D’ Cafe - Chill Place @ Johor Bahru in Malaysia

It was by chance. Our main objective was to digest the good food from Hai Kee Seafood and I suggested strolling to another area. p.s. it's an excuse for me to check if there would be any interesting place around.

And voila; we noticed this sleek looking cafe on our left that seemed quite full on a lazy, late Saturday afternoon. D’ Cafe was a name that's easy to remember and if you are keen to know; the full name is D’enfant, which could mean child, child-like, childish in French. 

Frankly, I don't understand as there's absolutely nothing child-related in this cafe! In shades of black, white, orange and thrown in with some lively greenery, the color palette was more adult than kid. 

Nevertheless, as an adult, I love the environment! Tables and chairs were generously spaced out, air-conditioning was strong, and the service staff was polite, friendly and attentive. 

The skylight illuminated the interior and in event of a thunderstorm; it provided much relaxation as the raindrops pitter patter off the exposed glass ceiling. It's rare for me to like a cafe and D’ Cafe definitely falls into the short list I currently have. Without further ado, let's start with the food and drinks! 

Earl Grey and Chamomile Tea - from the tea drop brand which hailed from Australia. Well, no complaint about the teas, which had flavors similar to other mid-tier brands. I am quite boring when it comes to tea after meal; usually it would be peppermint or earl grey. 

Sparkling - my friends were more adventurous, going for sparkling beverages like pomegranate breeze, pinky grapefruit and rosy lemonade. They seemed to enjoy the drinks although personally, I don't quite enjoy carbonated drinks. My fault. 

Truffle Fries - this could have been given a much higher review if they were served piping hot. To be fair, the truffle aroma was much noticeable and the texture wasn't soggy. 

Tater Tots - for a person who doesn't like potatoes and pretty neutral to French fries, I must say the tater tots were a game changer for my taste buds. Like bite-sized hash browns, these remained crispy even after quite a while. Most importantly, they were served hot. 

Pot-a-tato Rosti - choices of mushrooms or chicken ham, we went with the former. While the mushrooms were packed with earthly flavors, I did feel that the rosti could have been crispier even though as a whole, this dish was well above average. 

A Fish Called Toman - your typical fish and chips even though instead of the usual dory fish, the toman is actually the Giant Snakehead fish. If I recall correctly, snakeheads are known within the Chinese community that facilitate wound healing for those who eat them! 

Fish was nice, chunky and the batter was beer bubbly without being overly thick. While the mixed salad was just a companion, I couldn't forget its vinegarish sweet dressing, which made even the bitter vegetables, palatable! 

Chocolate Cake - As a whole, I like the fudge which wasn't too sweet and had surprising bits of rice crispies that added texture. Cake was dense but in my opinion, still nice. I do think D’ Cafe can do with a wider variety of cakes. 

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Address

9, Jalan Kelewang, Taman Sri Tebrau, 

80050 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Map

As above. 

Pricing

Tea - RM 10.00 each

Sparkling - RM 15.00 each

Truffle Fries - RM 18.00

Tater Tots - RM 15.00

Pot-a-tato Rosti - RM 32.00

A Fish Called Toman -  RM 32.00

Chocolate Cake - RM 18.00

(Subject to Service Charge)