My
first dining experience at KaMe by Flow was just a month after it opened in
July 2026. Proof that its reputation had spread like wildfire was in the
spacious dining hall that was crowded with diners, enjoying a leisurely lunch.
Social
media was abuzz with posts about this café. My interest was piqued when an
alumnae of the Johor Bahru Convent School urged fellow alumni to go for a taste
at KaMe also because she said, the café owner had a link to our alma mater. 
Facade of KaMe by Flow at Jalan Chengai,
Melodies Garden, Johor Bahru
As
a subtle hum prevailed through the soothing music playlist, I observed that the
café owner – that must be her – was going from table to table, chatting with
diners.
When
she arrived at our table, I introduced myself to a co-owner and Pastry Chef, Jacqueline
Oh better known as Jacq. She was gracious to offer us a taste of her
freshly-baked sweet and savoury pastries, with her best compliments.
And
as we savoured the shared portions of a platter of signature Spinach Ricotta Pain
Suisse (Swiss Bread), Pineapple Danish and croissant topped with almond
flakes, my friends and I agreed that we should come back again to taste more
from their range of pastries and menu items.
Creative decor that spells,
KaMe in a croissant motif
For
my next visit, I arranged to meet Jacq at off-peak hours with Ally, a mutual
friend and a family friend of Jacq since their childhood, when they were
Primary schoolmates in the Johor Bahru Convent School. This time, Jacq was able
to sit down for a chit-chat to share with me, a little about her journey to
creating KaMe by Flow.
I
listened to Jacq as her story unfolded, interrupting her only to clarify
certain points and to better understand the chronology of exciting events that
spanned from Penang to Johor Bahru and Singapore, and onward to Melbourne and
Sydney in Australia before coming full circle, back to Johor Bahru.
For
a start, I learnt that KaMe simply means “us” in classical Malay. She
said it was all about “us” – how the café was curating a range of food and
sharing it with diners. Good food, good music, good ambiance and a good vibe in
a rhythm of life that flows together. And this was how the group’s name, Flow,
came into being.
With
her father’s job transfer from Penang to Johor Bahru, Jacq was just a year old
when she arrived here. Growing up with Penang Hokkien culinary roots where her
mother’s skills in making bak chang, savory glutinous rice dumplings,
and ang ku kueh, red tortoise cake, were simply top-class, Jacq learnt the
basics about how quality ingredients created superior tasting dishes. 
Jacq and I in a candid shot by Ally
After
leaving Primary School in Johor Bahru, Jacq completed her Secondary School in
Singapore. Armed with a passion to enter the Food & Beverage industry, she joined
Shatec, the Singapore Hotel Association Training and Education Centre.
While
this appeared to be her first step in her journey into the F&B world, it
was suddenly interrupted by an unfortunate setback when Jacq suffered a slipped
disc.
Her
relieve and recovery after spinal surgery gave her a fresh impetus to continue
her journey in F&B and in 2010, she headed to Kuala Lumpur to work and
acquire skills in baking. In two years, Jacq proved to be a competent baker but
she was determined to hone her skills with formal training and to specialize in
making pastry.
Spinach and Ricotta in a cut-up Pain Suisse
Encouraged
by her baking mentor, in 2012 Jacq registered to train with Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney,
Australia, and earned her Degree in Patisserie specializing in pastries, cakes
and other baked products.
After
a job attachment with Devon Café which thrives with a casual café culture in
Sydney, Jacq immersed herself into the local café scene and carved out a
comfortable career in F&B working as a Pastry Chef, both in Sydney and
Melbourne.
Everything
was going well for Jacq until 2019 when she suffered yet another painful slipped
disc incident which rendered her physically immobile due to the acute pain.
A serving of Fried Tamago
with Unagi for starters and
[Background] Creamy Miso
Mushroom Spags
While
the pain was familiar, this next setback was much worse than that which she
first felt at age 17. Jacq was understandably reluctant to leave the vibrant Australian
café scene but in such a helpless health condition, she had no alternative and was
compelled to return to Johor to seek medical treatment.
After
undergoing her second spinal surgery, this was followed by a very sad and
depressing season of rehabilitation and recovery, filled with uncertainty on
whether she would ever regain the zest for life and pursuit of success in her
F&B journey.
As
the economy gradually reopened after the global pandemic, Jacq applied her
baking skills to supply seasonal goodies like Chinese New Year cakes and
cookies, Shanghai Mooncakes and ang ku kueh made in 24 flavours, from a
baking studio.
Jacq
attributes her miraculous recovery to the support she received from her parents
and friends in Johor, who encouraged her to literally, get back on her feet, to
pursue her career in F&B. 
Whole Chicken Leg in Truffle Sauce
with a side of mash and mixed vegetables
She
and her partner, Dawn Tan, often talked about opening a cosy café but it was
just wishful thinking until one day when their group of friends met for chats
over coffee. In the course of conversation, the topic moved to talking about a
partnership in opening a café. After that heated discussion, three months
passed quietly.
Then
Jacq received a phone call from their friends who wanted to follow up on that conversation.
When they sat down together again, they reached an amicable agreement and wasted
no time in starting to look for a suitable place for the café.
When
they saw this property at Jalan Chengai in Melodies Garden, they could
visualize the image of the café and building renovations started soon after. 
Shakshouka with Focca
While
renovations were in progress, they made good use of the time to source for
furniture and fittings for the café and kitchen, while carrying out Research
& Development to curate the items for their menu.
As
the café gradually took shape, Jacq and Dawn realized then, that it was no
longer wishful thinking but hard work ahead, with total commitment to the café
operations.
Speaking
of renovations, Jacq was pleased to say that KaMe has separate staff and
customer restrooms, and made one cubicle user-friendly for the elderly and
physically challenged customers. Her consideration for these people, I believe,
came from her own experience of needing help for what we often take for
granted.
Blend of fruit and berries infusion
by Tea Drop
I
have yet to taste the items on the menu but just listening to Jacq’s brave
journey to recovery from two spinal surgeries was such an encouragement and
inspiration to me and others who have experienced challenges, both physical and
emotional.
Throughout
our chat, diners were arriving and being served, but Jacq was wise to set aside
a few pastries for us – before they were sold out.
The
platter served to us had two signature pastries, Spinach Ricotta Pain Suisse
and Strawberry Tomato Danish, while the other two, Pineapple Curd Bomboloni and
Triple Chocolate Pain Suisse, were very popular choices.
A
range of pastries like danish, donuts, croissants, madeleines and choux
pastries were baked daily, most ready by opening time, while additional items
like brioche, baguette and sourdough breads were available only on weekends. 
Pastries to enjoy with freshly brewed coffee
[L to R] Signature Spinach Ricotta Pain Suisse,
Triple Chocolate Pain Suisse,
Signature Strawberry Tomato Danish
and Pineapple Curd Bomboloni
She
was pleased to share that their menu will be revised from time to time and very
soon, the range of bakes will include butter cakes, orange cakes, sugee
cakes, chocolate-banana cakes, cookies and scones.
Jacq
was proud to say that they use premium quality ingredients and made jams, curds
and creams from scratch (nothing store-bought!) and even make their own ricotta
cheese.
The
KaMe concept puts “people” as a priority and by using Halal-certified
suppliers, a wider community of customers will feel comfortable to dine and get
pastries here.
Seated
in the dining hall that featured floor-to-ceiling glass windows where natural
light poured in on wooden furniture, live potted greenery and shades of Green
(Jacq’s favourite colour!) the décor, music and menu served, blended well to
exude what we deem as a cool Aussie vibe.
As
the dishes were served, Jacq was pleased to share that their serving of Fried Tamago
with Unagi, topped with pickled shallots, spicy yuzu mayo and gerkhins, was
inspired from her trip to Osaka, Japan. 
Jacqueline Oh [Right]
with Dawn Tan at KaMe by Flow
Another
popular item was, Creamy Miso Mushroom Spags, spaghetti tossed in miso,
mushrooms, broccoli and slivers of almonds, topped with a poached egg. First,
the spaghetti must be properly tossed in the creamy egg and gravy and then with
each bite, I can taste the different textures along with the crunchy almond
slivers.
When
the dish of Whole Chicken Leg in Truffle Sauce with a side of mash and mixed
vegetables was served, I observed that the chicken was thoughtfully cut into
three portions to share among us. [The chicken was usually served, cut into
two!]
We
kept the Shakshouka with Focca, to the last item for tasting due to its
stronger flavour. The simmering poached eggs in spicy sauce of tomatoes,
parmesan, olive oil, peppers, dotted with edamame, was served with a stick of
focaccia bread.
I
thought there was no better way to appreciate this dish than to use my fingers
to crack the stick of bread and dunk it in the rich gravy before savouring each
mouthful.
To
end our meal, Jacq introduced a range of fruit and flower teas by Tea Drop.
Just when I thought that we already had plenty to taste that afternoon, a
platter of warm madeleines was served. Then Jacq casually announced that they
were Orange Madeleines and it took eight (8!) days to prepare.
Madeleine
connoisseurs will understand that preparation of the orange juice that flavours
the madeleines would take such time and the best baked ones must have that
little hump on each shell-shaped, sponge cookie-cake.
Orange Madeleines that took eight days to make!
As
our time together ended sweetly, Jacq mentioned that KaMe was open to
collaborations and this season, a little corner of creativity was assigned to
Bloom & Brush by local artist, Joanna Khoo.
KaMe
by Flow café is at No. 53, Jalan Chengai, Taman Melodies, 80250 Johor Bahru,
Johor. [No pork products are used in the kitchen and bakery.]
Open
daily from 10am to 7pm from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 7pm on Saturday and
Sunday. Last food order latest by 6.15pm. For enquiries and reservations, Tel:
+6010 – 283 8353.
For
updates, check out KaMe official pages on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and Tik
Tok.
