[New] Industrial-chic café in JB☕

With the recent reopening of the land borders between SG & JB, I couldn't have been more stoked to resume my monthly JB café-hopping adventures after a 2-year hiatus.

First up on my to-go list was Keijometo, which despite its very recent opening in Mar 2022, had already garnered a significant following on IG. It was easy to see why when we arrived, for the cafe screamed Hipster from every angle. The building has such a "raw" industrial look that one could be forgiven for mistaking it as a film set for a zombie flick. But therein lay the appeal of this café, for the "raw" look served as a blank canvas for the subject – be it the dainty cuisine or the daintier influencer, to stand out in sharp contrast.

Surrounding the building were vegetation that looked just as raw and wild – as though they had sprouted out of nothingness over the past two years of pandemic.

Wild vegetation surrounding the building

Stepping into the building elicited even more Oohs and Aahs with every spot more instagrammable than the last, aided by natural light streaming in through large square windows cut out of concrete.

The piano looks out of place in juxtaposition to its wild surroundings, but this jarringness is perhaps the draw

The café was decked out like a living art gallery with randomly-placed plants and pebbles, eagerly awaiting the philosophical interpretations of its hipster visitors.

Random tanks and pepples strewn around to resemble an abstract art gallery

The empty hangers, bare mannequin and cover-draped furniture seemed to convey a sense of abandon, further fuelling our zombie-themed imaginations.

Empty hangers and a bare mannequin evoke a sense of abandon

We were led to our table which had the most derelict-looking walls ever, illuminated by a low hanging lightbulb which served as the perfect spotlight for food photography.

There was a deliberate non-uniformity throughout the café, eg our neighbours had a different table and lighting from ours.

Our neighbour's table and light were different from ours

An island tabletop served as a display counter for a couple of wild plants that appeared as though they'd been brusquely whisked from the wild garden outside the building. Accompanying the plants were descriptive texts to satisfy the closet botanists among its varied visitors.

The innermost table was flanked by full-length glass windows. Diners may be enticed by this highly-instagrammable spot, though they also risk bearing the full brunt of the glasshouse effect at midday.

The glasshouse effect is perhaps most acutely felt at this table.

Despite the café operating at full capacity during lunchtime on a weekday, service was brisk, with our food served in quick succession. Keijometo specialises in Jap fusion cuisine and Matchas.

For starters, we had Chicken Katsu Sando (RM18) which was served in a metallic tray that would not look out of place in a surgical room. Crispy, juicy slabs of chicken were wedged in between slices of toasted bread. Perhaps a tad more browning of the bread would have elevated its crispiness and appearance to the next level.

To experience the same chicken katsu as a main rather than as a starter, head for the Chicken Katsu Curry Don (RM24). A very generous slab of chicken katsu was served atop a bed of steaming Japanese rice, with luscious curry occupying the other half of the porcelain plate.

A more unique dish is the Salmon Ochazuke (RM30). While I've tried Ochazuke (best described as a Jap 泡饭) in SG, , Keijometo amps it up by shaping the rice into Nigiri. Coupled with a cup of bonito extract to pour over the rice, this dish exudes fine-dining vibes despite its down-to-earth price.

Moving on from the rice dishes to the noodle dishes, first up was the Cold Inaniwa Udon (RM24) – arguably the most oft-posted dish by Keijometo customers. Hot ebi tempura was served atop a bed of noodles bathed in cold dashi. The udon here was of the thinner variety compared to the traditional udon. I would describe this dish as the Jap version of 냉면 – cold yet refreshing and tasty.

My own main was the Truffle Carbonara Udon (RM26). This is perhaps the most fusion-esque dish among those that we ordered. Even the carbonara sauce was no ordinary carbonara – it was infused with dashi to produce a completely new sauce. Despite being a vegetarian dish, it was moreish and able to satiate even the most carnivorous consumers amongst us.

No meal at Keijometo is complete without their signature Matchas. I ordered a hot Matcha latte (RM14) which was strangely served with an ice-cream stick straddled across the surface, presumably to stir the drink.

Our friend with a more erudite palate opted for a hot Kiku latte (RM21) – served in a smaller cup than the normal Matcha latte yet 50% pricier.

Before leaving Keijometo, don't forget to check out its washrooms even if you don't have to answer Nature's call. While most washrooms serve a very functional purpose, Keijometo's stone-laden washrooms are just as artistically decked out as the rest of the café – a testament to the owner leaving no stone unturned (pardon the pun) regarding the aesthetics of the whole café.

Revel in the aesthetics of the washroom as you answer Nature's call

Even the sink area is adorned with old-school window grills that hark back to the times when Msia and SG were one.

My favourite spot in this café was one that had concrete blocks as seats, providing vistas of the lush greenery outside. One could almost imagine sitting on this concrete block, admiring the billowing trees outside whilst deep in contemplation about post-pandemic life.

Concrete seats overlooking lush greenery

As a hardened café-hopper who has visited hundreds, possibly even thousands of cafes, Keijometo still managed to wow me with its mind-blowing aesthetics, not to mentioned its delish food and matcha. To top that, the yuppie-dominated demographics breathes life into the gloomy walls, filling the café with an almost-pulpable energetic vibe. While cafés in JB are a dime a dozen, I'd certainly recommend Keijometo as a top-of-the-list choice for any avid café-hopper.

Keijometo

3 Jln Chengai, Taman Melodies, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor

Tue-Sun 11.30am-9pm (Last order 8pm)

(Prices stated are exclusive of 10% Service Charge)

ChewAndChill

[New] Industrial-chic café in JB☕

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