Apam Balik Jalil — crispy peanut pancakes at Century Garden food court, JB
Crispy-thin apam balik (Malaysian peanut pancake) in 20+ flavours, fried fresh at the Century Garden food court in Taman Century, Johor Bahru — a stall with more than 15 years behind the griddle.
Quick facts
- Where: Century Street Food Court, Lot 15350 & 15351, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Century Garden, Johor Bahru 80250
- Hours: The food court runs 4 pm – 2 am daily; the stall keeps evening hours inside that window (confirm on Google Maps before a special trip)
- Price: Snack prices — a few ringgit per apam balik (menu prices below are placeholders until confirmed)
- Order online: foodpanda listing “Apam Balik Jalil — Century Street FoodCourt”; GrabFood (search “Apam Balik Jalil”)
- Founding partner Mr. Jalil has made apam balik for more than 15 years; he also hand-makes the Terengganu-style keropok lekor sold here.
- Registered Malaysian sole proprietorship (SSM TR0286628-D).
- Bulk pre-orders for events accepted for apam balik and pisang goreng — ask at the stall.
Apam balik — ban chang kuih (曼煎糕) to the Chinese community, martabak manis to Indonesians — is a pancake cooked in a heavy round pan, filled while still on the heat, then folded in half. There are two schools: the thick, spongy version and the thin, crispy one. Apam Balik Jalil makes the thin, crispy kind, which shatters when you bite it and holds a generous layer of crushed peanut and sugar.
Mr. Jalil has been at the griddle for more than fifteen years. The stall started with the classic three fillings — kacang (peanut), kaya (coconut-egg jam) and kelapa (grated coconut) — and grew a second menu of modern fillings as younger customers asked for them: Nutella, Oreo, cheese, chocolate, and the combinations in between. Today the board lists more than twenty ways to order one.
Next to the apam balik pan is the fryer: pisang goreng (battered banana), keledek goreng (sweet potato) and keropok goreng (fish cake), each available plain or with cheese and chocolate on top, and Mr. Jalil's own hand-made keropok lekor, the Terengganu fish sausage, fried to order.
We are a family stall at the Century Garden food court in Taman Century, on the KSL City Mall side of town. Come in the evening, order at the counter, and eat it hot — apam balik does not travel well past ten minutes.
FAQ
Is apam balik halal?
Our batter and fillings are flour, egg, sugar, peanuts, coconut, kaya and packaged fillings such as Nutella, Oreo and processed cheese — no pork or lard. The stall is Malay-run, but Century Street Food Court is a mixed (non-halal) food court with pork and beer stalls nearby, and food-court stalls carry no individual JAKIM certificate. If certification matters to you, treat this as pork-free rather than certified halal.
What is the difference between thick and thin apam balik?
Thick apam balik is spongy, like a stuffed pancake, and is the common night-market style. Thin apam balik is cooked in a wide pan until the base is crisp, then folded — it eats like a crepe or wafer. Apam Balik Jalil makes the thin, crispy style.
Where is the Century Garden food court?
Century Street Food Court is at Lot 15350 & 15351, Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Century Garden, 80250 Johor Bahru — about a 5-minute walk from KSL City Mall. From JB Sentral / the CIQ it is a 10–15 minute Grab ride; the food court has free parking and 80+ stalls, open 4 pm to 2 am daily.
Can I order apam balik for an event?
Yes — bulk pre-orders are taken for apam balik and pisang goreng. Ask at the stall a day ahead.