04/07/2026

LYFE SATURDAY | JULY 4, 2026

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I N the heart of Johor Bahru’s historic downtown, the air along Jalan Dhoby carries a distinct, nostalgic aroma, a blend of charred rubberwood and caramelising bananas. The aroma permeates from a bakery, established in 1919, and the bake shop has become one of the city’s heritage attractions, drawing visitors from across Malaysia as well as Singapore, and even China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea. While the world outside has traded traditional hearths for electric convection ovens, Hiap Joo remains anchored by a century-old wood-fired oven. This brick-and-stone behemoth, along with family recipes guarded through three generations, has transformed the family business of more than a century into a global heritage destination. Founded shortly after the First World War by seven Hainanese immigrants, the bakery is today run by 38-year-old manager Joseph Lim Toh Hui and his elder brother, whose grandfather was among the founders. “During the Second World War, the other shareholders did not return to take over the business, so my grandfather continued running it by himself. Since then, it has remained in our family,” he told Bernama recently. Lim recalled growing up at the bakery and watching his grandfather knead dough by hand on a heavy

Lim runs the bakery along with his elder brother. Originally producing only bread for coffee shops around Johor Bahru, Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory expanded into cakes in the early 2000s after younger customers began requesting them. The bakery sells coconut, raisin, peanut, kaya , sugar and spicy buns for RM6 per pack alongside banana cake at RM13, and butter and coffee cakes at RM16 each. “The banana cake is our bestseller today,” Lim said, noting that the bakery produces between 800 and 1,000 items daily to meet demand. Although the family owns other properties, Lim said relocating the bakery has never been an option because the historic oven is central to its identity. “The stove is the most important thing. One day, we hope we can buy this shop because the wood-fired oven is here. We want future generations to continue seeing this oven and tasting the same bread and cakes,” he added. Meanwhile, loyal customer Kuldip Singh, 65, said he has been a regular at the bakery since his school days in Johor Bahru. “It (bread) is soft, you can really taste the banana. The quality has remained the same for the past 50 years or so,” he said, adding that despite rising living costs, the bakery continues to offer its products at reasonable prices. – Bernama

Nothing can beat wood-fired goodness A worker at Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory monitors the bread-baking process. – PICS FROM BERNAMA

o Century-old Johor bakery keeps family tradition aflame with behemoth oven

bread directly over the fire. Actually, we burn the wood to heat the oven. Once it reaches the right temperature, we bake the bread using the retained heat. When the temperature drops, only then do we start baking the cakes. “There is no secret. It is simply the method passed down from my grandfather,” he said.

while continuing to rely on the same traditional wood-fired baking process. “Many people think we bake the

wooden table before he eventually learned the trade himself. Today, the bakery employs between 15 and 20 workers

Bread loaves baking in the traditional wood-fired oven.

FOODIE CORNER

S W S Kids Kampung Chicken Essence Specially developed for children aged six months and above and centered around the concept of “daily growth nutritional support”, the product is made using carefully selected Malaysian kampung chicken and a low- temperature extraction process that combines modern nutritional science with traditional double-boiling craftsmanship. The formulation emphasises purity and safety, retaining essential nutrients through a gentle extraction method without added salt or preservatives. It also contains an exceptionally low sodium level of only 21mg, allowing children to absorb nutrients more safely during critical developmental stages while supporting physical and cognitive growth. Priced at RM148 for a pack of six.

Lapisan Patisserie’s Playful Pastry The classic French-based choux puff cake with a local touch, the Lychee St Honore (RM18) is created to look like a crown fit, the dessert features juicy lychee fruit, artfully decorated in between silky lychee cream on top of a buttery feuilletine base. The result is a delightful balance of the fruit’s floral sweet ness with a satisfying toasty crunch. Alongside that is a British-inspired high-tea, the Earl Grey Cube (RM18) features a light and fragrant Earl Grey tea mousse layered with orange cream and almond sponge cake on a melt-in-your-mouth crumble base. Enveloped in a smooth, gold finish with a dapper moustache detail.

B T S Oreo Inspired by BTS’s Korean roots, this special edition features a hotteok -inspired brown sugar–pancake flavoured creme, paired with Oreo’s first-ever purple cookies as a tribute to the group’s fans. The cookies also come with 13 unique embossments designed by BTS, commemorating the group’s 13th anniversary and celebrating their connection with fans worldwide. Priced at RM3.20.

Magnum Pistachio S ignature Magnum introduces a specially crafted coating designed to celebrate premium quality pistachio and finished with Magnum’s iconic cracking Belgian chocolate. At its heart lies dense and silky pistachio ice cream, intertwined in a rich marble pattern to create a harmonious balance of flavour and texture. More than just a flavour, Magnum Pistachio Signature transforms pistachio into its most elevated form – a refined celebration of craftsmanship and sensorial indulgence, created for pleasure seekers looking to explore new dimensions of indulgence. Priced at RM6 for 80ml.