JB’s cafe scene is buzzing: How it all started and the best coffee joints to visit

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” Locals do n’t appreciate what we’re doing here”, mused Keijometo’s owner, a filmmaker who started his cafe as a passion project for in-between shoots. Is it possible that he’s referring to older Johoreans? Obviously no.

” Fresh JB people also! They play writer on Instagram, saying’ what kind of architecture is this? I can also would. My boyfriend say he do n’t want come back because the building looks abandoned”, said Wei, who declined to give his full name.

Keijometo, a merging of the Chinese thoughts for” condition” and “geometry”, occupies a corner house in Taman Melodies, near KSL Mall. Working with a budget of RM500, 000 ( S$ 143, 500 ), Wei personally handled the minimalist design and build while his partner, a chef, crafted Keijometo’s Japanese fusion menu. It opened in first 2022 just before the frontiers reopened.

Just before the 11am beginning, a little crowd had already gathered outside the front wall on the week day when I dropped by. By a third history, there were no free chairs in.

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Slipper lobsters from Sabah, oysters from Penang? Discovering Malaysia’s underrated fresh seafood

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“To me, sustainability is not only important, it also benefits us chefs,” Ng said. “When the product travels far, it’s not just about the carbon footprint; it also degrades its quality. The tilapia, fish maw, marble goby and slipper lobster came in alive, flipping and kicking. So, the quality, compared to products we receive from Europe (packed) one week ago, is really very different.”

At his restaurant Path, he continued, “we try to use regional products because of the quality. It’s not because of the pricing – small artisan suppliers and fisheries in Singapore sell their products at prices similar to those from Europe. So, what we are buying is quality and also the skills, time and effort it takes to source those products.”

Since returning to Singapore, he’s already started ordering marble goby and sea cucumber from Malaysia, and these will be on his new menu launching in October.

There are still challenges, of course. The Penang oysters and wild-caught slipper lobsters, which he has his eye on, will be prohibitively expensive to bring in until there is enough bulk in orders.

But the possibilities are there, and they are delicious.

CNA Lifestyle was in Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of Path x Eat And Cook.

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