J.B. Ah Meng Restaurant

The shop is right by the main road at Geylang. Easy to find. Not much parking available but we make do as always. The San Lou stir-fried noodles. Must try. The look, uniquely unflattering, the ingredients at a glance, common. The taste, some of the best I have had. It really isnt much to look at but it looks better everytime I visit. They have others on the menu just that I have not gotten bored from eating that signature dish. As to the name, it was supposedly the name of a place in JB. The staffs are welcoming and entertaining. There is this stalky one that I see gets just as bothered as myself by indecisive customers who take more than two minutes to order. Then there is the plump one who is entertaining to talk to. Suitable for all group sizes and all age. Wheelchair friendly.

Food is nice, unique and very tasty, especially their signature "white pepper crab" dish. I personally think it is a bit over price but it is fine, we paid for what we wanted 😀😃. Our group is 9pax, eat and drink beer, total bill S$588, happy ending, haha.

This place is practically an institution in Geylang. Everyone knows JB Ah Meng. I’ve heard of them for years but never came because we’ve heard of the long queues. But we just came here on a Friday evening at 7pm and guess what - no queue. Not only was there zero queue, there were even many empty tables. Did we get lucky or have people moved on from this place? We ordered a bunch of dishes for 2pax and spent $183. The crab goes for about $10/100g. To be honest, the white pepper crab is not my favourite style of having crab but I can see why some might like it. I have to say we got a good crab though, as the flesh was firm and not mushy. The chaotah beehoon is also renowned but I’ve had better elsewhere. They should make it crispier and add pieces of pork lard or belly instead of using lean pork. Overall we left feeling stuffed and satisfied with leftovers to spare. We wouldn’t mind coming back again but would definitely not queue for anything more than 5mins for a table, as this has turned out to be a pretty run-of-the-mill tzechar spot. Not bad, but not mindblowing.

It’s my first time here and honestly, I’m not sure what the rave is all about. First of all this has nothing to do with the real JB Ah Meng. I checked the facts online. Next my San Low noodles was quite mushy. Overall, the food was not fantastic. And on top of all this, I struggled so long to find a parking lot.

Chanced upon this place which was fairly booked but had space for walk-in. Large indoor dining area comprising of 2 shop spaces, with air-conditioning and looks clean. Qr code given to make orders, which allowed customisation eg less salt, no msg etc. San lou beehoon was great! Well seasoned with slignt char and wok hey. Sambal kangkong- cant fault that. Deep fried pork belly was crunchy with good ratio of fat and meat.

Kinda disappointed with their sanlou mi fen. I was expecting a more crunchy texture and wok hei taste but it turned out to be really average. Shoutout to their white pepper crab though! One of the best I’ve had. Really fragrant

White pepper crab is very good !! All the dishes are super fresh and tasty. We called to reserve. Restaurant is quite popular. And asked the restaurant to reserve a nice crab for us. Supper good !!!

The JB San Lou Bee Hoon is a disappointment, soggy and not nicely pan fried at all. It was not authentic, (if you tried it in JB you would know)The sambal that accompanied was extremely salty. Other than that their sweet sour pork, stir fried vegetables, boiled prawns are delicious.

Besides serving Johor Bahru food (as the name suggests) this place also has some mainland China dishes. They get 4.5 stars. San lou mee hoon was not crispy despite appearances & came with egg, cabbage & pork. It was pretty tasty. Deep fried fermented bean with belly pork was really tender, bouncy & tasty. They probably put some baking soda on the meat. It was a big portion. Cameron Highland Dragon Vegetable was good. There was a nice crunch & it was fried with some nice savoury dried fish & some bean sprouts.

The specialty of J.B. Ah Meng is White Pepper Crab, a whole fresh crab cooked with greens in a spicy white pepper sauce. The pieces of crab were cracked so the flavor seeped through, making for a delicious (and messy) eating experience. Their other signature dishes included the J.B. San Lou Meehoon, a pan-fried "cake" of rice noodles cooked with eggs, chicken, and shrimp; and the Lala, or Fried Garlic Chili Clams, a generous portion of clams in a spicy and savory sauce. We also had a soup with golden mushrooms, beancurd sheets, glass noodles, and shell-on prawns; stir-fried vegetables with bean sprouts; and deep-fried green beans with crunchy "cereal" and dried shrimp, which had a savory, umami flavor. But my favorite dish was the Deep-Fried Orange Roughy, a scored whole fish deep-fried and topped with dry squid sticks, ginger, and soy sauce. The fish had a delicious meaty flavor, tender interior, and crunchy exterior, making for a delicious combination of flavors and textures. Though the setting with plastic chairs doesn't look like much, the food was delicious, and it was obvious this place was popular with locals!

I am on board at the airport leaving Singapore and am craving for the noodle (pictured). I regret not to get it with me on the plane! The noodle is that good! We ordered crabs, noodle, green vegetable, clam. All good but I really loved the noodle and clam which are just so good. My friend, yelp elite squad, Nik reserved the crab or it will be gone according to him.

Great white pepper crab. Fried rice noodle (beejon, served flat like a pancake). Fried chicken wings. Very busy place, helps to have a reservation. Will take credit cards. Kind owner. He got us a Grub ride using his own mobile phone using his owner account (we paid him back in cash). He showed to the corner where the shared ride was coming.

Reserve a table. Reserve the number of mud crabs while you're at it. Arrive within 10 minutes of your reservation or lose the table. Brace yourself for the onslaught of noise in the dining room. The servers are patient as you think through your order. The white pepper mud crabs are a sophisticated twist of a Singapore favorite. The white pepper is more floral and less fiery. And the sauce they coat on the crabs is delectable. And, you have to get the wok hei beehoon (rice stick noodles) that comes in mats. The texture and flavor are really unique, and an ideal complement to the white pepper crab. The pork chop is crisp and fragrant. The salt egg prawn really rich. I was confused with the ice plant in thousand Island dressing. Not a bad tasting dish. Just not a good companion taste to all the other items on the table. The ice jelly is served with lime lemonade. Refreshing.

I've been wanting to eat here for the longest time, so when my boss asked me to organize a team dinner recently, I jumped at the opportunity to do so. We reached the restaurant at 630pm without any reservation and lucky us, we were seated immediately. To be honest, the staff were pretty intimidating and rude. They work on a no-nonsense basis often ignoring us whenever we try to be friendly conversing with them. When asked what's good and highly recommended, they shove us with a photo album with all their signature dishes and ask us to make a decision. We ordered a few dishes EXCEPT the "famous" white pepper crab knowing we'll get "slaughtered" alive (overprice). The waitress was giving us an attitude while trying very hard to convince us to order. In the end, we won the battle. The restaurant is also very noisy - a typical tze-char restaurant where everyone talks at their highest pitch all at the same time. It's like you're eating in a warzone. Now that I've got all the negatives out, let's talk about the positive. The food was downright delicious. We ordered: * San Lou mee hoon * Salted egg prawns * Garlic chili clams * Fried pork belly * Stir fry veggies with lotus roots * Stir fry bitter gourd with fish head Each dish was spot on in terms of flavor and execution. Even my boss, who is a fussy eater rave about the food. The signature mee hoon has a char layer and packed with so much "wok hei". That shows the skill of an experienced chef. The salted egg prawns are delicious with bits and pieces of corn thrown in. I won't reveal much of the other dishes, you have to come and try it yourself. The biggest surprise was when we asked for the bill. The total came up to a total of SG$90+. That's pretty cheap considering we ordered 6 dishes to feed the 5 of us. It's no wonder the restaurant is pack to the brim by 730pm and hoards of people were queuing outside as we leave the restaurant. Given the rude service and how noisy it is, I would come back in a heartbeat. Good food triumphs, always. And it's no wonder even Michelin star chefs secretly make their way here!

Thanks to Yelper Nik T. for introducing us to JB Ah Meng. Food and service was yummy! Tip: order the white pepper crab ahead of time and book a table. When we got there, all tables were filled already and a line already forming. Dress casual and get ready to get a little messy if you plan to eat crab and clams. It is also noisy like a typical Chinese restaurant (tse cha). Thanks to Nik, we had a reservation. Most of the servers prefer speaking Chinese so it helps having someone who can speak Chinese. Their menus have good pictures do you could always point. Nik helped my Dad and I with food recommendations. Like most Chinese meals, it was served family style. We ordered White Pepper Crab, fried Mee Suah Noodles, Fermented Pork Chops, Stir Fried Chives and stir-fried La La Clams with garlic. Pepper Crab was juicy, succulent and not too spicy unlike the Black Pepper Crab. They gave us a female crab full of delicious roe and cholesterol. The fried noodles "Mee Suah" was flavorful and had a nice wok hei (char). The fermented pork chop was one of my favorite dishes. It was marinated in tau chiong (fermented bean paste), bread and deep fried. The chives and bean sprouts were fine, but unremarkable. The clams were terrific! I enjoyed sucking on the shells to get the last bits. Next time we come back, I would like to tried a salted egg dish. They are also known for that. Thank you, Black Gold Nik T. for leading us to this fantastic food experience!

Very tasty white pepper crab, it doesn't looks good but it is delicious, the third floor noodles looks creepy but taste good, very reasonable prices but good food, highl

What makes an amazing dinner the perfect meal? When the company is better than the food! A BIG thank you to Nik T and Van Z for your warmest Singaporean hospitality. Thank you for everything! Although we didn't get to watch the sunset as planned, the innocent-looking drink that put me to sleep more than made up for the sunset ^_^ A shout-out to Alvin C - it was a great pleasure meeting you! Now to JB Ah Meng. The moment you walk in, you can't help but notice the huge posters on the walls highlighting the visit by World renowned Michelin 3-starred chef , Ferran Adria. Other well-known celebrities who have dined there include Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain. But alas! This restaurant had no opulent furniture, no crystal chandelier, and no servers in black tuxedos to welcome some of the World's most famous chefs! JB Ah Meng, until about a year and a half ago, was a hawker-stand style eatery with crowded outdoor tables located in a dark and narrow alley. They have now moved into an air-conditioned cafe-style restaurant space which is a lot more comfortable (at least for me, but some would say the food tasted better or the atmosphere was more authentic in the old alley location.) WHITE PEPPER CRAB: Crab is almost like the signature cuisine of Singapore and the three most popular culinary versions are: Chili, black pepper, and white pepper. JB Ah Meng specializes in (and is famous for) the white pepper rendition and it was finger-licking good. The white pepper flavor was rich and exotic but not overwhelming. The crab meat tasted fresh and was flavorful. TIP: When you make your table reservation, you need to reserve your crabs at the same time. Otherwise, you might be disappointed. (Thanks, Nik!) SALTED EGG PRAWN BALL: If you like Chinese salted egg, then this dish will almost be heavenly for you! Fresh prawns and corn were dipped in a salted egg batter and deep fried to perfection. The rich salted egg yolk flavors added a bold dimension to natural taste of the fresh shrimps and turned this rather simple-looking dish into a most memorable yummy experience. FRIED GARLIC CHILI LALA: Lala are Southeast Asia clams. Compared to the Pacific clams that we have here on the West Coast (and especially the Pacific Northwest), the lala were smaller, less meaty, but were packed with robust flavors and a distinct seafood "sweetness" that is rare outside of Asia. They were fried with an abundance of red hot chili peppers which stimulated the palate and made the lalas super delicious. STEAMED PEARL GROUPER TAIL: This was a giant fish and we ordered the tail portion which was already plenty of fish for us. It was steamed Hong Kong style and was served with the most delicious soy sauced based juice which retained all the flavors and essence of the fish. JB SAN LOU MEE HOON: This might look like the least appetizing dish of the night, but let me assure you that if you are fortunate enough to grab a reservation at JB Ah Meng, then this dish is a must-order. Mee hoon in American English is rice vermicelli, which you can easily find in most authentic Asian restaurants in Irvine or the SGV. But I guarantee you that I've never had fried rice vermicelli this good outside of Asia. The most memorable part of this dish was the "fragrance of the wok" (or wok hei) that was so rich that the entire table was filled with a sweet aroma the moment this dish was served.

J.B Ah Meng Restaurant really is such an unsuspecting restaurant. Doesn't look that special or grand, but sit here for 30 minutes and you'll witness 5 cabs coming here to drop off locals. We got the white pepper crab, the chili clams, and the San Lou Bee Hoon. The bee hoon was very nice (we got the medium size for two people). Has this simple savory flavor. Great dish to start getting you on your way to being full in the meal (so you don't have to break the bank on all the seafood items). The clams, omg wow. I normally don't like clams that much and I'm so glad we got the medium size vs the small size. You get so much more value, and we struggled to finish it because of the generous portion (or it's just not a 2 person portion lol). Everything about it was perfect. I got to the point, even when there were empty shells, I picked it up with my chopsticks, put it in my mouth, and sucked all the sauce and juices because it was that dam good. I only stopped because my mouth was burning since it gets a bit spicy. For a person that doesn't like clams to do that, I don't think I need to say anymore. The crab also was amazing. The pepper slowly builds up and combined with the spice from the clams, I was constantly reaching back for the bee hoon to drown out the spice. Still didn't match the first crab we had at Sin Huat Seafood, but was better than the New Ubin Seafood one. So #2 out of three really good crabs. I thought the price was extremely fair given the quality of the food and left feeling really full and happy about this place.

On my last day in Singapore, I went on a mission to find the white pepper crab that Anthony Bourdain wanted to bring to New York. We arrived a bit early and walked around, but once they saw me queue up, they sat us down immediately. We ordered: - White pepper crab (7/10) - we ordered one crab. It's definitely worth trying at least once. The white pepper sauce is interesting, but it made me nervous that I couldn't figure out what was in it, maybe some sort of butter or fat. There was something in the sauce that threw me off. - Green beans w/lotus root (9/10) - love the flavors and textures of this dish, the lightly sweet oyster sauce (or something like it), and the crunch of the fried lotus. We ordered a small. - San lou bee hoon (10/10) - wok-fried noodles with seafood, meat, and some other things. This was the standout dish of the entire meal, even though we came for the crab. We ordered a medium and was able to finish it between the two of us. You must order this dish if you come here. - Salty egg shrimp (5/10) - we made the mistake of getting the medium. It's too much food. this was the only dish we didn't like and didn't finish. it's expensive too! Get a small, if you're in a group of two. Pro tip: Come early to avoid the crowds. 5:30 is a good time to come. Otherwise, I recommend having your hotel make a reservation for you. I attempted to make my own reservation, but the person who picked up the phone did not speak English, so I had the concierge at my hotel call to make a resie.

I have been pushing my meal times later and later to dodge the heat, so it's great that this place stays open until 2 or so. However, I think they start running out of crabs around 11 or so. Got the chance to try the white pepper crab and other dishes after coming back a few times. Definitely come early if you want the white pepper crab, because it's worth the effort and the price tag. Would suggest getting at least the medium or larger sized for more meaty bites. Honestly, all the other dishes were pretty good as well, but I just wasn't so big at the salted egg prawn. Thought it was just missing something... The San Lou Mee was a solid hit. Small portion is probably good enough for 2 regular people (or 1 of me). You can also see the boss man walking around from time to time. He's pretty easy to recognize because his face is all over the wall...

Decided to review this store which I did take away 1 week ago. The food is 5/5. They use very strong flavours and each and every dish is robustly flavoured. However tip is get a few people to share, could get a bit "scared" if you eat too much of the same dish. Try the burnt bee Hoon. Extremely delicious and though this dish is sold in many place, no other places I've. Even to come close to this this. Also try the sea asparagus with smoked duck. It's nice, really nice. Even the head chef of elbulli went to dine here, I saw the pictures there. Enjoy !

My friend made reservations at JB Ah Meng so I could try the famous white pepper crab when I visited Singapore. The crab was delicious; HOWEVER, it was extremely spicy! I had to down two coconuts while eating the crab. Make sure you don't have any cuts on your hands or fingers otherwise they will burn (speaking from experience...). Aside from the crab, all of the other side dishes we ordered were equally as good. I loved the clams as well as the fried lotus root/green bean dish. This place was much more crowded than I was expecting. According to my friend, a reservation is a must if you want to dine here so plan ahead of time! If I am ever in Singapore again in the future, I will for sure be paying a visit to JB Ah Meng.

I'm reviewing this place so that I don't ever lose it. This was hands down one of my favorite meals in Singapore. Their white pepper crabs, lala clams, salted egg prawns, meehoon, all those veggie dishes. Everything!!!! Everything was cooked to perfection. Don't forget to ask for their chilis and hot sauces!

The white pepper crab was the best thing I ate the entire time I was in Singapore, and I managed to pack in A LOT of meals in just 10 days. I also tried the garlic chili clams, fried beehoon, snake beans with lotus root, and salted egg prawn balls - all so yummy! I wish I could cook like this but sadly I will have to travel 9500 miles to eat this again. So sad...

Wow we were there before 5:30pm they were nice enough to offer a table to wait for the opening. And at 5:30pm the race starts!!!!!! People just poured like the water. The ordering grandma was super hyper and helped us along the way to order and insisted that we order medium for the noodle. Got to say she has Jedi power in mind control am sure we will be left broke later - eat first die later:). All in all we ordered 6 dishes so lets see how good they are. And...... we are without words!!! All 6 dishes displayed sofistication in execution. For example, veg comes put with wokhei, crisp and with vibrant color. For us the pork was the star!! Though deep fried it is not oily at all and it is addictive!! This place earns the "I'll be Bak!!

This place is very reasonably price. We had 6 dishes and they all tested very decent. During peak hours 6 - 8, expect a long line. Come after 8 and the crowd start thinning down. All their seafood dishes are excellent.

Had their famous noodles and white pepper crabs, all to die for, would definitely visit SG again just to have their noodles and crabs.

Good food but service is so so. We are one of the first group to enter the restaurant but it took a while for them to take our orders. There is long interval between the dishes and we have to keep asking the waitress where is our food; between the first and last dish, we waited for about 45 minutes. Will be back again but probably not during the weekends. Recommended to make a reservation, and note that they hold the reservation for 5 minutes only; good to be there early. The white pepper crabs is still the best in town!

Very tasty white pepper crab, it doesn't looks good but it is delicious, the third floor noodles looks creepy but taste good, very reasonable prices but good food, highly recommended

Great place if you're a heartlander, GOOD food, questionable waiters/waitresses and a rather backward atmosphere. All for heartland eating but definitely did not enjoy the waitress constantly brushing me aside to write an order down on the table. Definitely could do better but do not expect too much in terms of service. Maybe it was I who did not voice out my displeasure with being brushed against with a wet arm. Great food and great price though!

Very legit seafood place if you are ok with the atmosphere (eating in an alley), I ordered: 1) white pepper crab - must get, very flavorful but you will have to get your hands dirty. 2) garlic clams - so good! Get this and be happy 3) salted egg prawn with corn - I have never tasted anything like this, I would order this for a try and the corn is addicting. 4) fish skin with pickled veggies - not my fave nth people like it 5) fried eggplant and potatoes - really enjoyed this with the sauce and combo of potatoes and eggplant

The best kind of alleys to eat in are in Geylang: you never know what will happen. It's a little ramshackle, gritty and dirty -- which is why I love it so. It's real! And Geylang is awesome. Their signature dishes are the 'san lou bee hoon' (which isn't in any way like 'san lou hor fun' btw -- different 'lou'). Also known as "three storeys bee hoon". It's not like any beehoon you've ever had. It's fried, with all the lovely 'wok hei' bits, and it's flat. Flattened like a pancake. I don't know why. But it's great. The salted egg prawn balls are gorgeous too, with little bits of corn in the batter. The fried fish skin. OMG. And the white pepper crabs!

The Singapore fried noodles were amazing. The white pepper crab was solid, but not work getting your hands ad dirty as it demanded. The sweet pork thing was really good.

I found it very interesting to eat in an alley. And JB Ah Meng serves up seriously amazing san luo mee hoon and salted egg prawns! Highly recommended!