If you travel up north through the Skudai highway, it’s easy to spot the GoodHope Hotel Johor Bahru, thanks to its neon green signage, which is bright in the evening, and now, they are painted pink, which easily catches everyone’s attention!
That is how I knew the hotel is still going strong and standing tall (literally)! I was lucky to appease my curiosity of how the hotel is doing when Sutha Menon, their first-ever Marketing & PA to Group General Manager after many years, invited The Iskandarian to have a taste of their Ramadan buffet, Citarasa Pulau Pinang offerings.
The first thing to note is they do have in-building parking bays, payable by Touch ‘n Go or any wave-able cards, though it gets darker down to the basement, I’d recommend parking your vehicle just a little ahead where the City Council’s garage is or at the Medan Selera across the building; both are free of charge.
If you are bringing a disabled person along, you can stop by the entrance to drop them off first, and the hotel staff will help them out. There are two ramps on both sides of the entrance, a little steep but manageable!
Once I entered the building, I felt like time had stopped in the 2000s. The lobby is still as spacious and beautiful with marble flooring and curvy grand staircase.
I came with my parents that day, and they too had a moment of walking down the memory lane, to the time they were still in the workforce and frequented hotels for work.
The buffet is located at their Penang Street Restaurant, on the same level as the lobby. A photo opp corner with a retro turn-to-dial telephone on the table paired with jati wood chairs is also erected near the registration table before entering the buffet, it’s an ideal spot for a commemorative photo with friends and families before and after having your meal.
True to their theme, translated to Penang tastebuds, there is a Lokching stall similar to what they have in the streets but indoors here, where most diners flock by to get and dip with their sauce or with clear soup. A comforting snack that is perfect to have as an appetiser or between heavy meals.
My parents were elated to have Rojak and Popiah Basah (wet spring rolls). Served smartly in small serving plates, this helps control our intake and perfect for fast-breaking. The sweet and sour taste from the fruits with its sauce and the spring roll’s savoury taste help pre-amp their taste buds for more helpings of food.
I was looking forward to trying their Nasi Kandar next, and since they serve the traditional water can to wash our hands before and after eating with our hands, I had no qualms about eating my DIY dish, complete with fried chicken, curries, okras, salted egg, and sambal belacan, with the appropriate amount of each item! It was definitely perfect and very filling because it was tailored to my preferences.
As an alternative to white rice, you can pick up their Nasi Arab rice for your Nasi Kandar! The Nasi Arab itself is fragrant, with cashew nuts, cherry tomatoes and lamb slices sitting together in its serving dish.
Can’t talk about Penang without their Char Kuey Teow and sticking to the principle of ‘char’, which translates to ‘cooked dry’ in the wok, these were served on a banana leaf, with a generous amount of crunchy bean sprouts, cockles, shrimps and tofu cuts! It is so popular, it was replenished twice so everyone could have a serving!
As the tradition to break your fast is with sweet items, there are plenty to choose from. The Penangite way is with their Ais Kacang, with various jellies, perfect to share with your loved ones and for the small kids to have fun with. Mine was with plenty of red beans and crushed peanuts, like how I prefer it.
Do expect more than just popular Penang dishes, as you enjoy the aromatic Pengat Nangka (jackfruit sweet soup), a household dessert that many may have missed since jackfruit can be hard to find! A spoonful of this reeled me back to the heartwarming moments in the kitchen with my grandmother and aunties while they while away their idle time.
Then, head on to pick up Cream puffs and Nyonya kuih, the must-have glutinous Pulut Tai Tai, in their glorious white and blue colour, reminding me of the Blue Mansion in Georgetown.
All of these are available for you to enjoy until 18th March 2026, priced at RM88 per pax, with senior citizens aged 65+ priced at RM78 per pax and children aged 4-12 years old priced at RM58 per pax.
GoodHope is having a promotion of buy 10 vouchers, get 1 voucher FREE, plus offering payment by instalment for the purchase of 10 vouchers and above.
Reservations can be made via phone call to the Front Office at 019 779 9437 or reach out to Kathy at 019-779 9467 or Qurzee at 019-779 9574.