By Yvonne T
SIBU, Feb 25: In the heart of Sibu, where cars and motorcycles stream endlessly down Jalan Lanang and office workers hurry from one appointment to the next, a small café hums to a different rhythm, offering something increasingly rare in a busy town; a tropical oasis.
Step inside Payung Café and the traffic noise fades into the background. The décor evokes a beachside retreat, soothing music drifts through the air, traditional handicrafts add warmth, and greenery shields diners from the rush outside. For a moment, Jalan Lanang feels miles away, replaced by the illusion of sand and sea.
Established in 2007 by Peter Ting, the café was born from a simple love for cooking. Before aprons and ladles, Ting held scissors and combs as a hairdresser who owned a salon attached to what would eventually become his café.
“I started this café because I like to cook,” Ting told the D’Drift team, smiling at the memory. “My friends kept encouraging me. They said, since you love cooking so much, why not try?”
As a hairdresser, Ting travelled widely, including to Paris, where he found himself captivated by the food.
“I wanted something like that here,” he said. “So, I learned how to make better dishes.”
His culinary journey took him across Myanmar and Thailand, where he learned from seasoned cooks and absorbed techniques, flavours and valuable teachings. But Ting was never interested in imitation. Instead, he began collecting ideas from signature Southeast Asian dishes and carefully rework them to suit local palates.
The result is a menu that feels both familiar and refreshingly new. Among its signature creations is the Mushroom Roll, Ting’s inventive take on Shepherd’s pie wrapped in popiah skin. Crisp on the outside and rich within, the roll cradles chopped chicken and potatoes coated in a savoury mushroom sauce.
The Payung Fish is another standout, a bowl of delicately steamed catfish bathed in ginger soy sauce. Tender flesh meets the aromatic bite of deep fried ginger, creating a balance that is both homely and refined.
For those craving something hearty and rooted in tradition, Ting presents his version of the kacangma. The chicken is marinated in white wine and ginger juice, simmered into a fragrant broth and crowned with crisp ginger for an added kick.
Even the rojak carries his signature touch. Tossed in a homemade sauce and adorned with kantan flower petals, harvested from Ting’s own garden, the dish elevates a street favourite into something worthy of a fine dining table.
Freshness is a principle Ting guards closely. No MSG finds its way into his kitchen. Ingredients are sourced daily from local markets, and certain herbs and flowers come straight from his garden. Quantities are deliberately limited to ensure everything served is at its peak.
Then come the desserts, each one echoing the café’s tropical soul. From Maldives and cincau ice cream to indulgent scoops infused with Kahlua or inspired by the Blue Lagoon cocktail, finished with baked shredded coconut and peanuts, every spoonful feels like a seaside indulgence.
Pair it with a coconut or mango milkshake, and the illusion is complete.
Behind the name, Ting explained, lies a simple beginning. ‘Payung’, which means umbrella, was inspired by the two parasol umbrellas that once stood outside the café.
In the middle of Sibu’s daily rush, Ting has built not just a café, but an oasis, where time slows and conversations stretch unhurriedly from the first bite to the last sip.
– DayakDaily
