I was out with Arthur last night – planned to go to this Indonesian and Indian restaurant but unfortunately it was closed. It seems to be closed every time we want to go. Haha. Anyway, the second option was Payung Cafe in Sibu.
We both like this place for the ambiance – I’ve been there when Payung Cafe opened and it has gotten even better since then. Arthur knows the owners very well and their food is always consistently good.
Durian Shake (RM 8)
This is made with durians and you can have the ice cream version too. The waiter kindly asked me if I wanted more durians in it. Of course I said yes and the result is:
They use cooked durian flesh for this and after the addition of more it tastes better than any durian shakes I’ve ever had. The taste is so strong it qualifies as a dessert. 😀
Bumbung Soda (RM 5)
I loved Arthur’s reaction when he drank this one – he gave an involuntary shudder and said it was way too sour. Haha! It’s made with several different fruits, cucumber among them. Bumbung literally means “roof” so it’s apt that Arthur hit the roof (in a way) after sipping it.
Garlic Bread ( RM 8)
This is a great appetizer – the garlic bread is fresh and goes very well with the chicken dip that’s served on the side. The chicken has bits of meat inside and it’s creamy and a perfect match for the warm garlic bread.
Bangladesh Curry Lamb (RM 17)
I had this before and I quite liked it. It’s Arthur’s order and they’re quite generous with the portions, probably coz of what he commented last time. 😉
There’s a huge chunk of lamb inside too, it takes a concerted effort to pry it apart but I like lamb meat with lots of tendons.
Assam Chicken (RM 16)
This is what I opted for – it’s not too bad, tastes a little bit like the belimbing prawn pasta but that’s where the similarities end. I thought it was okay too but then I was quite hungry at this point.
Otak-otak (RM 12)
They make this in-house every day and it’s spicy as hell. Lovely stuff though, a must-order if you’re in Payung.
Chinese New Year fruit cake (RM 75 per loaf)
They gave this free of charge to us – it’s quite tasty, and different from the dry and tough as nails fruitcakes that you can use to clobber people and kidnap them. Payung Cafe’s CNY fruit cake is steamed and it’s soft and moist. Different, but I though it was nice.
It’s an awesome dinner as always, good company and great times! 😀
You mean completely sour? Not even a taste of sugar to balance the acidity out? Whoa, no wonder Arthur shuddered after taking a sip.
I presume it is a healthy drink then. =)
The Payung otak-otak surely resembles the Muar version and it should pack more punch than the latter. The latter is spicy, but it has wayyy too much salt in it.
Haha! I guess it’s slightly more sour than usual – I mean, I would shudder at ice lemon tea too, at most places actually.
I’m not cut out for sour drinks either.
It is however, a pretty healthy drink.
Yup, that’s the best thing about the Payung otak-otak – made fresh and it’s really, really spicy. Good stuff! 🙂
…and all this while, I’ve been saying that fat people don’t like sour things. Guess that’s a broad generalisation…seeing that you are not into such stuff too. Blerk! I’d better stick to their very nice pineapple & ginger soda. Will not order that again! LOL!!!
Haha! I think it’s been scientifically shown that *most* guys don’t like sour stuff.
They tend to prefer salty stuff.
Yup, the pineapple and ginger soda is pretty good. 🙂
the first choice, the restaurant that was closed … it specializes in BOTH indian and indonesian food? that sounds like it’d be an interesting mix … could theoretically order some gado-gado for starters and eat it with indian raita, followed by a double-fowl whammy of ayam penyet and chicken tikka masala? and then es teler and kulfi for dessert! 😀
Yeah, I’ve not managed to go there yet since everytime I wanted to go, it was closed.
We were left pondering if it’s closed for good.
The restaurant plays on the “In” syllable that’s shared by Indonesia and Indian food.
I thought it was a great concept, with chefs from both places (Indonesia and India) but I’ve not had the chance to eat there yet. I’m sure I will though, considering it’s still a couple of more days since CNY. 😀
Will find out and see whether we can drop by one of these days while you’re still in town.
Yeah, that’ll be great! I’ve always wondered how that place would taste like! 🙂
Thanks for the dinner, Huai Bin. Always enjoy your company. My post on this is scheduled for tomorrow. Eyewwwww….that photo! You certainly caught me in an awkward position/moment.LOL!!! Hmmmm…your photo of the lanterns is nicer than mine… 😉
No worries buddy! 🙂
The pleasure is mine! It’s always good catching up with you.
Haha! Well, I warned you I was going to take a photo. 😉
I thought you look nice and happy in that one.
See you soon Arthur! 😀
LOL!!! Always happy with good food and great company! 😉
Oooh next time if I go to Sibu, must come here to makan!
Any idea on why is it called Payung Cafe?
Yeah, it’s one of the best places to eat in Sibu at night. 🙂
The place is situated well, there’s no air conditioning but it’s beside a lane that channels wind down so it’s all nice and cool outside.
Payung Cafe – good question, I’ve always thought it was coz of the umbrellas on display at the roof and the concept of getting all cuisines around the area under one roof. 😀
Normally, I would not touch otak otak but assuring me that Payung Cafe serves the best otak-otak,I had my first bite. Yummmmssss…I will only buy Payung’s otak-otak.ehhehhehhe
Yeah, it’s pretty good eh? 🙂
A far cry from the mass produced otak otak you can see elsewhere.
It’s plenty spicy though (at least for Sibu palates – Foochows are “known” – at least that’s the generalization – to have sensitive palates with regards to spicy food).
Thanks for the ang pow Yee Ling! That’s very thoughtful of you! 😀
Good to see you home spending time with family and friends HB. Looking forward to your annual CNY fire cracker posts! 🙂
Yup! I’ve been spending a lot of time at home now that all my family is back. 🙂
I’ll start to write about the fireworks and firecrackers tomorrow!
Actually today, since it’s past midnight. It’s been raining all the while so I haven’t had a chance to dry them out yet. I’ve set my alarm for the hottest time of the day – just need about 30 minutes outside for any moisture during transportation and storage in the flashpowder to evaporate.
Cheers bro! 😀
wow.. having a feast with Arthur! Sorry for the lack of comments these two weeks as I was in London. Lots of catching up to do on your posts~!
Yup! It’s good to meet up with him again! 🙂
London! How nice!
Good to have you back Eiling and happy CNY! 😀
Hmm…the otak otak looks good. And what a great decor….it’s super chinese..
Yup, the otak otak is perhaps one of the signature dishes of this place. Authentic and they make it themselves. 🙂
The decor doesn’t look like this normally, it’s very chill and subdued.
It’s just been CNY-ed up. Haha!
Happy CNY! 😀