Grind.jb - Sea Salt Chocolate Tart, Strawberry Matcha, and Vintage Living Room Vibes
Johor Bahru has no shortage of cafés with real personality. You just need to know where to look.
Grind.jb is found in Taman Sentosa, and the café with an olive green exterior blends in with the row of shops.
But once you step inside, you see the effort in design.
At first, the unfinished concrete walls and old-school window grilles might give you flashbacks to your grandmother’s house.
Sunlight spills in from the skylight and bounces off the faded walls, catching the leaves of a tree planted right in the middle of the café.
A scattering of vintage armchairs and mismatched tables give off a living room vibe. (If you want an Instagram moment, trust me, you will find it here without even trying.)
There’s even a resident cat, Mocha. If you’re not a cat person, don’t worry; it usually minds its own business.
Now, let’s talk about the coffee.
You can find Latte (RM 12), Flat White (RM 12), Cappuccino (RM 12), Mocha (RM 13), Caramel Latte (RM 13), and Vanilla Latte (RM 13).
Signature drinks feature Espresso Tonic (RM 14), Dirty (RM 14), and Cream Latte (RM 15).
The Latte’s balance was spot on, smooth and nutty, not bitter.
On the crafted side, there’s Spice Chai (RM 12), Vanilla Chai (RM 12), Chocolate Chai (RM 12), Dirty Chai (RM 15), Chocolate Caramel (RM 12), Dark Chocolate 70% (RM 12), Shredded Chocolate (RM 14), Matcha Latte (RM 12), to Strawberry Matcha (RM 15).
The Strawberry Matcha (RM 15) brought together the earthy, slightly bitter taste of matcha with the sweet, tangy flavour of strawberry.
If it were a little creamier, it would have scored much higher.
The Seasalt Dark Chocolate Tart was one of the best cafe things I had in JB this year.
With a hint of peanut butter, there was a rich, dense bite that made me pause after the first forkful.
The chocolate filling was smooth and deeply flavoured, not too sweet, with just enough sea salt to sharpen the taste and keep things interesting.
If you like calm spaces, solid coffee, and a bit of character, Grind.jb does the job. If you see the cat, say hello. It probably won’t meow back.
Other Related Entries
Tom&Danny Coffee (Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Bahru)
Space Cafe (Johor Bahru City Centre, Johor Bahru)
Hiritsu Coffee Roastery (Johor Bahru)
Vamos Coffee Roastery (Johor Bahru)
Flame & Fern Cafe (Taman Melodies, Johor Bahru)
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