KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — It’s absolutely serendipitous how I am writing about Borneo Island Cafe for Sabah and Sarawak eats, just in time for Malaysia Day celebrations.
It started with a friend who tempted me weekly with her deep dive into Borneo Island Cafe’s extensive menu.
Like a chameleon, this eatery switches from a buzzy lunch place feeding office workers to a late night hangout place, complete with “live” music on weekends.
What rules here with many is the Mee Kolo Merah as seen on almost every table during lunch time in all of its Sunquick orange glory.
The springy egg noodles arrive piled high in a bowl topped with enticing minced pork, crispy lard croutons and red tinged char siu.
Or if you’re not a fan of the sweeter tomato sauce coating the noodles, there’s Mee Kolo Putih (RM7.90 for a small portion), a colourless version tossed with lard only and that irresistible minced meat topping.
No wonder, everyone was slurping down the noodles with a satisfying smack as these curly strands were slick with lard.
The noodles also come with soy sauce or kicap too.
Should your preference lean towards the straighter type of noodles, there’s Mee Kampua and even the rarely seen Mee Pok with its wider curly strands makes an appearance too.
Conventional beehoon, kuey teow, mee and Maggi mee are also on the menu.
Second to the noodles, the Babi 3 Layer Bakar (100 grams for RM9.90) is also a crowd favourite, supplementing your protein intake.
The grilled pork belly with its layers of fat and meat have a fluffy, crunchy skin, one cannot stop eating when dipped in the dark soy sauce with a touch of calamansi lime for a sweet-zingy dip.
Other goodies from their barbecue section include grilled pig intestines, a big-eyed grilled fish named after Malay singer Uji Rashid and Pansuh with Ayam Pencen or Ikan Jelawat, cooked in bamboo tubes.
For the weekends, Laksa Sarawak (RM8.90 for small) makes an appearance with its mildly spicy broth heavy with santan, served with a dry dark red almost blackened sambal that hides a potent chilli kick when added liberally to the broth.
What’s not often seen in the Klang Valley is their Set Linopot (RM14.90), a traditional dish of rice wrapped in a leaf served with various side dishes, typically served by the Kadazandusun in Sabah.
Borneo rice with a reddish brown colour and nutty flavour is wrapped with a large doringin leaf commonly known as simpoh ayer, which keeps the rice from going rancid.
On the side you have Basung or fried mackerel fish, Tuhau made with wild ginger and chillies, Bosou Sayur or a pickle with vegetables, Sambal Ikan Masin Lada Putih and Paku Pakis Goreng Bawang Putih.
As the Tuhau and Bosou Sayur are fermented pickles, the flavours can be quite pungent so adjust the quantities to your preference.
The menu also includes various vegetable dishes like popular Daun Ubi Goreng and Manichai Goreng Telur (RM7.90) that can be eaten on its own or fried with rice.
What’s unusual is there’s also terung dayak from Sarawak that is used for its tangy flavour in soups or stir fried with sambal like the Terung Dayak Goreng Sambal (RM9.90) that dials down it’s zingy flavour making it a pleasant vegetable with the spicy sambal.
The menu definitely deserves more exploration as they also serve gooey Ambuyat made from sago flour, a type of ceviche using jellyfish known as Umai Obor Obor, and preserved pork known as Kasam Babi.
For this week with the holidays, the cafe will be open on September 15 and 16, as they will take their break on September 17 instead of their usual Monday off-day.
Borneo Island Cafe
61, Jalan PSK 2,
Pusat Perdagangan Seri Kembangan, Seri Kembangan
Tel: 011-39391688
Open: 8am to 11pm. Closed on Monday.
Facebook: @Borneo-Island-Cafe
Instagram: @borneoislandcafe
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
