Keijometo

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)

Address:  3, Jln Chengai, Taman Melodies, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xSN9KQUvUM3u3qjv5
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

🍝 Truffle Carborana = RM28.00
🥪 Sando Mentaiko Tamagoyaki = RM20.00
🥤 Houjicha (Iced) = RM9.90

Service Charge 10% = RM6.10
SST Tax 6% = RM3.66

 Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.


This has Arguably got to be the Most Famous Cafe in JB that I know of. 😅 Everytime I watch my Social Media Feeds about someone going to JB for the first time, this is usually the place that they will first visit. 😅 

Anticipating a Big Crowd, I reached there before their Official Opening Hour of 11.00am on a Friday Morning. 🌞 To my surprise, I was the first to reach and even more surprising, I saw a Chap in Military Uniform there. 🪖 Abit wary at first, I soon struck a Friendly Conversation with him and learnt alot of things. 🤔

So apparently this Cafe is so Popular, that during a Weekend, there were a Record 300 Singapore Cars 🚗 who were parked all over the place and it became like a Whole Big Clusterf*ck. 😳 

Keijometo itself is actually located in a Residential Area of Taman Melodies, so you can imagine the Frustrations of the Residents living there needing to endure the Insane 300 Cars Mess that Weekend caused. 🚗😅

Due to this, and the fact that they have to endure the Crowds, an Official Complaint was made right up to the Malaysian Govt 🇲🇾 who actually responded by deploying a Permanent Military Personnel onsite to do Crowd Control. It's Scary how 夸张 Singaporeans can be. 🇸🇬😅 Seriously Singaporeans? 需要这么夸张吗? 😅




Exterior of the Place.

The Main Gate itself opens at 11.00am on the dot with no delays. 👍 Upon stepping in you will realize this place looks Very Non-Descript and even looks Unfinished. 🤔 Its as if someone is built a Landed Residential House 🏠 and decided to just give up halfway during Construction and leaving its Grey Concrete Walls Un-painted. 🏚️😅

Even the name "Keijometo" is not prominently shown, and the only reference to it is just a Very Small Stylized Logo shown on the Main Gate. 🤔 As you walk towards the Main Building on its Pebbled Paths, you can see Clumps of Bushes all over the place. 🪾🌳 I was not kidding when I say this place looks Unfinished. Just look at the Video I took of the Exterior. 🎥 It really looks like someone's Abandoned Housing Project. 🏚️😅

Interior of the Place.

Upon entering, it gives a much more Familiar Cafe Vibe. 👍 The Interior has a Very Industrial, Grungy and even Modern "Post-Futurism Look"? 🤔 I particularly loved the Background Music they played in this place which sounds like an OST pulled directly from Cyberpunk 2077. 🎵🎶 (if you know you know) 😅

Nicely Airconditioned and Cooling, ❄️ the Staffs behave Politely and they are all dressed in what looks like a Japanese Happi (法被) Inspired Grey Flowing Coat to match the Grey Interiors of this Cafe. A Touch of Traditional, yet also with a  "Post-Modern" Flair. Very Stylish, Very Nice. 👍

Even though Polite in their Gestures, the Staffs here don't behave Traditionally-Friendly or Welcoming with a Smile. 🤔 The Way they behave is more like having a Cold Stare with a Half-Smile with an Air of Haughtiness laced with abit Bochup Bochup type of look that you normally see on those Fashion Models on a Catwalk. 😒😅

I'd like to give a Shoutout to one of the Staff Vimal who is Particularly more Friendly and was Confident in his Recommendations. 👍 It was he that ultimately made a Good Decision that helped me Tremendously in my Meal as you will see later in the Review. 😄

Even though there was only Me and 1 Other Customer who were initially here at 11.00am on a Friday Morning, 🌞 the Place quickly filled up very fast. 😳 I noticed particularly that the Clientele of this Place tends to lean towards the Young and Trendy 20-Somethings. 🤔

Mostly Definitely Singaporeans from the way they talked and behaved as I observed. 🤔 Other than me being probably the Oldest Looking Middle Aged Uncle here, 😅 the Oldest among them don't look over 35 years old. I don't see any Young Families with Kids too at least when I was there. 🤔

From what I gather from the Multiple Google Reviews about this place, the Dishes that were raved the most were their 🍝 Truffle Carborana, 🥪 Sando Mentaiko Tamagoyaki and a 🐟🍵Salmon Ochazuke. As you can tell from the Names, the Food served here are a sort of Modern Japanese/European Fusion. 🤔 Both the Truffle Carborana and Sando were up together in 4 Mins and the Houjicha was surprisingly the Slowest only to be up after 6 Mins. Everything was up in 6 Mins.

🥤 Houjicha (Iced) = RM9.90

I understand that the Matcha here was Highly Recommended and I had also wanted to originally order that. 🍵🤔 Not knowing which Matcha was good, I signaled for one of the Staff for their Recommendation and that is where I met Vimal. 🤵‍♂️

Really Polite, after taking a look at what I ordered, he actually recommended me to order their Houjicha instead of their Matcha because he felt it would fit better for my Meal as the 2 Dishes tend to be on the Heavier Jelakier side. 🥤🤔 I was impressed with his Confidence and went ahead with his Recommendation. 👍

When this was served up, I'll admit that I'm abit disappointed with how it was presented tho. 😅 The Cup looked like some Cheap Ikea Plastic Knockoff. 😅 For a Japanese Tea that cost RM9.90 (S$3.10) I had thought they would at least serve it in a Glass Cup or something. 🤔

My First Taste of this also didn't impress me. 🤔 Now I'm no Tea Connosieur myself, but the First Thing that came to my mind when I drank this was that it totally tasted like Pokka's Zero Sugar Oolong Tea. 😅 Hahaha to me, this really taste like it. If you were to let me do a Blindfold Test, I totally would not be able to discern them apart. 😅

🍝 Truffle Carborana = RM28.00

Sharp Eye Readers may have already noticed the Spelling Error for this Dish and this is actually how they spelt it in their Menu. "Carborana" instead of "Carbonara". 🤔 Perhaps they purposely mispelt this on purpose? 😅 This Place does look like the sort of place that Defies Convention. The Misspelling does look Slightly Amusing though. 😅

This Truffle Caborana (Carbonara) comes in a Big Bowl. 🥣 Presentation looks Deceptively Simple but the Taste is Complex with Depth. 👍 The Main Cream Broth tasted like a Mix of Japanese Dashi 🇯🇵🐟 with a Light Cream.

You would think that the Cream can be Jelak and you'd be right, but the Dashi Stock helps very much in cutting the Jelakness making the Broth Nice and Savoury. 🍲👍 This Cream Broth totally works here as both Flavours gelled very well and didn't clash with each other. 😋

I particularly loved the Onsen Tamago here which when Broken, 🥚 injects the Dish with an Extra Layer of Creaminess. 😋 That said, I do get that this Whole Combination may be abit Jelak for some people, but at least for me it worked well. 👍 The Other Seasonings were what I think are Truffle Shavings, Seaweed Powder and some Adorable Little Mushrooms 🍄 which I have no idea what species they are. All of them contribute to the Savouriness of this Dish. 😋

The Main Highlight has got to be the Udon which was Ultra Soft and Smooth. 🍝 I dunno if this is Handmade but at least for me, it didn't taste like its from a Package. 🤔 They were the Perfect Vehicle to Soak up and Carry the Cream Broth and it was quite Bliss to Slurp them up Noisily. 😋

Heck in fact I think I'm the only person who slurped them noisily like this as I did notice some other Patrons looked my way after I slurped them. 😅 Everyone else were eating this Dish very "Yew Siew" and Daintily. 😅 Hahaha aren't you supposed to Slurp Japanese Noodles Noisily especially if you enjoyed them? Heck care them la, I eat how I like to eat. 😋 These Udon were Damn Slurpable and I do recommend to Slurp them if you not scare Paiseh. 👍

I like this Truffle Carborana (Carbonara) and I feel it is Well Made. 👍 The Ingredients are Simple but its Well Executed. 👍 If you enjoy Japanese Dishes with a Prominent Dashi Stock taste, 🇯🇵🐟 you will enjoy this one. I can totally understand why this got very high reviews by Reviewers in Google Maps. 🌏

🥪 Sando Mentaiko Tamagoyaki = RM20.00

When this Dish was first served up, there was an Amazing Strong Toasted Super Appetizing Aroma of Caramelized Mentaiko bubbling on the Top. 😋 The Whole Dish is really quite Simple. Like its name "Sando", this is a White Bread Sandwich. 🥪

As you can see in the Photo, there is a a Piece of Fried Tamagoyaki in the Middle 🍳 and the Top is Slathered with a Generous Thick Serving of Mentaiko Sauce. 🇯🇵🍯 From the Amount of Bread that is used, I'd say the Amount is about 2 Slices of White Bread. 🍞

The Main Star is of course the Mentaiko. 🇯🇵🍯 I'm not a Mentaiko Connoiseur so I can't tell you if this is Good Quality but it taste nice lah, Savoury Saltish and Seafoody. 🐟😋 

The Fried Tamagoyaki is something new for me as Tamagoyaki's are normally not Breaded and Fried like this. 🍳🤔 It is Freshly Fried and the Outer Panko Breading is not too thick and delivered a Nice Crispy Crunch. 😋

The Actual Tamagoyaki within has a Soft and Creamy Sweetish Taste to it. 😋 I thought this one tasted Slightly Sweeter than usual tbh. Nothing Special about the White Bread, I thought they tasted like Very Normal Standard. 🍞 When taking my First Bite of this, its the Mentaiko 🇯🇵🐟 that forms the Core Dominant Taste followed by the Crunch of the Panko Breading and when the Tamagoyaki starts bursting forth, its Sweetness can be felt. 🍳😋

This Mixture of Mentaiko and the Sweetness of the Tamagoyaki tasted Very Good during the 1st Slice, 🥪😋 but as I reached the Middle of the 2nd Slice, I was Suddenly Slapped by an Intense Jelakness especially with the Sweetness from the Tamagoyaki. 🍳😅 The Mixture of Mentaiko 🇯🇵🐟 and this Sweetness was a Strong Powerful Jelak Combo 1-2 Punch to my Face. I struggled to finish the 2nd Piece. 😅

🥤😄 Houjicha Tea to the Rescue!

Remember the Houjicha Tea that I thought totally tasted like Pokka Oolong Tea? 🥤😅 THIS was the time when I totally appreciated Vimal's Initial Recommendation. ♥️ He was Absolutely Correct in saying this Houjicha will help. 🥤👍

Drinking the Houjicha really helped cut down that Intense Jelakness I felt and made it possible for me to finish off the Entire Sando. 🥪👍 Had I ordered their Creamy Matcha, I feared that Jelakness would have been at the Point of No Return. Hahaha! 😅

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At a Total Combined Price of RM70.80 (S$22.00), I'm not going to beat around the Bush, so I'm going to say upfront that this place is Expensive. 💵🤔 Probably not Expensive for the Young Trendy High Earning Gen-Z, 20-Somethings Young Customer Base here, 😅 but for an Uncle like me yea it is Expensive. 😅

Lets break down the Prices for each Dish and see if they are worth the Price shall we? 🤔

🥤 Houjicha (Iced) = RM9.90 (S$3.10)

I'm sorry, I still think this tasted no different from Pokka's Oolang Tea. 😅 Some people say that this is Good because they use Premium Roasted Beans or something? 🫘🤔 But I really couldn't tell.

What I did appreciate was how it actually helped to significantly cut down the Jelakness I felt when I ate their Mentaiko Tamagoyaki Sando. 🥪😅

🍝 Truffle Carborana = RM28.00 (S$8.70)

Not a Cheap Dish, but THIS I really enjoyed. 😋 Despite being a Carborana (Carbonara) gawd I hate that Mispelling. 😅 It didn't tasted overly heavy and was Delightfully Light. 😋 I loved the Dashi Cream Broth which totally worked and enjoyed slurping my Udon like an Uncouth Barbarian when I was there. 🍜😋

The Thought and Design behind this Dish was executed very well. 👍 The Savoury Dashi Component was Crucial to prevent the Cream Broth from tasting Overly Jelak. 😋 That said, this is a Carbonara at its heart and I do understand that some people may find this Dish to be too Creamy and Heavy for their taste. 🤔 So you might want to take note of this if eating Creamy Dishes like this is too heavy for you.

🥪 Sando Mentaiko Tamagoyaki = RM20.00 (S$6.20)

The Mentaiko is really the Main Selling Point for this and paying S$6.20 for the amount given felt worth the money. 👍 That said, the Combination of the Mentaiko and the Sweetness of the Tamagoyaki clashed too hard for me and totally threw me off balance. 🍯😅

Perhaps it was because I started off with the Truffle Carborana (Carbonara) first and this felt jelak because it wasn't the 1st Dish I tasted? Perhaps. 🤔 I did like the Batter Fried Tamagoyaki Idea which is something I've not yet seen being done. 👍 If only they reduced the Amount of Sugar used I feel it might be better.

Overall I do like this place, although I wouldn't come here to take Instagram Photos 📷 which for some reason is really Super Popular here. While I enjoy the Industrial Look, this one was abit too far off for me. 😅 Loved the Background Music they used though! 🎵🎶 Totally felt like I was in some Post Modern Futuristic Bar in Cyberpunk 2077. 😎 Vimal was another Highlight for me here. 👍 He was Considerably Friendly compared to the Slightly Aloof Look that the other Staffs displayed here. 🤵‍♂️👍 His Houjicha Recommendation was Spot On. 🥤👍

That said, I don't feel it is really worth queuing for HOURS for this like what I've read about this place. 😳 Can you imagine queue for hours at JB Kastam and continuing to queue for HOURS more here? 😅 Hahaha! Singaporeans really LOVE to queue. But hey if Queuing is what you enjoy, don't let me stop you. You do whatever makes you happy. 👍If however you would like to give this a try and hate queues like me, come here on a Weekday at 11.00am instead. 👍

It's very easy to dismiss this place as another "Young People Gen-Z" kind of Expensive Atas place, 😅 but I am impressed with their Culinary Effort, 👍 especially their Truffle Carborana (Carbonara) ughhh that Mispelling. 😅 I also totally get this Restaurant's "Post Modern Faux Art Gallery" Concept 🖼️ even though it is not for me. Love their Music tho. 🎵🎶

I just wish they correct their Carborana (Carbonara) Spelling because the OCD Side of me is frankly going abit insane when writing up this review! Hahaha! 😅