The quaint cafe is a popular meeting place in Kulai.- Photos: THOMAS YONG/ The Star
RETRO-style and heritage cafes and restaurants in Johor Baru are getting more popular, attracting not only local customers but also Singaporeans.
Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, in the older part of Johor Baru city, houses many cafes with retro and heritage elements operating in pre-war shophouses.
On weekends and public holidays, it is normal to see customers queueing up at the entrances of the outlets waiting to be seated.
Apart from the older parts of the city, such cafes and heritage restaurants are also seen in suburban areas of Johor Baru.
Restoran Dulang Lima proprietor Haziah Kamaruddin, 40, said she chose the heritage element as it would go well with the type of dishes served at the outlet.
Located along Jalan Simbang in Taman Perling, about 14km from the city centre, the restaurant has been operating since Oct 14, 2016.
Enlarged old black-and-white photos adorned the walls of Kelab Kopi Lama at Taman Kempas Utama.
Antique teakwood curio display cabinets, black and white photos, old metal signage, old magazine advertisements and bric-a-brac adorn the walls of the restaurant.
“I collect antiques so it gave me the idea to open a restaurant with the yesteryear concept.”
In line with its name, dishes are served on large trays similar to what Malay families used to do in the old days while enjoying meals together.
“There are five dishes on the tray, hence the name Dulang Lima,” said Haziah, highlighting that she wants to emphasise the concept of a family that eats together stays together.
Haziah said some of the items, including the plates, were family-owned as well as from relatives and friends while others were sourced from Negri Sembilan, Perak and Penang.
The majority of her customers, mostly the elderly, were happy to see old items displayed in cabinets as they reminisced about their younger days.
“They lamented that most of their items were no longer around as they had either been thrown away or sold as they opted for new ones,’’ she said.
Waiter Mohamad Aiman Zainal serving the dishes on a vintage-style tray at Restoran Dulang Lima in Taman Perling.
For Won Choon Kong, the sole proprietor of Cafe Jufei, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
The 40-year-old who runs the cafe in Jalan Ismail, Kulai, collects vintage items.
“Most of the items in my cafe were either discarded by their owners or obtained from relatives and friends.’’
The quaint Cafe Jufei, loosely translated as “meeting place”, is a popular place for people to meet while savouring the food and enjoying the ambience.
First-timers may find it difficult to locate the cafe as there is no sign hanging outside the place located on the first floor of a 1960s shophouse.
The eclectic mix of bric-a-brac makes patrons feel like they have stepped into another era.
“I did not have any fixed rules when decorating the place and might add new items to the existing decor,” said Won.
He said that sometimes he was lucky to stumble upon old items which he was more than happy to take back to the cafe.
Most of the furniture in the cafe were given by either his friends or neighbours who knew of his passion for antique items.
Some of the small decorative items such as old-style glasses, cups and plates as well as books and magazines, were given by his regular customers.
He runs the cafe by himself.
“Those coming here are not in a rush; they enjoy their coffee, tea, cakes and pastries,” he added.
Prior to opening Cafe Jufei in July 2019, Won was managing a homestay in Taman Tai Kheng, Kulai, for three years.
Ilham Usman preparing traditional pulled coffee to be served in old-time kopitiam cups and saucers at Kelab Kopi Lama.
He said he grabbed the opportunity to open his cafe when the place was available for rent.
He renovated it within three months at a cost of RM80,000, which included major works to replace the old pipes, wiring and a leaky roof.
“I don’t earn much from running the outlet as this part of Kulai is quiet with mostly elderly residents,” he said.
Another type of food outlet are old coffeeshops better known as kopitiam among Malaysians.
One such kopitiam that withstood the test during the Covid-19 pandemic was Restoran Kelab Kopi Lama.
Its executive director Mohd Yunos Malek said the coffeeshop was opened on May 21, 2021.
“We are glad to see that our business is doing well,” he said, adding that the restaurant offered a different type of dining experience.
Mohd Yunos said the idea to opt for a kopitiam-style concept was done after considering the trend in Johor Baru where retro and heritage-style eating places were doing well.
He decided to open the outlet in Taman Kempas Utama as it was easily accessible from the Kempas exit of the North-South Highway.
“Our place faces the main road with high traffic volume.”
He said the outlet was popular among both Malaysians and Singaporeans.
The decor features blown-up black-and-white photos of Johor Baru city on the wall, giving customers – especially the younger generation – a glimpse into how the city looked in the olden days.
“It is also a good conversation piece,’’ said Mohd Yunos.
He said it was not a problem getting vintage plates, cups and glasses for the business as they were available in the market.
“But you have to do your research to find these old items in Johor,” he said.
Mohd Yunos said the coffeeshop’s bestsellers were charcoal-toasted bread with kaya spread, lempeng (Malay pancake), laksa Johor, jemput-jemput (fritters) and fried bananas dipped in spicy cili padi sambal and kicap (soy sauce).
