Special thanks to J-dog House & Cafe for extending this food review invitation.
J-dog House & Cafe is a restaurant on the second floor of Arena Curve, Bayan Baru. The shop faces D’Piazza Mall and is within a short walking distance from Olive Tree Hotel and SPICE Arena.
This pet themed eatery combines a standard café with a petting zoo. The proprietor has several pet dogs that attracted celebrity interest. He started this business in early 2016 to allow fans to meet his dogs on regular basis. The main dining section is dog-free, but customers who are seated here can still view the petting zoo through windows on the side.
Let’s start the review with food and then move on to canine. For appetizers, the bowl of Mushroom Soup (RM9.90) is prepared from actual mushrooms; not from powder or cans.
Chicken Caesar Salad (RM15.90) is dressed in sweet-tangy barbecue sauce. Grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes and fried eggs are served over a bed of Romaine lettuce. Meanwhile, Mushroom Carbonara (RM21.90) relies on creamy carbonara sauce to bring spaghetti, shiitake mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms together.
As for poultry, Chicken Chop (RM18.90) centers on a piece of deep-fried chicken chop with Hainanese sauce. The gravy also contains carrot and potato cubes. Curly fries and vegetables are presented on the side.
Meanwhile, Pan Fried Fish Fillet (RM21.90) is dressed in cheese sauce and a twist of lemon for the acidic taste. Almond flakes provide a certain degree of crispiness. Like the previous dish, the fish fillet also comes with curly fries and vegetables.
Moving on to drinks, Rose Latte (RM12.90) is a hot drink made from espresso and milk. The coffee is also laced with rose syrup primarily for the floral aroma.
Freddo is a unique way to serve coffee – chilled but ice-free. This drink was popularized in Greece and is especially popular during summer. This mug of Mocha Frado (RM13.90) takes advantage of rich chocolate taste to appeal to cocoa lovers. Meanwhile, the chocolate foam on top acts as a heat insulator to the liquid drink below.
Should customers prefer a sweet chocolate drink with slushy consistency, the Ice-Blended Chocolate (RM16.90) plays this role. For visual appeal, the drink is topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips.
Iced Matcha Latte (RM14.90) is prepared from matcha powder, milk and sugar. I personally prefer matcha latte to be served hot in order to appreciate its bitter aftertaste.
Examples of other items on J-dog’s menu are croissants, sandwiches, cakes and fruit juices. The food at J-dog is entirely pork-free.
J-dog’s petting zoo is the main attraction for most people. Most customers do not have dogs of their own. Therefore, J-dog provides an avenue for people to interact with animals. Dog owners are also welcomed to allow their pets to socialize with the resident dogs here.
J-dog currently has more than 20 dogs of its own, but the dogs take turns to appear in the petting zoo. All resident dogs have names that start with the letter “J”.
For instance, Jerry the Samoyed is the patriarch of the pack. Meanwhile, Siberian Huskies Jillian and Jinny are inseparable as these siblings have been growing up together.
The dogs in the petting zoo are very sociable as they have been exposed to people since birth. As tempting as it is, please do not feed dogs with human food as they may become very ill. Instead, customers may purchase dog treats from the staff.
Besides the restaurant-cum-petting zoo, J-dog has a separate pet shop several units away. The back section of the pet shop is a boarding kennel – ideal for dog owners who need to leave their pets for several days. J-dog also provides dog grooming, training and breeding services.
Name: J-dog House & Cafe
Address: 72-2-33A, Arena Curve, Jalan Mahsuri, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-611-9903
Business hours: 10:00am-10:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/jdoghousecafe
Coordinates: 5.32580 N, 100.28115 E
Directions: J-dog is located on Level 2 of Arena Curve in Bayan Baru. The restaurant is across Persiaran Mahsuri from D’Piazza Mall. There are parking spaces around Arena Curve.
