In honour of Ramadan, Kampung Santubong’s Cafe Tapok has prepared a variety of mouthwatering dishes for its customers to savour, in addition to the meals that South Korean actor Yoo Seung Ho enjoyed while filming “Off The Grid”.
Enjoy delicious food, admire the scenery
This eatery made headlines earlier this year when Yoo Seung Ho, a South Korean actor, ate there for lunch while filming “Off The Grid” for the South Korean Discovery Channel.
During the filming, Yoo was seen enjoying his meals — the Bakso Super Special and also the Asam Pedas Ikan Siakap.
Cafe Tapok, which is located in Kampung Santubong, is already well-known to many due to its reasonable prices and delicious food, as well as the grandeur of its environment with the majestic Mount Santubong in the background.
Apart from that, the majority of their clients were seen posting complimentary remarks on their various social media platforms, indicating that they were happy with the food’s quality and quantity.
What’s interesting is that Cafe Tapok has created a number of delectable menus for their patrons to savour during the month of Ramadan.
Its owner, Nurazalina Rajiie, when met, said that only during the fasting month customers can taste their mouthwatering Sambal Udang Petai, Sotong Goreng Tepung, Sambal Asam, Petai Goreng Ikan Bilis, and Kerabu Obor-Obor dishes.
“Apart from the new menus, we also still serve our existing menus, including our best sellers Nasi Goreng Petai, Asam Pedas Ikan Merah, and Siakap Stim, in addition to other foods such as Bakso, Ayam Penyet, Tom Yum, various types of seafood and fried dishes, and much more.
“As I am the main cook, I can guarantee that the meals at Cafe Tapok are absolutely finger-licking good and will fill you up, as I place great importance on quality over quantity (although you will still receive a sizeable plate of food),” she said.
Elaborating, the 41-year-old said that since the number of cooks (herself and her family members) is limited, she encouraged customers to make reservations in advance, especially during this fasting month, to prevent long waits or, more regrettably, receiving food after the time for breaking fast.
In response to a question about the price of her food, Nurazalina said that diners should not be worried because she keeps the pricing reasonable as she wants everyone to be able to enjoy her food.
She added that the location of her diner, which is just behind her house, is also a huge plus for her because it spares her the expense of paying rent and facilitates the sale of food at a very competitive price.
“Alhamdulillah, from being just known to the local villagers, Cafe Tapok is now gaining popularity and consistently winning over patrons looking for a tranquil and laid-back dining experience.
“Moreover, after the South Korean actor Yoo Seung Ho chose my restaurant as his lunch spot while filming ‘Off The Grid’, it has simultaneously elevated Kampung Santubong as one of the must-visit destinations in Kuching.
“I am very grateful to all the customers who are never tired of supporting and always trust Cafe Tapok as one of their preferred eateries,” she said, adding that apart from locals, her customers also included local and foreign tourists who were brought by local travel agencies.
In the meantime, Nurazalina said that she remembers starting her restaurant under the name Santubong Bakso in early 2020.
Tuah ayam nampak dikaki, tuah manusia siapa yang tahu (you can tell the fate of the rooster from its claws, but not so for human beings) — that is what happened to Nurazalina when the whole world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the federal government to implement the movement control order (MCO) around March of the same year — and requiring her to close her stall as well.
“My fledgling business was hit hard by COVID-19 — it was a huge blow to me and, I believe, to those in the food business as well.
“Nonetheless, I am very grateful to have friends (from the village) who are very supportive; since the MCO did not allow any movement out of the village, my friends and I would sit and hang out at my house every night.
“I still remember that we sat one metre away from each other and were wearing face masks because we were so terrified of the deadly virus, which seemed to have no cure at that time,” she recalled.
Elaborating, Nurazalina, who is also a cancer survivor, said that as they were hanging out, one of her friends one day suggested that rather than just hanging out empty, why don’t I serve food to them and they will pay for it to help cover my income?
“Alhamdulillah, the idea really allowed me to make some money.
“Since my restaurant is located at the back of my house, we called it Cafe Tapok (tapok in Sarawak Malay means hidden), and the name has stuck to this day.
“After the MCO is relaxed in 2021, I have also decided to rename my eatery from Santubong Bakso to Cafe Tapok, because the name is more unique and relatable,” she said.
She added that, in addition to COVID-19, one of the challenges she has is when customers must wait a long time for their food to arrive at their table.
According to her, she and her coworkers consistently work to fix all of their flaws in order to ensure that customers are happy with their food and services.
Speaking of her future plans, the businesswoman said she plans to renovate and enlarge her stall in addition to occasionally adding different types of cuisine to attract people.
Nurazalina said she did not want to add too much to the menu at once since the main cook is herself and her other family members will only cook fried food.
“We have also expanded the parking area in order to make it easier for customers to park their vehicles, which were previously parked on the side of the road — I must admit that this is somewhat upsetting to the villagers.
“For those who want to visit Cafe Tapok for the first time, I suggest getting in touch with us so that we can guide you on how to get here (since the location is quite hidden) and where to find a suitable place to park your vehicle,” she said, adding that apart from being a normal diner, Cafe Tapok is also a great spot for small families or friends to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries.
Meanwhile, those who want to experience the scrumptiousness of the cuisine at Cafe Tapok can contact Nurazalina directly at 011-31057117.
The public is also encouraged to contact her for early booking purposes throughout the month of Ramadan to avoid any delay in orders.
To see the menus offered by Cafe Tapok, head on over to their Facebook page, CAFE TAPOK Santubong.
Come, let’s support our local hero, Cafe Tapok, now while the fasting month still has a little over two weeks to go.
