Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee at 36 Jalan Harimau Tarum, Taman Abad has been serving handmade noodles since 1936 — nearly nine decades of the same family, the same recipe, the same obsession with getting the egg-to-flour ratio exactly right.
Picture this: you sit down at a proper shophouse table, opposite Plaza Pelangi, in the same Taman Century neighbourhood where this whole story started. A bowl arrives. The noodles are thin and flat — not round, not the thick kind, flat — and they glisten with a slick of lard-based sauce that smells like something your grandmother used to cook on a Sunday morning, except better. On top: char siew sliced pink at the edges, plump wantons with minced pork filling, and a side bowl of clean bone broth to sip between bites. You take a forkful. Shiok, lah. Proper shiok. And you understand immediately why three generations of the Ho family have refused to change a single thing.
What is the story behind Ho Seng Kee?
In 1936, a man named Ho Seng Kao from Xinhui District, Guangdong Province, China, pushed a cart along Jalan Siu Nam in Johor Bahru and sold wanton noodles to whoever was hungry. No shophouse. No branding. Just fresh noodles and a recipe he brought from home. That cart became a stall, the stall became a shop, and the shop became what is now one of JB's most respected food institutions. His grandson Elton Ho took over in 2008 and runs it today — third generation, same recipe, same stubbornness about quality.
For a stretch, Ho Seng Kee operated out of JB City Square Mall Level 6, which was convenient but came with mall pricing. Then in June 2025, Elton made the call to move back to a shophouse in the old neighbourhood — Taman Abad, practically Taman Century — and bring the prices back down with him. Confirm worth it? Absolutely.
What makes the noodles special after 90 years?
The short answer: the noodles are made from scratch every single day, no exceptions. Elton uses 100% duck eggs for texture and chicken eggs for flavour, combined with high-protein Canadian Hard Spring wheat flour. No preservatives. No artificial colouring. Nothing in a packet. You can taste the difference the moment the noodles hit your tongue — there is a spring and a bite that factory noodles just cannot replicate, and a slight eggy richness that carries the sauce beautifully.
The signature dish is dry-tossed wanton mee — noodles tossed in a sauce that contains lard oil (yes, lard — this is where the magic is), topped with char siew and pork wantons, with a small bowl of bone broth on the side. Crispy pork lard is available as a topping if you want to go full commitment. The soup version exists, but dry is the classic move. Order dry, first visit, no negotiation.
One thing that sets Ho Seng Kee apart from the many wanton mee shops around JB: they do not franchise and do not supply noodles to other vendors. The shophouse at 36 Jalan Harimau Tarum is the only place on earth you can eat this bowl. There is something almost unreasonable about a food family that has spent 90 years saying no to shortcuts. It shows in the bowl.
Is Ho Seng Kee halal?
No — and they are upfront about it. Ho Seng Kee is not halal. The wantons contain minced pork, the seasoning sauce uses lard oil, and crispy pork lard is offered as a topping. There is no halal certification. If you are looking for halal wanton noodles, this is not the spot. For everyone else, the pork-based components are exactly what gives this bowl its character — and why regulars drive across JB for it.
How much does a bowl cost?
This is where the June 2025 shophouse move becomes genuinely good news. When Ho Seng Kee was in the mall, a standard bowl ran around RM15 and the XXL was about RM23. Post-move prices have dropped roughly 30%: the standard bowl is now approximately RM11, the XXL around RM16. For a bowl this carefully made, from a 90-year institution, that is not expensive at all. Prices can change, so treat these as a guide and check on the day.
What time does Ho Seng Kee open, and when should you go?
Operating hours are 10:00am to 9:00pm daily, confirmed on the official website and on TripAdvisor. Note: some older food blogs mention 8am — the official source says 10am, so plan accordingly. There is no confirmed weekly closure day, meaning you can go any day of the week. That said, the lunch rush (12pm to 2pm) and the early dinner window (6pm to 7:30pm) fill up fastest. If you want a seat without waiting, the late-morning window around 10:30 to 11:30am tends to be the calmest. The contact number is +60 12-710 7140 if you want to check anything before you go.
How far is Ho Seng Kee from KSL D'Esplanade?
Very close — that is the point. Ho Seng Kee is approximately 900m to 1.2km by road from KSL D'Esplanade, both sitting in the same Taman Century and Taman Abad neighbourhood cluster in central JB. On foot you are looking at roughly 10 to 13 minutes. By car or Grab it is a 3 to 5 minute ride. For guests staying at Southern Homestay, this is not a field trip. It is a walk or a very short Grab, and you are back at your unit before the char siew smell fades from your shirt.
Quick facts: Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee
- Address: 36, Jalan Harimau Tarum, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
- Hours: Daily 10:00am – 9:00pm (no confirmed weekly closure day)
- Halal status: Not halal (pork wantons, lard oil in sauce, pork lard topping available)
- Founded: 1936 — currently third-generation family operation
- Distance from KSL D'Esplanade: Approx. 900m–1.2km; 10–13 min walk, 3–5 min by Grab
- Price guide: Standard bowl approx. RM11, XXL approx. RM16 (verify on the day)
- Contact: +60 12-710 7140
- Google Maps: Get directions
One insider tip worth knowing: since the June 2025 return to the shophouse, regulars consider this a homecoming — Ho Seng Kee operated in this same Taman Century neighbourhood for decades before the mall stint, so the older uncles and aunties who grew up eating here will tell you the food tastes right again now that it is back where it belongs.
For more Chinese food in the same neighbourhood, see our guide to the best Chinese food near KSL City Mall, and if wanton mee gets you curious about what else is walkable, our KSL City Mall mini-guide covers what is downstairs.
Planning a trip to Johor Bahru? Book your stay at Southern Homestay — our studio and 2-bedroom units at KSL D'Esplanade are approximately 1km from Ho Seng Kee Wanton Mee at Jalan Harimau Tarum, Taman Abad. WhatsApp us at +60 12-708 8789 to check availability.