The Replacement - Lodge & Kitchen: ShiokScore 83/100

About

The Replacement was founded in 2015 by Edward Ng, who took a pair of 1940s heritage shophouses on Jalan Dhoby and transformed them into a Melbourne-inspired cafe. The minimalist interior with clean white walls, concrete floors, and natural light streaming through tall windows became an instant hit with Singaporean cafe hoppers.

The brunch menu is the star. The Berries Compote French Toast (RM 24.90), Breakfast Platter (RM 30.90), and Crab Meat Mentaiko Aglio-Olio (RM 26.90) are all well-executed. Coffee is solid with artisan espresso and specialty teas. At SGD equivalent prices, a full brunch with coffee comes to about $10 to $15 SGD per person, which is half what you would pay for equivalent quality in Singapore.

Free WiFi, clean bathrooms, and comfortable seating make this workable as a working cafe on weekday mornings. Street parking is available on Jalan Dhoby, and the nearby Bank Negara Malaysia multi-storey carpark (RM 3) is a reliable backup. Weekend mornings get busy. Arrive before 10am or queue.

ShiokScore Breakdown

Scored across 5 dimensions specific to cafes. Learn what each means →

Coffee 76

Espresso quality, bean sourcing, brew method variety, latte art. Does the barista know their single-origin from their house blend?

Food 88

Brunch and pastry quality, menu creativity, portion size. Some cafes are coffee-first with token food. Others are full kitchens that happen to serve good coffee.

Vibes 82

Interior design, natural light, photo spots, music, seating comfort. The reason half of Singapore drives to JB on a Saturday morning.

Value 80

Price in SGD equivalent, portion-to-price ratio. A flat white that costs $3 SGD equivalent vs $7 in Singapore changes how you feel about the whole experience.

Access 95

Distance from JB CIQ, parking availability, Grab access, opening hours. A great cafe that takes 45 minutes from the checkpoint and has no parking loses points.

Type: Brunch Spot

Full kitchen doing eggs benedict, pancakes, pasta. Coffee is good but the food menu is the draw. Weekend queues are real.