The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen, Johor Bahru

Cafe-hopping in Singapore might burn a hole in your wallet, but at Johor Bahru, you get to leverage on the currency, and yes, that means you get to eat great food at 1/3 the price. On our recent trip, we had plans to visit Coffee Valley, but was disappointed that it was in the process of moving to Sutera Mall (update: they are opened now at Sutera Mall!). We decided to explore around the corner and found another gem - The Replacement instead (how apt, because it actually replaces one of our cafe-hopping location).

This dainty, modern cafe sits at a prominent spot in Jalan Dhoby (aka Jalan Cafe or Jalan Hipsters, just kidding) and features an exterior of clean white walls - now this is worth mentioning because buildings are generally old and torn down around the area. To start off, The Replacement is seriously, and I'm saying it with a serious face, seriously insta-worthy. OMG, damn it, just look at this.

Soon Soon Heng Bak Kut Teh (顺顺兴肉骨茶) @ Jalan Serigala, Johor Bahru

Located just opposite Johor Bahru's (JB) major tourist spot, KSL, lies Soon Soon Heng Bak Kut Teh - one of two popular BKT restaurants (the other is Soon Huat). We were there during a food trip to JB, It was about 5pm and dinner crowds have already started to stream in, with most customers being.. well.. tourists like limbeh and limbu (my mother - like literally, my mum was with me).

Soon Soon Heng's BKT is reasonably priced (1 pax = RM$12, 2 pax = RM$24, 3pax = RM$36, etc.) but only includes pork ribs and minimal ingredients. You can choose to add a wide variety of other ingredients such as pork meat, innards (e.g., liver, intestines), mushrooms and fried beancurd skin. They also serve your usual side dishes such as braised peanuts, salted veggies, and you-tiao. Please order the you-tiao for God's sake, it ain't a complete BKT experience without these fried babies.

Coffee Valley @ Jalan Trus, Johor Bahru

Like its name literally suggests, Coffee Valley is a quaint cafe located at an (v)alley off Jalan Trus, a stretch of road which inhabits old-fashioned shop-houses and eateries, such as the Faculty of Caffeine. With the aroma of freshly grounded coffee beans whiffing through the air and soft music serenading in the background, it is no wonder why this cafe never fails to attract both regulars and newcomers.

Faculty of Caffeine @ Jalan Trus, Johor Bahru

Situated along Jalan Trus, Faculty of Caffeine (FOC) is the brainchild of two childhood buddies, Vinc and Edward, who are both enthusiasts of coffee and design. The exterior is difficult to be missed, with its hipster-matte-looking black-and-white signboard set upon walls of pastel blue. Given that most of the shop-houses along the stretch were unfurnished and old-fashioned, FOC sure sticks out like a sore thumb.

As expected, its interior were designed with no less thoughts. With a combination of chic and vintage, it allows a cosy space for timeless furniture, such as a vintage sewing machine and a huge mirror with Chinese characters, completed with artwork designed by the owners - a place where coffee meets art.

Canton-i @ City Square, Johor Bahru

It just took a single gastronomical trip down to Canton-i for me to get hooked up and begging for seconds. The reason is none other than a table filled up with tantalizing wanton noodles, century egg porridge and a few baskets of steamed buns and dim sum. That is why on a recent getaway to Johor Bahru, we decided to bring along a few friends for some good and affordable dim sum. I mean, who doesn't adore cheap and awesome dim-sum?