Ask any Singaporean and they’ll agree that getting up bright and early is paramount to making the most of our beloved JB day trips. I don’t know about you, but my favourite way to kickstart a morning across the Causeway is with a hearty breakfast from a local kopitiam. Well, I think I’ve found my new go-to, and it’s a cosy one called Local House.
A simple name, but I promise it’s one you’ll want to remember.
This establishment prides itself on a plethora of local classics and kopitiam staples, all whipped up in house with quality ingredients. From their nasi lemak down to the sambal, everything is prepared from scratch.
I swung by their outlet in Eco Botanic, and despite it being a relatively new addition, I felt right at home. Tucked in a tranquil neighbourhood just a breezy drive from Tuas Checkpoint and Legoland Malaysia, the cushy eatery is perfect for those looking to chill out away from the hustle and bustle (myself included). Or, if lively crowds are more your jam, you’ll find them at their flagship in Taman Mount Austin, which has been serving up a storm for more than 5 years.
What I tried at Local House
There was no better dish to start with than my personal King of Breakfast: Hainan Bread with Butter Kaya (RM3.90) and its noble steed of jammy Half Boiled Eggs (RM3.90), which I excitedly cracked open before I could even snap a photo of (oops).
Here, white bread is sentenced to time on a searing-hot charcoal grill, branding each slice with golden-brown stripes and a smoky aroma to boot, before it’s slathered in kaya and sandwiched with a slab of butter. Charcoal-grilled toast is something of a rare find in Singapore, so I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have my first taste at Local House that day.
Crunchy and almost biscuit-like, the bread was toasted to a tee and flaked apart in my mouth with each bite. And smoky it was, alright — complemented by the coconutty sweetness of the kaya and the smooth decadence of the cold butter. Consider me a charcoal-grilled convert.
Now, these are farm-to-table eggs, and I just wish you could’ve seen the way the velvety whites and yolks slid right out of their shells, leaving no residue. That’s how fresh they are — and tasted it too, with a natural sweetness that required just a sparing dash of soy sauce and pepper. Of course, I had to dip my toast into that liquid gold.
The vibrant Penang Asam Laksa (RM13.90) beckoned to be my next conquest. A riot of colour in a bowl, its reddish-brown broth was crowned with a heap of garnishes: julienned cucumber, onions, red chilli, pineapple and slivers of fresh herbs.
A gentle toss and I unearthed a generous portion of thick rice noodles and a huge hunk of sardine — a pleasant surprise for me, as I adore the contrast between the briny fish and piquant broth.
This rendition was no different, hitting me with a tangy wallop from the first spoonful. Its sweet-sour tamarind base was layered with savoury notes of hae bee and brightened by the refreshing herbs, soaking delightfully into the chewy noodles and crunchy cucumbers.
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Local House’s Char Kway Teow (RM12.50) was your textbook plate of Penang char kway teow: a glistening tangle of flat rice noodles speckled with duck egg that rendered it a golden hue, while fishcakes, taugeh, prawns and green spring onions studded the mix.
Having always sworn allegiance to the sweet Singaporean variation, I wasn’t particularly enthused by the idea of this one. But boy, was I glad to be criminally wrong.
This plate of char-kissed perfection was savoury, smoky and full of umami — everything I didn’t know I needed in this sinfully good dish. The kway teow had a springy, satisfying chew and I couldn’t stop wolfing down spoonfuls with the lightly charred egg bits, crisp taugeh and snappy fishcakes.
My only critique would be that the prawns leaned a tad petite, though it feels like a tiny quibble in the grand scheme of things. So yes, colour me fully sold.
I then moved on to the Jumbo Nasi Lemak (RM23.90). Almost too pretty to eat, this saw a neat mound of rice encircled by a motley crew of ingredients: a fried chicken wing, papadams, sambal prawns and sotong, a sunny-side egg, a stick of peanut sauce-laden satay (more on that later) and the usual suspects — ikan bilis, peanuts, cucumbers and a small pool of housemade sambal.
I dove straight for the sambal, duly spooning a dollop onto the nasi. The mix brought a slow-building heat, with hints of umami sweetness from the slivers of onions woven throughout. I usually handle spice well, but I’ll admit — this one packed a punch and definitely isn’t for the faint of heart.
Nonetheless, it paired well with the fluffy rice, which was perfumed with a light coconutty richness and served as a fragrant base for its supporting cast.
This was a pretty standard plate of nasi lemak, though I did enjoy how it played out like a choose-your-own-adventure as I chomped my way through each component. Of the lot, I particularly enjoyed the fried chicken wing, with its juicy flesh and crackly crust, as well as the aromatic sambal prawn and sotong. The well-seasoned papadam crisps were a welcome touch, and I couldn’t stop popping them in one after another.
You’re wrong if you thought I was done. Enter: the Chicken Satay with Ketupat & Peanut Sauce (RM13.50/6 pieces). I couldn’t help but go ‘wow’ as I laid eyes on these divinely charred skewers — so chunky, they made the ones in Singapore look like they were on Ozempic.
The satay was tender and well-marinated, its caramelised sweetness kissed by the smoky grill. Even more impressive was that velvety dish of nutty, rich and savoury-sweet peanut sauce that I generously dragged each skewer through — hands down one of the tastiest renditions I’ve ever sampled. And you know it’s real because I downed unadulterated spoonfuls of it.
Finally, how could I forget the Kopi (RM3.90)? As a huge fan of Nanyang-style kopi, I enjoyed this one’s robust, unapologetically full-bodied brew, rounded out by the milky sweetness of condensed milk. The perfect drink to wash my feast down, it was no surprise at all that it ranks among Local House’s Top 9 Must-Tries.
Final thoughts
To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t expecting to be impressed like I was when I first visited Local House. With a huge variety of local delights on the menu, preparing them fresh and doing them well is surely no easy feat — but they’ve made it seem practically effortless.
It’s hard to find anything to gripe about my meal, and really, I can’t recommend this spot enough to fellow fans of local kopitiams. I’m not usually one to stray from the familiar, but I’m fully ready to switch up my JB day trip itinerary to start my mornings with their kaya toast and Penang char kway teow.
Expected damage: RM3.90 – RM17.90 per pax
*This post is brought to you in partnership with Local House.
10, Jalan Eko Botani 3/3, Taman Eko Botani, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia 79100
+60 7-510 2131
Daily: 8am – 8pm
91, Jalan Mutiara Emas 2A, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia 81100
+60 07-364 8338
Daily: 8am – 8pm
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