No trip to Sibu would be complete if you do not drop by here…
…and on his second day here, Nick took a bus to Sarikei in the hope of enjoying the celebrated giant freshwater noodles there but the place was closed and without that, there wasn’t really much there for someone going around on his own without a car and nobody to take him around and all.
He got back here at around 4.00 p.m. mid-afternoon and I took him here for the Sarawak laksa but it was sold out…and then, I took him here for the prawn noodles since he did not get to enjoy the one in Sarikei but the shop wasn’t open either.
I did not intend to come here initially as I knew they would be very busy at that point in time getting ready for their special Valentine’s Day buffet dinner that night but I decided to stop by, nonetheless…
…considering that with the limited time Nick would be in town, we might not get the chance to do so. If I did not have my commitments that night, I certainly would have brought him here to enjoy all that they had to offer in their Valentine’s Day special – 20 different dishes for only RM50.00 per head.
Peter, the nice boss, was kind enough to welcome us – there were others who came while we were there and they were nicely informed that they could come back for the buffet dinner starting at 6.30 p.m. should they choose to do so.
Nick loved the Payung rojak…
…but between the two, he liked the pomelo salad…
…more – so nice and refreshing with the delightful fragrance of the herbs and leaves in it, he said…and very unique, not something one can easily find elsewhere.
He got to try the buah pakan/pakon, the wild durian, in Sarikei but being a true-blue lover of durian, he did not enjoy it so much. He said it was a little too mild in taste and smell compared to the real thing but he did enjoy the durian ice cream…
…that we had here for dessert.
He did not get the chance to try a lot of the stuff here as I did not want to order anything that was not so convenient for Peter and his guys to prepare and serve but he thought the mushroom roll…
…was really very nice and he loved the Payung otak-otak…
…which was extra spicy that day and yes, like my missus and I, he is into things spicy so he did not have a problem with that.
That was all we had that day – all the rest would have to wait till the next time he decides to hop over to Sibu again though I wonder when that will be. After that, I dropped him off at the pasar malam (night market) in the hope that more stalls would be open as unlike the previous evening, the weather was fine that evening.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I am getting hungry looking at your photos. 🙂 I hope you have a great weekend.
No chicken today – I know you love chicken. I was eager to get him to try the fish (otak otak) – they have three other versions in the mainland where he came from but I feel the one we have here is the nicest.
Ooppss!!…wrong timing for Nick to hop to Sarikei. On the other hand he was lucky enough to get to savour some of Payung yummy dishes. All looks so good. Hope he makes a come back soon to try out what he has missed this time round.
Yes, at least, he did get to try a few of the nice things on the menu here at Payung. Dunno if he will ever come again – I guess it’s the same with the rest of us. Most places, we would just go once and much as we would like to, we never get to go back.
Nick didn’t try the famous steamed cakes from Sarawak eg Moss cake etc. Or is this in the next post?
The kek lapis and stuff? No, that is more Kuching than Sibu actually even though we can get some very good ones quite easily here and anyway, we did not have the luxury of time…plus he was always saying that he was full…and growing fat. Young people mah…jaga badan (take care of body).
payung cafe. will keep in mind, if, if if if i ever have a chance to travel to sibu.. 🙂
What’s holding you back? Come, pick a long weekend, throw in an off day or two – you’ll be glad you do that, worth hopping over – direct from KL, no hassle at all. No direct flights from Penang, unfortunately…just to Kuching and do avoid school holidays and festivals like Raya, Gawai and Chinese New Year. Air fares would be mighty expensive during these peak periods.
It all looks so delicious.
Everything’s good here and not stuff you can get all over – the boss would eat something in another country and upon coming back, he would try and create his own and some are our local favourites, maybe modified a bit and usually for the better.
Indeed you are right! Never leave Sibu without the Payung… LOL… Good choices there too… must order dishes and desserts such as these…
…and lots lots more. That was why I thought going for the buffet would be a good idea, sekaligus try all but Nick was not all that keen. Perhaps he did not fancy the idea of being left there alone to eat on his own.
Hi STP,
Do u know which supermarket/ shop in Sibu to go for Liza’s masak hitam paste? I want to buy some to bring to KL. Thanks
Go to the grocery stores/shops in the Dewan Suarah (Civic Centre) area – beside SMK/SRJK Tung Hua – there is one where some old lady is selling vegetables and stuff at the back entrance, I think she sells kelapa parut (grated coconut) too. They do stock up on Liza’s products. The one around two doors away (nearer to Grace Cafe/the market) may have it too.
Oh yeah, I remembered that you wrote about Payung Cafe sometime ago. The durian ice-cream looks delicious – I wonder if I can find it in Gelatissimo when the semester resumes.
Geez, the otak-otak makes me miss the one from Muar.
I’ve tried the otak otak from Muar, and Penang and the ones wrapped in some kind of leaves…and this one. Needless to say, in my opinion, those do not come anywhere near this one. Maybe I should blog about the four types, dunno if there is any more.
I’ve blogged about Payung a thousand and one times – you probably missed many of them.
Durian gelato? Hmmmm…I wonder if they have that at that gelato place here.
No trip to Sibu is complete without taking picture with Sibu Food Mayor, it’s a must to take picture with Sibu Food Mayor…
Pity he did not get to enjoy the famous noodle in Sarikei. Glad he had chance to visit and tried Payung Cafe.
Ah yes, a trip to Sibu will not be complete without dropping by Payung Cafe. I actually told a friend of mine to drop by Payung Cafe when he was in Sibu late last year and he actually did 🙂
I hope he likes it. A Singapore friend went and she was praising everything to the skies, the food especially. Next time, any friend coming this way, feel free to give my contact – would love to take him or her around.