JB buffets cost less than Singapore’s, for a bigger spread
A JB buffet trip isn’t about finding one legendary spread. It’s picking the right tier for the group you’re feeding. JB has real range: a 39 MYR (~S$12) unlimited K-BBQ grill, a hotel weekend lunch around 65 MYR (~S$20), and a 208 MYR (~S$63) hotel dinner. All of it sits within a 20 to 40-minute Grab of CIQ.
⚡️ TL;DR: Best Buffets in JB at a Glance
| Best For | Top Pick | From | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest buffet | Sae Ma Eul BBQ Pelangi | From ~39 MYR (~S$12) | Taman Pelangi |
| Best K-BBQ buffet | Zen Plus Korean BBQ | From ~42 MYR (~S$13) | Near CIQ |
| Best hotel value | TROVE Johor Bahru | 65 MYR (~S$20) lunch | Near JB Sentral |
| Biggest hotel spread | St. Giles Southkey (Causeway Café) | 118 MYR (~S$36) | Southkey |
| Getting there | Causeway or Second Link | Grab, bus, or RTS Link + Grab | 20–40 min from CIQ |
📚 Table of Contents
- How Much Does a Buffet Cost in JB?
- Best Hotel Buffets in JB
- Best Cheap and Standalone Buffets in JB
- Durian Buffets in JB
- Where to Find Buffet Discounts in JB
- What Does S$30 Get You? JB vs Singapore Buffets
- How to Get to JB Buffets From Singapore
- Which JB Buffet Should You Pick?
- FAQs
- Worth the toll for the leftovers alone
How Much Does a Buffet Cost in JB?
A JB buffet runs from 39 MYR (~S$12) for an unlimited K-BBQ spread to 208 MYR (~S$63) for a Friday hotel dinner. Most of what you’d actually want to eat sits in the middle.
| Tier | Price Range | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | 39–55 MYR (~S$12–17) | K-BBQ, basic hotpot |
| Mid-range | 55–90 MYR (~S$17–27) | Premium hotpot, hotel high tea, hotel lunch buffets |
| Hotel dinner | 100–208 MYR (~S$30–63) | Weekend hotel dinner spreads, seafood-heavy menus |
A rule of thumb worth knowing: hotel buffets in JB are cheapest at lunch and on weekdays, and get considerably more expensive on Friday and Saturday dinner, when they add live seafood stations and a wider spread. Check the exact date and day before you book. Hotels swap out weekend menus and pricing tiers often, sometimes month to month.
Best Hotel Buffets in JB
Five hotels cover most of what a Singapore day-tripper wants. Pick between a proper seafood spread, a weekend high tea, or a budget-friendly lunch buffet that doesn’t need a hotel stay attached.
| Hotel | Buffet | Price (Adult) | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| TROVE Johor Bahru | Weekend lunch | 65 MYR (~S$20) | Sat–Sun, 12–2:30 PM |
| TROVE Johor Bahru | Weekend dinner | 78 MYR (~S$24) | Fri–Sat, 6:30–9:30 PM |
| Holiday Inn JBCC (Dine@Eight) | Hi-tea buffet | 46 MYR (~S$14) | Fri–Sun, 2:30–5 PM |
| DoubleTree by Hilton JB (Makan Kitchen) | Weekend high tea | 108 MYR (~S$33) | Sat–Sun, 12:30–3 PM |
| DoubleTree by Hilton JB (Makan Kitchen) | Weekend dinner | 168 MYR (~S$51) | Fri–Sat, 6:30–10 PM |
| St. Giles Southkey (Causeway Café) | Weekend lunch | 118 MYR (~S$36) | Sat–Sun, 12–3 PM |
| Renaissance JB (Café BLD) | Weekend dinner | 208 MYR (~S$63) | Fri–Sat, 6:30–10 PM |
Prices and hours pulled from each hotel’s own booking page as of September 2026. ⚠️ Hotel buffets change pricing tiers and promo structures often. Confirm the current rate before you book.
TROVE Johor Bahru
Image Credits: TROVE Johor Bahru
TROVE is the cheapest hotel buffet on this list, right near JB Sentral. The weekend lunch buffet runs 65 MYR (~S$20) per adult from 12 to 2:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The dinner buffet steps up to 78 MYR (~S$24) on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 PM, and children and senior citizens pay less on both.
It’s not the biggest spread on this list, but it’s a proper sit-down buffet, not a stripped-down version — a solid pick if you want the hotel-buffet experience without the hotel-buffet price tag.
- 📍 Near JB Sentral, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Weekend lunch 12–2:30 PM, weekend dinner 6:30–9:30 PM
- 💰 From 65 MYR (~S$20) per adult
Dine@Eight, Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre
Image Credits: Klook
Dine@Eight sits on the eighth floor of Holiday Inn JBCC and runs one of the cheapest hotel hi-tea buffets in JB. The Fri–Sun Afternoon Indulgence buffet is 46 MYR (~S$14) per adult, from 2:30 to 5 PM, with sweet and savoury bites, coffee, and tea.
It works well as a snack between lunch and dinner if you’ve timed the rest of the day elsewhere, not a full meal on its own.
- 📍 Level 8, Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre
- 🕘 Fri–Sun, 2:30–5 PM
- 💰 From 46 MYR (~S$14) per adult
Makan Kitchen, DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru
Image Credits: Hilton
Makan Kitchen is one of the better-known hotel buffets in JB among Singapore visitors. It backs that up with a genuine range: a weekend high tea at 108 MYR (~S$33) per adult on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, plus a fuller weekend dinner spread at 168 MYR (~S$51) on Friday and Saturday nights.
The dinner tier adds live cooking stations and a wider seafood selection than the high tea. Pick dinner if you’re staying the night, and the high tea if you’re only in JB for a few hours.
- 📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru, Jalan Ngee Heng, near JB Sentral
- 🕘 Weekend high tea Sat–Sun 12:30–3 PM, weekend dinner Fri–Sat 6:30–10 PM
- 💰 From 108 MYR (~S$33) per adult (high tea); 168 MYR (~S$51) (dinner)
Causeway Café, St. Giles Southkey
Image Credits: St. Giles Hotels
Causeway Café runs the biggest single spread on this list: a weekend lunch buffet advertised at over 200 dishes. It’s 118 MYR (~S$36) per adult, from noon to 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, built for a group that wants variety over a specific cuisine.
Go hungry and pace yourself. A 200-dish spread rewards a slow, three-plate approach over one loaded tray.
Best for big groups or families who’d rather browse a huge spread than commit to one cuisine.
- 📍 St. Giles Southkey Hotel, Southkey, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Sat–Sun, 12–3 PM
- 💰 From 118 MYR (~S$36) per adult
Café BLD, Renaissance Johor Bahru
Image Credits: Eatigo
Café BLD runs the priciest and most seafood-forward buffet in this lineup: a weekend dinner buffet at 208 MYR (~S$63) per adult on Friday and Saturday nights. It comes with a live seafood station, an international spread, and a “pay for 3, dine as 4” group offer that’s worth asking about when you book.
It’s a step above the rest of this list on both price and spread. Save it for a group that wants to make a night of it, not a quick meal.
Best for a special-occasion dinner or a group splitting the group-deal offer, not a casual weeknight buffet.
- 📍 Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel, Jalan Permas
- 🕘 Fri–Sat, 6:30–10 PM
- 💰 From 208 MYR (~S$63) per adult
📖 Related Guide: Making a night of it? Our 16 Best JB Hotels From S$40/Night guide covers where to actually stay if you’re pairing a hotel buffet with an overnight trip.
Best Cheap and Standalone Buffets in JB
Skip the hotel mark-up entirely, and JB’s standalone buffet scene covers Korean BBQ, hotpot, and Japanese, mostly for less than 90 MYR (~S$27) per person.
Zen Plus Korean BBQ
Image Credits: @bchl23109693 on Lemon8
Zen Plus is a wallet-friendly unlimited Korean BBQ buffet, a 20-minute drive from the JB checkpoint. Grilled pork belly, gochujang pork belly, dwaejigalbi, and fried chicken come with sides like tteokbokki and Korean-style rice, from around 42 MYR (~S$13) per person, roughly half what the equivalent K-BBQ buffet costs in Singapore. Zen Plus runs a few pricing tiers, so treat that as the entry point rather than a flat rate.
- 📍 49, Jalan Indah 15/2, Taman Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru (20 minutes from CIQ)
- 🕘 Daily, 11:30 AM–10:30 PM
- 💰 From around 42 MYR (~S$13) per person
Sae Ma Eul BBQ Pelangi
Image Credits: GO JOHOR
Sae Ma Eul is one of JB’s most popular K-BBQ buffets, in Taman Pelangi. The base package is around 39 MYR (~S$12) per person for unlimited pork, marinated ribs, spicy pork belly, chicken, and a self-serve banchan bar, within a 100-minute dining window. A premium meat upgrade (chadolbaegi, marinated lamb) is available for a small surcharge, worth splitting across a bigger group if you confirm the exact add-on price when you book.
- 📍 36, Jalan Sri Pelangi 4, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Daily, 12 PM–12 AM
- 💰 From around 39 MYR (~S$12) per person
Tanba Japanese BBQ
Image Credits: @matchalattexx62 on Lemon8
Tanba runs an all-you-can-eat premium beef buffet, with two outlets (Jalan Molek and Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, also known as Twin Galaxy). The entry-level Signature Buffet Course runs roughly 170 to 190 MYR (~S$52 to S$58) for lunch, with a higher dinner and weekend rate.
⚠️ Pricing sources disagree on the exact figure, so confirm the current rate with the outlet before booking. It’s a step up from the K-BBQ spots on this list, but it’s built around premium cuts rather than volume grilling.
Best for a date-night buffet or a smaller group that wants quality over quantity.
- 📍 Twin Galaxy, Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Daily, 12 PM–11 PM (Fri–Sat until 12 AM)
- 💰 Roughly 170–190 MYR (~S$52–58) per person (lunch), verify before booking
Kuroma Buffet & Dining
Image Credits: Kuroma
Kuroma is JB’s go-to for an affordable Japanese sashimi and sushi buffet, from around 175 MYR (~S$53) per person for the Classic Buffet, a proper sashimi spread without Japan prices. A premium tier at 198 MYR (~S$60) adds A5 Kagoshima wagyu steak. Beyond sushi and sashimi, there’s a teppanyaki table for gyoza, chicken teriyaki, and lamb rack.
- 📍 TD Central, 3, Jalan Sagu 21, Taman Daya, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Mon–Thu 5:30–10 PM, Fri–Sun 12–2 PM and 5:30–10 PM
- 💰 From around 175 MYR (~S$53) per person
Super Steamboat Restaurant
Image Credits: m4.clothes on Lemon8
Super Steamboat is a budget steamboat and BBQ buffet, roughly 20 minutes from the JB checkpoint, a solid pick for a mixed hotpot-and-grill night that doesn’t need a hotel booking. Hotpot access runs from around 59 to 69 MYR (~S$18 to S$21) depending on the source and possibly the day, covering meats, fresh seafood, and vegetables, with premium add-ons like scallops, flower crabs, and raw oysters.
- 📍 S01, Wisma SP Setia, Jalan Indah 15, Taman Bukit Indah, Johor Bahru (20 minutes from CIQ)
- 🕘 Mon–Thu 5 PM–12 AM, Fri–Sun 12 PM–12 AM
- 💰 From around 59–69 MYR (~S$18–21) per person
Hunger Hotpot (HUNGER 潮)
Image Credits: Nhway on Google Reviews
Hunger Hotpot, in Mount Austin, is a condiment-forward hotpot buffet with nine soup bases, including tomato, herbal, and mala. Access to the sauce and ingredient bar starts at 55 MYR (~S$17) per person, a fit for the table that always ends up crowded around the condiment station at other hotpot chains.
- 📍 11, Jalan Austin Height 8/5, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Daily, 12 PM–11 PM
- 💰 From 55 MYR (~S$17) per person
Dragon’s Journey Hotpot
Image Credits: @imexuannn on Lemon8
Dragon’s Journey runs an all-day hotpot buffet with over 50 ingredient options. The lunch buffet (noon to 5 PM) is 79.90 MYR (~S$24) per person. The evening rate steps up from there; sources put it anywhere from around 86 to 90 MYR (~S$26 to S$27), so confirm the exact figure when you book.
Best for a late supper run, since the buffet runs into the early hours.
- 📍 25D, Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Mon–Thu 12 PM–3 AM, Fri–Sun 10 AM–4 AM
- 💰 79.90 MYR (~S$24) lunch, roughly 86–90 MYR (~S$26–27) evening
Bao Jun Hot Pot
Image Credits: @jaykay9750 on Lemon8
Bao Jun, near Mid Valley Southkey, pairs well with a shopping trip. The all-you-can-eat spread covers meats, seafood, and vegetables, plus free-flow condiments and drinks, from 85.90 MYR (~S$26) per person. Weekday lunch diners get no time limit, and senior citizens get 10% off.
Best for a shopping-and-buffet day at Mid Valley Southkey, especially on a weekday lunch when there’s no time limit.
- 📍 Level 3, Zone 3F, The Mall, Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Mon–Thu & Sun 10 AM–10 PM, Fri–Sat 10 AM–12 AM. Weekdays get no time limit at lunch; weekends are walk-in only.
- 💰 From 85.90 MYR (~S$26) per person
Genesis Steamboat
Image Credits: @wenjielovetoeat on Lemon8
Genesis has two outlets, in Mutiara Rini and Taman Pelangi, and is one of the most affordable steamboat buffets in this lineup at 42 MYR (~S$13) per adult. The mala soup base is the standout, alongside DIY dessert options and 11 flavours of potong ice cream. Senior citizens pay 35 MYR (~S$11), and children under five eat free, an easy pick for a family outing.
- 📍 Mutiara Rini or Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
- 🕘 Mon–Thu 1:30–10:30 PM, Fri–Sun 12:30–10:30 PM (both outlets)
- 💰 From 42 MYR (~S$13) per adult
📖 Related Guide: Want more of the K-BBQ buffet scene specifically? Our JB Korean BBQ: Best Spots & Buffet Prices Compared guide goes deeper on the grill-focused spots.
Durian Buffets in JB
If durian’s the reason you’re crossing the Causeway, JB also runs seasonal all-you-can-eat durian buffets at roadside stalls and farms, on top of everything above. Prices and stalls shift with the season. Rather than duplicate that ground here, our dedicated Durian JB 2026: Best Stalls, Farms & Buffets guide has the current farms, stalls, and buffet prices.
Where to Find Buffet Discounts in JB
Most JB buffet discounts come down to timing, not the venue you pick.
- Weekday over weekend. Every hotel buffet on this list gets more expensive on Friday and Saturday nights. A weekday lunch buffet (where available) or a weekend lunch instead of dinner is the easiest way to cut the bill.
- Group and “pay 3, dine as 4” deals. Café BLD at Renaissance JB runs a pay-for-3-dine-as-4 offer on its weekend dinner buffet. Hotels rotate these often, so it’s worth asking when you book, even if the current promo isn’t advertised online.
- Credit and debit card promos. Malaysian banks (Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank) periodically run dining discounts at specific hotel buffets. These change constantly and are tied to specific card issuers, so check the hotel’s own offers page closer to your visit rather than relying on an old promo you saw online.
- Senior citizen and child rates. Every hotel buffet above has a reduced rate for seniors and children, running anywhere from around a quarter off at TROVE to half off at DoubleTree, St. Giles Southkey, and Café BLD.
📖 Related Guide: Wondering if your card even works across the border? Our Can YouTrip Be Used in Malaysia? guide confirms where it’s accepted and what to expect.
However you’re paying, tap your YouTrip card for the buffet bill itself. It’s Visa or Mastercard accepted everywhere on this list, with no foreign transaction fee, at the wholesale exchange rate.
For the cash-preferred standalone spots, withdraw ringgit from an ATM in JB with YouTrip instead of changing cash at a money changer. The first S$400 of overseas ATM withdrawals each calendar month is free, then a flat 2% on top after that, resetting on the 1st of every month. A money changer, by comparison, quietly marks up the exchange rate by a few percent before you’ve even ordered your first plate.
What Does S$30 Get You? JB vs Singapore Buffets
| Budget | Singapore | Johor Bahru |
|---|---|---|
| Around S$14–29 | Unlimited hotpot and Korean BBQ chains (e.g. GoroGoro Steamboat & Korean Buffet, roughly S$13.90++ on a weekday lunch up to nearly S$29++ on a weekend dinner) | A full unlimited K-BBQ buffet at Zen Plus (from ~42 MYR / ~S$13) with money to spare |
| Around S$20 | A weekday hotpot lunch at a budget chain | A weekend hotel lunch buffet at TROVE Johor Bahru (65 MYR / ~S$20) |
S$30 buys roughly the same tier of unlimited hotpot or K-BBQ buffet on either side of the Causeway. The gap gets bigger at the higher price tiers. A 208 MYR (~S$63) hotel dinner buffet with a live seafood station, like Renaissance JB’s, would cost noticeably more for the equivalent spread at a comparable Singapore hotel.
📖 Related Guide: Stretching the trip beyond buffets? Our 21 Things To Do in Mount Austin JB guide covers the cafes and activities near several of the standalone spots above.
How to Get to JB Buffets From Singapore
Most of the buffets on this list sit 15 to 40 minutes from the checkpoint by Grab, so how you cross matters less than what time you cross.
- Woodlands Causeway (car or bus): the direct route for most of central and southern JB, including the hotel buffets near JB Sentral and Southkey. Weekend queues routinely stretch past an hour from mid-morning; crossing before 8 AM or after 9 PM avoids the worst of it.
- Second Link (Tuas): the better route if you’re headed to the Mount Austin or Taman Pelangi buffets, and often has a shorter queue than the Causeway on weekends.
- RTS Link (train) + Grab: if you’re not driving, the RTS Link into JB Sentral puts you a short Grab ride from TROVE, DoubleTree, and the Southkey buffets, without the checkpoint queue a car or bus deals with.
- Grab within JB: the standard way to get between buffets and back to the checkpoint once you’re across, and generally cheap by Singapore standards.
📖 Related Guide: New to the crossing? Our Train to JB Guide: Shuttle Tebrau, ETS & RTS Link breaks down every rail option, and our Car Rental JB Guide For Singaporeans covers the cross-border permit if you’d rather drive.
Which JB Buffet Should You Pick?
It depends on your budget and the occasion. Quick picks:
- Tightest budget: Sae Ma Eul BBQ Pelangi (~39 MYR / ~S$12) or Genesis Steamboat (42 MYR / ~S$13).
- First hotel buffet, no big spend: TROVE Johor Bahru’s weekend lunch (65 MYR / ~S$20).
- Biggest spread, best for groups: Causeway Café at St. Giles Southkey (118 MYR / ~S$36, 200+ dishes).
- Splurge night out: Café BLD at Renaissance JB (208 MYR / ~S$63), especially if you can split the pay-3-dine-as-4 deal.
- K-BBQ craving on a budget: Zen Plus or Sae Ma Eul BBQ Pelangi, both from around 40 MYR (~S$12).
- Late-night hotpot: Dragon’s Journey Hotpot, open until 2 AM.
📖 Related Guide: Turning it into a full weekend? Our 27 Things To Do in JB on Your Weekend Getaway guide covers the non-food half of the trip.
FAQs
The cheapest buffet in JB is Sae Ma Eul BBQ Pelangi, an unlimited Korean BBQ buffet from around 39 MYR (~S$12) per person within a 100-minute dining window. Zen Plus Korean BBQ runs close behind at from around 42 MYR (~S$13).
Beyond the buffet scene, JB is known for free-flow Korean BBQ, sashimi and sushi buffets, seafood-heavy steamboat, and (in season) durian buffets at roadside stalls and farms. Our JB Food Guide covers the wider heritage and hawker scene beyond buffets specifically.
The most reliable discount is timing: weekday and lunch buffets cost less than Friday or Saturday dinner spreads. Hotels also run rotating group deals (like Café BLD’s pay-3-dine-as-4 offer) and bank card promos, so check the hotel’s own offers page before you book.
Hotel buffets in JB range from 46 MYR (~S$14) for a hi-tea buffet at Holiday Inn JBCC to 208 MYR (~S$63) for a full weekend dinner spread at Renaissance JB. Most weekend lunch buffets sit between 65 and 118 MYR (~S$20 to S$36) per adult.
Yes. TROVE Johor Bahru’s weekend dinner buffet is 78 MYR (~S$24) per adult. Most of the standalone K-BBQ and hotpot buffets on this list, including Zen Plus, Sae Ma Eul, and Super Steamboat, sit well under 100 MYR (~S$30) per person too.
Roughly the same tier: an unlimited hotpot or K-BBQ buffet on both sides of the Causeway. In Singapore, S$30 covers a weekday-lunch slot at a budget hotpot chain like GoroGoro Steamboat & Korean Buffet, though weekend dinner pricing there runs close to that ceiling. In JB, the same budget stretches to a full K-BBQ buffet at Zen Plus (from ~42 MYR / ~S$13) with money left over.
Worth the Toll for the Leftovers Alone
Pick your tier and go: Sae Ma Eul or Zen Plus for a cheap K-BBQ fix, TROVE or Makan Kitchen for a proper hotel buffet, Café BLD if you’re making a night of it. Pair it with a Grab across the Causeway or the RTS Link into JB Sentral, and tap your YouTrip card when the bill comes. For more on stretching your ringgit further, see our SGD to MYR Rate Guide and Malaysia ATM Withdrawal Guide.
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Happy travels!
