- Dona Bakehouse
Founded by the same owners of Poke Twins, Dona Bakehouse offers an artisan bakery and café experience. The spacious 2-storey establishment is located conveniently in the Jalan Tan Hiok Nee area near the customs, beside the famous Hiap Joo Bakery. They have recently opened a second outlet in Kuala Lumpur.
From the all-day breakfast menu, I tried the Mashed Avo & Mushroom Toast (RM28, SGD8.5) which features mashed avocados, cherry tomatoes, mushroom medley, poached eggs, seeds & crushed pistachios on sourdough toast. The savoury mushrooms and sourdough stood out to me.
From the display of French viennoiseries behind the glass counter at the entrance, we had a sweet item – the Pistachio Supreme Swirl (RM7.49, SGD2.3) and a savoury one – Tuna Salad Danish (RM14, SGD4.3).
The layers of the pistachio swirl were crisp and flaky, unveiling a creamy core of pistachio which I thought could be nuttier, while the tuna Danish was quite flat in flavour.
Drinks-wise, I had the Hot Mocha (RM12, SGD3.7) which was a pretty decent cup with a good balance of sweet and bitter tones. However, the Matcha Strawberry Latte, which seemed to have been taken off the menu, was too sweet.
14, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia
Weekdays 8.30am – 5pm, weekends 8.30am – 9.30pm
2. Palates and Bagels by T.A.M
In contrast to the bright and natural light filled Dona Bakehouse, Palates and Bagels by T.A.M. boasted low ambient lighting in a moody interior. The highlight of the café was their range of bagels and bagel dishes, with both sweet and savoury options.
Each of their savoury bagels had a male name to it, and I opted for the Louis (RM34.9, SGD10.6). I chose the sesame seed bagel to go along with the filling of cajun mayo, smokey beef brisket, hash brown, egg, caramelized onion and sliced cheese. While the combination of ingredients made a saucey, satisfying meal, I thought the bagel could be chewier.
I also had a main dish – their LFC Aglio Olio Pasta (RM20.9, SGD6.4) which was essentially an aglio olio paired with local fried chicken. This tasted very normal.
P.s. they recently opened a second outlet in JB, at Taman Melodies, which offers exclusive Thai-inspired bagels and main dishes not found at the first outlet.
10, Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia
8am – 6pm daily
3. Eden by Wizards
Recently, I ventured into the up-and-coming Austin Heights neighbourhood which has turned into an enclave of cafes. Eden by Wizards is nestled within an industrial area of the neighbourhood, with a raw charm to its interior. The space is designed with a garden concept, meticulously landscaped with green plants and stones. The addition of artificial bird sounds enlivens the entire place.
The all-day brunch menu at Eden was pretty extensive and after careful deliberation, we got the Avocado Toast (RM33, SGD10). It came with toasted sourdough topped with avocados, pesto, datterino tomatoes, grated cheese and poached eggs. I loved the generous amount of pesto, but felt that the sourdough was slightly tough.
We also splurged on the Braised Wagyu Beef Karubi (RM88, SGD26.8), which was herb crusted and paired with mash potato, sauteed assorted mushroom & grilled cherry on vine tomato. Though the karubi was not tough, it was dry and had to be eaten with the sauce on the side. The mashed potato was clumpy and not seasoned enough.
Both drinks we tried – the Ayame Matcha Latte (RM17, SGD5.2) and Hojicha Latte (RM17, SGD5.2) were decent but on the sweeter side.
19, Jln Tiong Emas, Kawasan Perindustrian Tiong Nam Tebrau 3, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
10am – 10pm daily
4. Slow Day Café
For the artistic creatures, or those simply looking to do couple/group activities, Slow Day Café would be your choice of café. As a modern art café, you can indulge in not just their popular matcha desserts and drinks but also their Acrylic & Quartz Painting Workship and Edible Toast Painting Workshop. Sadly, we didn’t know we had to reserve on their website in advance so we had to give the activities a miss.
I highly recommend the Matcha Nama Cake (RM28, SGD8.5). Comprising 3 layers, the top layer was a light matcha cream, the middle layer a rich and smooth matcha nama chocolate ganache and the base a dense and moist matcha gateau au chocolat. The ganache in the middle was thick and intense and perfect for a matcha lover, balanced with the lighter, softer layer of mousse on top and a dense layer of cake at the bottom.
My drink, the Strawberry Matcha (RM17.9, SGD5.4), was also one of the better strawberry matcha lattes I’ve had. It did not bear the artificial taste of strawberry milk, while the matcha was smooth with bitter tones that complemented with the sweet strawberry jam.
As for the Rose Latte (RM14.9, SGD4.5), it tasted quite like a normal bandung drink you could get at a coffee shop so I would recommend skipping it.
No. 2-01, Jalan Austin Heights 7/8, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia
Mon to Thurs 12pm – 8pm
Fri to Sun 12pm – 12am
Closed on Tues
5. The Blue Door Coffee House
Just a few units away from Slow Day Café was The Blue Door Coffee, popular for its pistachio desserts. I was overwhelmed by the quirkiness of the space – upon entering, the right side of the café has a bed parked right smack in the middle of the seating area. And on the left side, you will find Narnia’s wardrobe which when opened, will lead you to another large seating area. This area had dark blue walls and was decked in Christmas decorations when I went.
Since we already had a full brunch, we skipped the main courses here and opted for the Matchamisu (RM22, SGD6.7) instead. Unfortunately, the matcha mascarpone was too sweet and lacked the earthy, bitter tones of matcha. We also thought the ladyfingers could be more well soaked with coffee.
There was a relatively new item on the menu – The Kunafa (RM55, SGD16.7), a platter of a kunafa chocolate, pistachio latte and kombucha.
It was my first time having the viral Dubai chocolate, featuring a crunchy pistachio and kunafa (shredded phyllo pastry) filling nestled between 2 layers of chocolate. I liked that the filling was nutty and crisp, complementing the sweet chocolate.
As for the pistachio latte, we were advised to first take a sip from the top to enjoy the rich, creamy layer of pistachio on the top, then drink from the middle layer coffee, and then the final layer of pistachio at the bottom. We were also warned not to stir everything as it will get too sweet. I loved the combination of the coffee and top layer of pistachio cream which was rich, nutty and savoury. The bottom layer felt syrupy and was too sweet.
Lastly, the kombucha served as a palate cleanser between sips of latte and nibbles of chocolate.
Alternatively, you can also try their viral croissants.
36A, Jalan Austin Height 7/8, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia
Mon to Wed 11am – 10pm
Thurs to Sun 11am – 12am
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 