'd love to buy this Cup for my own use! ☕😅

🍜 DN1 BBQ Chicken & Fried Wantan Dry Egg Noodles 炭烧鸡炸云吞干捞全蛋面 = RM16.90

The Chinese Name for this WTM has got to be the Most Bombastic Sounding Name ever! 😅 That said though, I highly doubt its really "炭烧" (Charcoal Grilled). 🔥😅 This one took about 8 Mins to be served up. Its served with a Small Bowl of Soup. 🥣 Not alot of Soup I might add. Tastes 清甜 Sweetish with a Dash of Chicken MSG. 🤔 Doesn't taste like your Regular WTM Soup. Acceptable, but Nothing Special.

Amount of WTM Noodles feels Acceptable. The Noodles seem abit Thicker then Usual WTM Noodles. 🍜🤔 Bite Texture is Soft but Not Nua Nua. Abit on the Oilier Side. The Sauce is definitely Chicken Based, not Salty. 🍯🤔 I personally wished it was a tad Saltier because this almost reached Bland Level for me. 

The Toppings they added were 3 Small Triangular Pieces of Fish Cake that is Soft to the Bite and Very Light in Fish Taste. 🐟 There were also 3 Small Fried Wantans with a Decent Crispy Oil Taste. 🥟 Filling is Chicken and has a Somewhat Bouncy Chew with a Noticeable Scallion Taste. Acceptable Fried Wantan but Nothing Special. 🤔


The Char Siew they used is Chicken 🐔 and it is definitely not 炭烧 (Charcoal Grilled). 🔥😅 Its the type of Chicken Char Siew that you would normally see used in a Halal WTM. I'll be honest I don't really like such "Mock Char Siew" because of the Red Food Colouring they use to try to Mimic the Roasted Look of a Real Char Siew. 🤔 The Meat Cut they use here is Thigh Meat and I do like their Char Siew Sauce. 🍯 Its Sweet but Not Overly So. Overall, this Chicken Char Siew tastes exactly how you'd imagine it to taste. Nothing Special.


Eating this Dish without any Chilli tasted Very Flat. 🌶️🤔  I had to ask for some Chilli because it was not served by default in the first place. The Chilli Condiment they do serve up is Green Chilli Padi. 🌶️ While its not as Spicy as Red Chilli Padi, it will still Sting and Bite your Tongue if you cannot take Spicy. Adding Chilli and Soy Sauce made this taste very much better in my opinion. 🌶️👍 So if you order this Dish, don't forget to also ask for their Chilli Condiment.

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

Paying RM6.10 (S$1.80) is not worth for a Cup of what is basically Kopi-O. ☕🤔 This is actually on-par with the Kopi-O Price in Singapore. That said though, this IS a Modern Kopitiam situated in a Mall, so of course there is a Premium to be paid. 💵🤔 Overall Acceptable but Nothing Special. Hahaha! I actually prefer their Cup more than their Kopi-O! ☕😅

RM16.90 (S$4.80) for a WTM of this Caliber in JB, I feel is not worth the Money 🍜🤔 because this cannot compare to Ho Seng Kee WTM which is also in JB City Square that I reviewed previously. That said I do understand that HSK is a Dedicated WTM Eatery while this place is a Jack of All Trades. 🤔 Perhaps don't order the WTM at this Place.

The Main Issue with this Place however is the Frustrating Initial Overall Entry and Ordering Experience I felt. 🫤 I just don't understand why they don't follow most other Modern Kopitiam's Standard Entry Procedures? 🤔 I do understand that alot of the issues I faced could have been because I did not use their QR Code to order from their Online Menu. Had I used the QR Code, I might have not initially ordered their Unavailable Dim Sum and caused much of my Initial Frustrations. 🫤 But still other aspects of their Process really needs to be looked into.

Not having an Entrance Welcoming Staff and expect the Front Cashier to double duty as both Bill Payment AND to allowing New Customers to take time to slowly order while keeping other Customers waiting at the Entrance is really Inefficient. 🤔 As I mentioned, the Staffs themselves are Polite and Courteous and I would have dropped this to my Lowest Score had they not been, so I'm not trying to find Fault with their Staffs. 🫤 In fact, I feel the Main Fundamental Issue is that they are Very Understaffed seeing how busy they were. 🤔

Maybe this is Old Town's first foray into managing a Modern Kopitiam Franchise? 🤔 All these issues could have been easily resolved had they adopted other Modern Kopitiam Franchise procedures. In my Next Review, I will showcase another similar Modern Kopitiam Franchise in JB City Square that handled their Entry Procedure a whole lot better. 👍

Because of this Frustrating Experience, I do not recommend visiting this Eatery 🙅‍♂️ and especially not so if you don't have Internet Access to order from their QR Code 🌐 which will add on to your Frustrations as I have encountered. I sincerely hope they can improve on this.