Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow

Saturday brunch in JB always sounds like a good idea until everyone else has the same idea.

We wanted somewhere near town, not too chaotic, not too expensive and not one of those cafés where the furniture looks expensive but your back suffers for it. That brought us to Mrs. Whó, a small café near SKS Pavillion in Johor Bahru that feels calm the moment you step in.

Natural light. Plants. Soft café colours. Not too crowded when we visited. The kind of place that makes you think, “Okay, this should be a peaceful brunch.” It has the same calm energy people usually look for in good cafes in Singapore.

Then, came the warning.

The staff told us the kitchen was short-handed and food would take a while. Fair enough. We appreciate being told upfront. It is much better than being abandoned with an empty table and slowly developing trust issues. But still, the warning was not decorative. The wait was real.

So we ordered, settled in and accepted our fate: this was going to be a slow brunch. Not leisurely. Slow.

The Matcha That Kept Us Civil

The Uji Matcha arrived early enough to keep everyone behaving.

At RM18, it sits in the usual café matcha price range. These days matcha has become one of those drinks where you pay RM18 and pretend not to notice. But this one was not bad.

It had a decent earthy matcha note and enough body to taste like proper matcha not green milk with branding. It was smooth, easy to drink, and not overly sweet. Not the deepest, most serious matcha we have had, but also not the pale nonsense some cafés serve with full confidence.

Would we cross the border just for this matcha? No. Would we order it again while waiting for brunch? Yes. It did its job. More importantly, it gave us something to sip while wondering if the kitchen had forgotten us or was simply moving through life with great emotional honesty.

The Mac ’n’ Cheese Balls That Disappeared Too Quickly

The Mac ’n’ Cheese Balls came with pickle aioli dip and cost RM19.90. This was the right dish to arrive early because fried cheese and hunger are very good friends.

The outside had a proper crisp shell which gave way to a creamy, cheesy centre. The macaroni inside stayed soft, warm and rich without turning into a dairy bomb. That is important. Mac ’n’ cheese balls can go wrong very easily. Too greasy, too thick, too jelak and suddenly everyone is chewing slower out of fear.

These were creamy but still manageable. The pickle aioli helped a lot. It cut through the richness with a little acidity, making the whole thing less heavy and more snackable.

Good appetizer? Yes. Good for cheese lovers? Also yes, but with one warning: one portion may not be enough. The dish disappeared faster than expected, which is usually what happens when people say, “I just want to try one.”

Lies. Everyone wants more than one.

The Eggy Hash That Actually Felt Like Weekend Brunch

We also ordered the Eggy Hash which is a weekend-only item. Honestly, this was the dish that made the wait feel less irritating.

The potato pancake formed the base, and thankfully, it had texture. Soft inside, lightly crisp around the edges and not so soggy that it felt like mashed potato pretending to be brunch. The poached eggs sat on top, waiting to do the usual brunch performance. Break the yolk, let it run, mix it with hollandaise and suddenly the whole plate makes sense.

The hollandaise was creamy with a gentle tang, rich enough to bind everything together without suffocating the dish. The sun-dried tomatoes added sharp little bursts of sweetness and acidity. The feta brought salt and creaminess. The beans gave it some body. The beef bacon bits added savoury crunch.

There was a lot going on but the dish did not collapse into confusion. It tasted generous, warm and satisfying. The portion was also bigger than expected which is rare enough in café brunch to deserve a small moment of respect.

Was it refined? Not exactly. But it was tasty, filling and properly brunchy. Sometimes, that is the whole point.

The Krabby Bao That Tried To Be Cute And Mostly Got Away With It

The Krabby Bao is another weekend-only item. This is the kind of dish that sounds like it was created for people who take photos before eating. Soft bao, crispy crab, colourful slaw, nice plate presence. Very brunch. Very café. Very “please hold, I need to take one more shot.”

Thankfully, it tasted decent too.

The bao was soft and lightly sweet which worked well with the savoury crab. The soft-shell crab brought the crispness the dish needed. When you bite into it, you get that contrast between fluffy bun, crunchy shell and tender seafood centre. The curry aioli gave warmth and a little spice without turning the whole thing into curry puff cosplay.

The purple slaw was not just there to look pretty. It added crunch and freshness, helping to cut through the fried crab and creamy sauce.

Was it the strongest dish of the meal? No. The Eggy Hash had more substance. But the Krabby Bao was fun, easy to enjoy and more memorable than the usual café sandwich that tastes like rent.

The Mushroom Ragoût For When Your Soul Feels Unwell

Then the Mushroom Ragoût came with creamy mixed mushrooms, poached egg, herbs and toasted sourdough. This was the quiet dish. Not weak. Quiet.

It did not come in shouting with big flavours. It was warm, creamy, earthy and soft around the edges. The kind of dish you order when you want comfort, not excitement. Honestly, it has the same emotional function as a bowl of soup when you feel a bit under the weather.

The mushrooms gave the dish an earthy depth while the cream kept everything rounded and mellow. It was not too rich, which was good because creamy mushroom dishes can become jelak very quickly when the kitchen gets carried away. The poached egg added silkiness once broken and the sourdough did the practical work of scooping everything up.

It was not the dish we would recommend to someone looking for a flavour punch. But for a slow brunch, it made sense. Honest, simple, comforting. Not every plate needs to behave like it is competing for attention.

So, Was The Wait Worth It?

Mrs. Whó is a decent weekend brunch option in JB but only if you bring patience.

The food was mostly good. But the waiting time is the thing. Even when the café is not full, the food can take a long while. At least the staff told us upfront which we respect. Still, knowing you have to wait does not magically make hunger more elegant.

The space is pleasant, quiet and bright. Some seats are better than others especially if you care about back support like a normal adult. It works for a slow Saturday brunch, a relaxed catch-up or a family meal where nobody has urgent plans after.

Would we return? Yes, but not when starving. Not when rushing. Not when someone in the group starts becoming unreasonable after 20 minutes without food.

Mrs. Whó serves good brunch in a calm JB café setting. Just remember: the food may be cute but the wait is very real. If you are exploring more café spots around Johor Bahru, Soil at Taman Ekoflora is another interesting stop.