AK Noodles House (JB City Square Mall)

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (Average)

Address: Lot J2-12, Level 2, Johor Bahru City Square, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
(Located within JB City Square Mall)
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/prC5i8Fuz6nSV9Fa7
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

Yong Tau Fu Soup (No Rice) = RM16.90

Service Charge 5% = RM0.85
Service Tax 6% = RM1.01

 Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.


This is one of those Smaller Eateries in this Mall that you probably passed by many times but don't really give it much notice. 😅 At least thats the vibe for me. Its not as Ulu as you think though, they even have their own Official Website. 🤔 So apparently the "AK" refers to "Ah Koong" and its quite a 老字号 that started in 1987 (38 Years). 🤔 You can refer to their Website for more information. It was quite an interesting read.

This was a Very Small Eatery with about 10 Tables and their Signature seems to be Fishball Noodles. 🍜 The Staffs aren't particularly Friendly and mostly keep to themselves. Didn't feel like eating any Noodles and ordered their Yong Tau Foo Set from the Menu. 🤔 At first I didn't notice there was a No Carbs Option and I appreciate that 1 of the Staff kindly pointed it out for me which cost lesser. Despite how Low Profile this place was, there are actually quite a Few Customers when I was there. It took about 2 Mins for my Dish to be served up.

Yong Tau Fu Soup (No Rice) = RM16.90

This Set consisted of:
🌶️ 1 Chilli (Cut into 2)
🥬 1 Lady Finger / Okra (Cut into 2)
◻️ 1 Fried Tofu (Cut into 2)
🍆 1 Thick Slice of Brinjal
🥒 1 Slice of Bittergourd (cut into 2)
◻️ 1 White Tofu (cut into 2)
🥬 Few slices of Lettuce Leaves

This is the type of YTF where Ingredients come in a Set, and you don't choose or pick what you want. 

The Condiment served with this is a Simple Soy Sauce with Chilli Padi Slices.

Sharply Salty and Sharply Spicy due to the Chilli Padi, this one will Sting abit if you're can't take Spicy. 🌶️ Very Average and Standard Condiment for YTF.

🥣 Quality of the YTF Soup

Amount of Actual Soup in the Bowl is actually not alot when I take out all the Ingredients as you can see, although I reckon you can probably ask for Refills.

It has a Brownish Cloudy Appearance and the Taste is Saltish but not Overly So. It tastes like it has a Fried Onion and Ikan Bilis Base. 🧅🐟

There is a Presence of MSG within although not too much. Taste like a Very Typical Standard SG Foodcourt Level of YTF/Fishball Soup. Acceptable but Unremarkable. 🤔 

While I'm not sure if this Soup is also used for their Fishball Noodles, it taste very similar to the type used in Fishball Noodles. Not surprising if they re-use this Soup Broth tbh. 🤔

◻️ 1 White Tofu (Cut into 2)

Relatively Large Sized, this was a Mixture of Tofu and Fish Paste. The Soybean Taste is slightly more noticeable compared to SG Version of YTF White Tofu. 👍 Although not Fragile, Texture was still Soft to the Bite. Fish Paste was not Fishy and also had a Similar Soft Bite. Decent tasting, I thought this one was Slightly Better than Average SG YTF White Tofu, but lower standard than 安记酿豆腐 Restoran Ankee Yong Tauhu in TUTA that I reviewed previously. 🤔

🥒1 Slice of Bittergourd (Cut into 2)

Contains the same Fish Paste as their White Tofu. The Bittergourd has a Slight Firm Chew, Not Nua Nua Soft and the Bitterness is Slight but Noticeable. Again, Slightly Better than Average SG YTF version whereby sometimes you can't even taste any Bitterness. 😅

◻️ 1 Fried Tofu (Cut into 2)

Actually this wasn't Fried Tofu at all but is actually a Fried Version of their Fish Paste. 🤔 Among the Ingredients, this is the one where I can actually taste the Fish Paste better. 👍 The Batter is not those Crispy Bite type but there is a Nice Fried 油香味. 😋 I liked that this one is also somewhat Spongy that can actually Soak Up some of the Soup Broth.

🌶️ 1 Chilli (Cut into 2)

When biting into this, there is a Strong Hit of Spicy Capcaisin that will sting and linger on your tongue. 🌶️

This was surprising because usually Large Red Chilli Stalks like this aren't usually Very Spicy like this. 🤔 The Spiciness in this is actually Quite Elevated. If you cannot take Spicy, I don't recommend to eat this.


🍆 1 Thick Slice of Brinjal

Probably the Ugliest Looking Ingredient of the Bunch 😅 but has a Nice Super Soft 烂烂 Chew. Inside is a Small Portion of Fish Paste and there is a Savoury 油香味. 😋 I like the Bite Texture that alternates between the Slightly Firmish Fish Paste mixed with the Super Soft Brinjal Meat.

Rest of the Ingredients

Nothing special about the Okra / Lady Finger as they have the Regular Slimy Texture that you'd expect from an Okra. Ditto with the Included Lettuce Leaves. 🥬 I personally prefer Kang Kong for the Leafy Veggie Component but this Lettuce does its job adequately enough.


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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

If we don't count the Lettuce Leaves which felt more like a Garnishing than anything, this is Basically a 6-Items YTF without any Noodles at RM18.75 (S$5.80). 🤔 Not that far off in Pricing when compared to a SG Foodcourt Level YTF.

Amusingly, when compared to the Top Score Ankee YTF at TUTA, it is the Exact Same Price at 6 Items with No Noodles. 😅 Ankee even had More Meat Items compared to this. Although to be fair, this Eatery is located in a Mall, while Ankee is a Shophouse so of course the Higher Rental Costs here were a Big Factor. 🤔
Overall Quality of the YTF in here though didn't feel any different from SG Food Court YTF. 🤔 It felt as if i'm just eating a SG YTF and paying SG Prices on top of it. 💵 I feel this Pricing is the Main Factor that really hurt this Eatery. 🤔 If it is not located in a Mall, they could have lowered the price significantly and make it alot more attractive in their Pricing. Based on the Quality of the YTF alone, I don't feel that there is anything special about this Eatery. 🤔 This is Standard SG YTF Quality with SG Level of Prices.

Just because I give this an Average Score doesn't mean I hate it though. To its credit, this is one of the Relatively Lighter and Healthier Food Option in this Mall compared to most of the other Eateries which are mostly either Fast Foods, or Oilier Grilled or Fried Stuffs so there's that. 😅 I just feel that its not that special to specifically take the time to come JB to eat this thats all. 🤔 Have you eaten from this Eatery in JB City Square Mall? I'd love to know how you think of them! 😄