Its been an awfully long time since I went into a restaurant that was truly awful, but “The Fried Thing” up on the border between Malaysia and Singapore can truly claim this crown.
Why was it so bad? Well I think as Ronald McDonald, or perhaps Roy Kroc put it – “Do a few dishes well rather than a lot of shit ones that aren’t always on the menu”. Hmmm I might be paraphrasing a little here.
Click to read about which countries have McDonalds.
What The Fried Thing?
Ah, “The Fried Thing”—a name that conjures images of culinary innovation, yet delivers the same old greasy fare. Nestled in Johor Bahru’s R&F Mall, this establishment offers a menu that reads like a deep-fried cliché: from the ubiquitous fried chicken chop to the ever-present giant curry puff.
Their soya paired with cakoi—a crispy, golden fried dough—is perhaps the only nod to local tradition, but even that feels like an afterthought. In a nation celebrated for its rich and diverse street food, one can’t help but wonder why anyone would opt for such uninspired offerings. It’s as if “The Fried Thing” aims to capitalize on Malaysia’s love for fried delicacies but misses the mark by serving up mediocrity.
Alas it looked good from the outside and sadly this meant that I was taken in…..
Manu at “The Fried Thing”
“The Fried Thing” sticks to a predictable lineup of deep-fried indulgences, with fried chicken chop as the star attraction, often paired with Japanese curry and rice. For those craving variety, there’s dried noodles topped with crispy fried chicken, as well as cakoi—Malaysia’s answer to fried dough—served with soya milk. Their menu leans heavily on the idea that battering and frying makes everything better, but even the addition of local spices can’t disguise the mediocrity.
Drinks are the usual suspects, from standard soft drinks to soya-based beverages. While the franchise banks on nostalgia and crunch, sadly it goes down the McDonalds paradox in China where people will come in to the “clean surroundings” rather than go to real Malaysian hawkers who do this far better. Ah good old “Mall Culture” of which east and Southeast Asia seem to be falling over themselves for.
Oh and the main problem with the menu at The Fried Thing Johor Bahru? Despite a 6 page menu and even a separate page for you guessed it Nasi Goreng it took 5 attempts to find something they even had in stock. This even included me trying to order a salted egg dish to be told it did not come with an egg and the “photo is just for show”.
And the food at The Fried Thing?
Honestly just crap, again to harp back to previous comments this is just a franchise, or mall shop trying to be Malaysian street food, but doing it badly. I got fried dumplings and noodles, which while not awful at all cost 3 times what I might have paid on the street.
Other delights included the fried bread horror show and cheesy fries. Actually the cheesy fries were the best of a piss poor bunch, but even they were vaguely a 3/10. And the service? Rude as hell with you even having to walk up to get your slop. It truly says something about a restaurant when you try to go next door to Burger King right after – which BTW was closed anyway.
Overall consensus? If you like food then avoid The Fried Thing. And if nothing else is open? Jump in the river and swim to Singapore……
The Fried Thing Address
The Fried Thing Canteen is located at G-074 R&F Mall,
Mercu 1, Jalan Tanjung Puteri 1,
Tanjung Puteri, 80300
Johor Bahru,
Johor,
Malaysia
Quite literally opposite Singapore…..