restaurant review

from Breeze #173 - The Culture Issue

CRISPY CALAMARI Food

THE NATIVE CAFE: IT SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR

When you think of native or cultural food, where does your mind usually wander? The usual suspects of where to find them are during celebratory events in villages (or the suburbs of the Kadazan-Dusun community), cultural festivals, tamus (local markets), or even hidden gems in obscure shop lots around town. You would never think of finding hotels that primarily serve traditional food in their restaurant often, if any at all. Then there’s The Native Cafe, who make it their mission to introduce the wonders of our traditional meals to an international crowd.

Sandra Paut, from Sipitang, is the director who leads The Native Cafe. With prior experience in a corporate setting, Sandra’s vision for the future is to bring Sabahan cuisine to an international audience, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of her homeland. Passionate about traditional Sabah food, she takes pride in representing her roots and aims to make it widely known, particularly to tourists. Sandra’s journey began years ago, and she is delighted to share the flavours that define her comfort zone and upbringing with the world.

The Native Cafe first opened their doors to diners earlier this January at the lobby of Hotel N°5 in Penampang. The outlet is spacious and cosy, having a fusion of modern and traditional vibe to it. Part of this comes from the beautiful wall of wood with an intricately carved mix-match of traditional patterns. All of this is topped off by a graceful sunshine shining into the outlet.

The fusion of modern and traditional doesn’t stop there, as they balance the two in their meals as well. The Native Cafe comes from a passion to bring traditional food to another level, hence why they’re targeting the international crowd at Hotel N°5. Their ingredients are all local as well, while all their side dishes are homemade. However, it isn’t all about taste at the end of the day, as telling the history of the food to tourists and such is also an important part of the process. Not only will diners be familiar with the taste, but they’ll also learn a thing or two about Sabahan culture too.

Starting off with their main Nantung/Ambuyat set, which comes with a few condiments along with your choice of protein and Pinasakan soup (tumeric soup). We had the chance to try it out with the Sada Basungan Guring (fried sardine). The condiments include Tuhau (pickled wild ginger), Bambangan (pickled wild mango), Losun (stir fried chives), Ikan Masin (salted fish), salted eggs, Hinava (raw fish salad), and Ulam.

All these condiments have their own distinct flavours, yet they pair so well with the Ambuyat and with each other. Ambuyat, which is a starchy and sticky sago dish, is bland on its own. But dip it in the Pinasakan soup or pair it with any of the condiments, you’ll immediately taste an explosion of flavours. You’ll get the sourness and hints of spice from the soup, Tuhau, Hinava, and Bambangan, the saltiness of the Ikan Masin and salted eggs, plus the savouriness of the Losun and the Sada Basungan Guring. All of which complement each other perfectly.

It’s much the same with the Linopot set, which has the same condiments as the Ambuyat set. The only difference is the Linopot itself substituting the Ambuyat. Linopot is a rice dish that’s wrapped up in a leaf, which was how people used to tapau their lunch in the old days. The Native Cafe uses brown Bario rice for their Linopot, which is very soft. The Losun and the Sada Basungan Guring give both the Linopot and Ambuyat crispy and crunchy textures as well.

Moving on to one of their signature dishes, the Tuhau Oxtail Assam Pedas is like a classic sweet and spicy oxtail dish you can find anywhere. However, the thing that separates it from the rest is the use of tuhau instead of regular ginger. You can definitely taste the kick of the tuhau as soon as you put it in your mouth, which is a very welcome surprise. The meat is very tender, which simply slides off the bone, while the fats just melt in your mouth, also creamy in a sense. I recommend slathering your rice with the gravy from this dish as well. Honestly, my favourite dish out of the bunch.

If you’re hankering for seafood, The Native Cafe has got that covered for you with their Sambal Udang Petai. It’s prawns cooked in a bitter bean sambal. The prawns are very fresh and they’ve made it easier for you to peel the skin off. The prawns have a smoky aftertaste to it while the sambal gives it that extra bit of a kick. You can definitely taste the spice but it doesn’t overpower the other flavours of this dish. One acquired taste is the Petai, which is of course bitter when you bite it on its own. However, just like the spice, you only taste a hint of that bitterness when you eat it with the prawn.

Speaking of acquired tastes, here’s where things get interesting. The Native Cafe also serves Butod (sago larvae) either fresh, fried, or as toppings on your pizza. We tried the pizza and it tasted like any pizza out there, not in a bad way. When baked, the Butod tastes like shrimp or prawns. If you’ve had either with the skin still on, that’s exactly what you can expect the Butod to taste like. Remember not to eat its head though.

For all you guys craving for traditional food from home, The Native Cafe is certainly the place to satisfy that craving in the city. For tourists wanting a taste of what Sabah has to offer, we definitely recommend stopping by The Native Cafe.