Charcoal Sutera: Popular Nanyang Coffeehouse In JB With Kaya You Tiao And Salted Iced Kopi

Charcoal Sutera is an affordable breakfast cafe in Johor Bahru

A good breakfast is all it takes to start the day right. If an old-school brekkie is your go-to comfort food, you’ll surely fancy Charcoal Sutera, a popular coffeehouse in JB.

We had a long day ahead of us, so we ordered two carby items to keep us filled, and two iced drinks to beat the heat.

Starting the list is their signature dish, Charcoal Signature Nasi Lemak Basmathi (RM16.90/~S$4.80). This hearty meal comprises a warm, fluffy bed of basmati rice with a crispy chicken thigh, sunny-side-up, papadam, sambal, ikan bilis, and a side of curry. 

For less than $5, we really got a bang for our buck with this delicious and satisfying plate of nasi lemak. My favourite ingredient was the chicken thigh—the batter was crispy upon every bite, and I liked that it wasn’t too thick compared to the tender chicken meat underneath.

There’s also a piece of papadam to pair with the rice, sambal, and ikan bilis. You don’t always get this deep-fried snack in nasi lemak, so I was rather pleased by this addition. 

We then tried the popular Crispy Fried Dough Stick and Kaya (RM3.90/~S$1.10). Kaya you tiao was a first for me, and trust me when I say this tasted better than it looked. You get a spread of Hainanese kaya within a charcoal-grilled youtiao, resulting in a lovely mix of sweet-salty flavours. If nasi lemak is too heavy as a breakfast choice, we recommend having this instead.

My favourite part of the day is drinking coffee. During my conversation with the lao ban, I learnt that their coffee is roasted with charcoal—which probably explains why their Signature Salted Coffee Ice (RM5.50/~S$1.60) was incredibly tasty.

When it comes to drinks and desserts, sweet-salty combinations are one of my weaknesses. Their Signature Salted Coffee Ice was made exactly for people like me—you get a smooth brew with little acidity, blended with actual salt! Worry not, you only get a bit of the saltiness towards the end of every sip.

Intrigued by the combination of kopi and milo, we had to get their Salted Penang Flat Tiger VS Lion Ice (RM6.90/~S$2). This one tasted more like dark chocolate than kopi, which was a pity as I anticipated a more well-balanced ratio of both. If you enjoy iced chocolate, this one’s worth a try.

Charcoal Sutera is relatively spacious with both indoor and outdoor seats. And even better, they open as early as 7:30am every day—it’s no wonder many regulars return time and time for their first meal of the day.

For more breakfast spots in JB, find out more about Ah Ma TeoChew Kuih, an old-school cafe with orh nee bun, Teochew porridge and more under $3. You can also pay Palates & Bagels a visit for loaded bagel sandwiches, cruffins and more under $10.

Address: No.73, Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/2, Taman Sutera Utama, 81300 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: Daily 7:30am to 5:15pm
Website
Charcoal Sutera is a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Paula Formantes and edited by Maisie Chong.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.