Food and shopping are close to the top of the list of things Malaysians (and their neighbours in Singapore) love most. They will travel across the country to try good and well recommended food, especially if they are éarly finders’. The latest commuter (Komuter) service being the Shuttle Selatan (Southern Shuttle Operation Service) connecting Johor Bahru (JB Sentral) with newly rebuilt stations in Kulai and Kempas Baru, and from Kempas Baru to Pasir Gudang will get you to Kulai in 38 minutes from JB Sentral and there are quite a few good foods to try and shopping opportunities as well. The new Shuttle services started on 16th June 2026, and are showing a slow but steady growth in interest over the first four weeks, particularly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and have now been extended to Paloh from 8th August. We were happy to accept an invitation from KTMB to try out the services and experience a few of the things visitors can do. With one day to spend in Kulai, we tried out both services and did the other two things Malaysians love best – eat and shop! With a small side trip for a relaxing walk through a bamboo forest.
The shuttle train to Kulai runs 5 trips each way daily, giving travellers more flexibility. The morning and afternoon services are times to connect travellers to and from the Pasir Gudang Shuttle, with the return service in the middle of the day a convenient way for travellers to get to or from JB Sentral and back. There are quite a few activities and places to eat in and around Kulai and we checked out a few of these. Some may be possible to reach using the feeder buses from the Terminal Kulai, which is just over the road. You can download a printable (current at time of writing) timetable here, or open the latest Shuttle Selatan timetable (scroll to the bottom left of the screen). Otherwise, Grab or one of the other ride share apps will get you where you want to go.
Kelab Kopi Lama Kulai
155 & 156, Jalan Susur Kulai 3,
Taman Kulai Besar, 81000
Kulai, Johor Darul Ta’zim
Open: 7:30 am – 7:30 pm
This is a great place to get your local coffee fix (kopi or teh tarik, teh halia, teh ais, neslo…….) They have a wide menu of local treats that are popular for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner. This writer always uses kopi ais (iced local coffee) and roti bakar kaya ( toast with butter and coconut jam) as a reference point for quality and taste. The kopi was smooth and well rounded with no bitterness and went really well with the toast, real Hainanese bread, cut thick and toasted over charcoal. Served with a generous amount of butter and kaya ‘as good as mine’. We also had one order of half-boiled eggs, which were kampong eggs, but ever so slightly over the half-cooked mark. Still tasted good though. Our companions had a variety of the other dishes on offer, chicken chop, Johor laksa (made with spaghetti) and mee rebus among them. We all left smiling. The Kelab Kopi is easy to find on the main road along from the station, on the corner opposite the Kulai Council offices.
Find them on Facebook Kelab Kopi Lama (In Kempas and Kulai)
Johor Premium Outlets
Johor Premium Outlets
Indahpura
81000 Kulai
Johor Darul Takzim.
Tel: +607 661 8888
Open Daily 10am – 10pm
website Facebook Instagram and on TikTok, search @johorpremiumoutlets
Johor Premium Outlets is very close to the exit to Senai Airport and the Second Link Highways from the North South Highway. You can get there by Grab from Kulai Station. We spent about an hour and a half there and had a good look around what’s on offer and found a good mix of local and international brands at various price points. Many shops offered fashion items including shoes, bags and cosmetics, but we also spent a good amount of time in the chocolate shops. If you are tired or hungry they have a decent selection of food outlets offering different types of cuisines. They do have homewares and travel goods, but no electronics. Our visit was definitely was not time wasted, there’s plenty of choice and if you buy up big, you can even get a new suitcase to carry it all home.
Nasi Gulai Isteri (Kulai)
This restaurant doesn’t take reservations and as they’re only open over lunchtime until the food runs out, so there’s quite a queue outside, which included take-away orders. We came back a little while later and they had a table that would fit all of us. The chicken had that freshly cooked crunch outside, soft inside texture that made it very easy to eat. It was served with rice and homemade gulai and came with super hot sambal. We were glad we waited.
Putuo Village
1488, Jalan Kampung,
Off, Jalan Kota Tinggi – Kluang,
Felda Taib Andak, 81000 Kulai
Phone: 07-213 3398
Hours : Monday – Friday : 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
They have a Website and you can also find them on Facebook.
After lunch we headed out through housing construction areas towards the plantations of FELDA Taib Andak, to visit Putuo Village, a Buddhist temple known for its bamboo architecture and located in a 21-acre bamboo forest. Entry to the main Guanyin temple and general temple grounds is free, but access to the Bamboo Forest requires payment a small bamboo conservation fee. We paid RM10 for Adults, Children and Seniors over 55 are RM5. The same prices are for everyone, regardless of where you’re from and can be paid in cash or local e-wallet by QR payment.
We didn’t have time to walk down to the temple as it started to rain, but we had a good look around the scenic Bamboo Forest / Purple Bamboo Garden. It’s an interactive garden, so come prepared to pose for your special shots, try making a shadow play, or just jump on the little ground level trampolines.
Nasi Lemak Wak Kentut
2130, Jalan Susur Kulai 2,
Taman Kulai Besar
and 1337, Jalan Lengkongan,
Taman Kulai (originally at the old KTM Station),
81000 Kulai,
You can also find them on Facebook.
Our original itinerary also included a stop off at this well known Johor nasi lemak stall which started with one and then two outlets in Kulai in 2012, close to the train station. The one from the station is now close to the Bus Terminal, over the road from the new Kulai KTMB Station, so it’s easy to reach. They now have 8 stalls in various locations. We were very fortunate to have the grandson of Wak Kentut (Uncle Farty) along with us, and he was happy to share the back story of the origins of the name. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we couldn’t visit the shop, but we were surprised with boxes of freshly packed Nasi Lemak Wak Kentut the next morning to enjoy on our journey back to Kuala Lumpur.
Next time we’re in Johor, we’ll be looking out to try this one again. The rice was good quality and the right amount of santan. The hot crispy chicken paired beautifully with the sweetish sambal, right amount of kick, just the way we like it.
images©ET
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