RESTAURANT REVIEW

restaurant review TEMPURUNG CAFÉ: DELICIOUSLY AFFORDABLE

Ilike being pleasantly surprised by food and I must say, I sure was at Tempurung Café. No wonder I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback and recommendations for this little eatery even before they moved to their new found home at Central Plaza.

When I got there, I was greeted by the warm and bubbly coowner, Beverley Chow. Beverley has been immersed in the world of food from such a young age where she got her start selling nasi lemak prepared by her mother while in primary school. Therein began her love for cooking and food where, to date, she continues to experiment with new creations, combinations and flavours.

In 2010, Beverley started an online catering and baking business and 9 years later joined her sister in what is now Tempurung Café. Tempurung Café’s humble beginnings, the yummy Tempurung Ice Cream, gained swift popularity in local markets such as the Jesselton Artisan Market, and later opened a small outlet at Gaya Street. As they expanded in space and menu, the

by Adelina Adna Images | Srap

sisters saw an opportunity to embark on the endeavour together at Lido Four Seasons Condominium, offering not only their famous coconut ice cream but also specialty menu items based off of it as well as various delicious meals.

Now at Central Plaza, Tempurung Café continues to attract new and returning customers. After tasting the spread in front of us, I can understand why.

The first dish we attacked were the TIC Signature Waffles. The waffles came with a scoop of their signature coconut ice cream and respectively a drizzle of chocolate and gula melaka. So good! The waffles had the right amount of crisp and flavour, and the ice cream and drizzles complemented the waffles well.

Next, I couldn’t resist one of their best sellers, Creamy Butter Chicken, a dish with fried coated boneless chicken morsels in a creamy butter sauce served with rice. This dish definitely did not disappoint and I am personally coming back to have more of this. The texture and flavour are just so beautifully balanced, it’s one of the best I’ve tried here in KK.

We also had the pleasure of sampling their Daily Special, Grilled Chicken and Pesto Spaghetti. Their in-house pesto recipe starring celery and parsley was well seasoned and super tasty! Truly a unique take on the classic pesto recipe.

For burger lovers, there’s the Farmyard Special Burger which consists of a layer of fried chicken, fried egg and beef patty held together with a soft bun, cheese, onions and greens. The dish is served with V-cut potatoes. Our tummies were having a feast!

Our next dish was the Meat-a-Saurus pizza, a thin crust pizza topped with pepperoni, beef sausage, beef bacon, chicken ham, olives, onions, cheeses and a tomato base. This is a great snack for hanging out with friends too!

We were recommended by some of their loyal customers to try the Banana Pineapple smoothie, made with yet again their Tempurung Ice Cream. Normally I would stay away from banana smoothies because they can be way too rich for my liking but I’m glad we gave this a go because it is completely not what I had expected. The slight tang from the pineapple cuts through the creaminess of the banana smoothie resulting in a light refreshing delectable drink that I highly recommend you try at least once.

I picked the brain behind the smoothies, David, who spoke passionately about creating a menu item that incorporated not only their signature coconut ice cream, but also local flavours including Pineapple, Coffee, Watermelon, Banana and Ginger Kalamansi. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to boba tea, why not give their smoothies a go?

TIC SIGNATURE WAFFLES

Even though we pretty much had desserts as appetizers, that did not stop us from satiating our dessert quota one more time with cakes. Baked by Beverley herself, we sampled their red velvet and carrot cakes. The red velvet cake had a lovely texture and a

CARROT CAKES

RED VELVET CREAMY BUTTER CHICKEN

MEAT-A-SAURUS PIZZA

FARMYARD SPRECIAL BURGER

GRILLED CHICKEN AND PESTO SPAGHETTI

raspberry cream cheese frosting that elevated the humble cake to a new level. The carrot cake was oh-so-yummy too! These simple cakes just made my day.

With a generous and affordable menu, you’re bound to find a dish that piques your palate. Some of their best sellers apart from the Creamy Butter Chicken are Grilled Chicken, Nasi Goreng Kampung, and Nasi Lemak. Craving IKEA meatballs? Drop by and order a plate of their Spaghetti Meatballs to satisfy those cravings.

Beverley insists on the kitchen being a happy place and she promotes a positive environment for her other cooks and kitchen staff. She believes that when you’re cooking happy, the food served will radiate that energy to the customers as well.

I can’t wait to come back and try other items on their menu. Care to join me?

ADDRESS : Tempurung Café, Central Plaza, Kepayan Ridge, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Business Hours: 8.30 AM - 4.00 PM | TUESDAY - SUNDAY

Also available for catering

Facebook/Instagram: @tempurungicecream