This popular PJ Oldtown eatery’s vintage aesthetics and menu of beloved Malay comfort foods strongly evoke the rustic vibes of a traditional kampung.
Almost everything here, from its displays of antique household items to the soundtrack of jaunty P Ramlee tunes dancing through the air, will conjure up strong feelings of nostalgia.
According to its founders, husband and wife Syahid Johan and Adila Redzuan, Tingkap Café was indeed intended to serve as a ‘window’ to a bygone era of simplicity and warmth.
The couple hoped to make favourite Malay dishes such as lontong, ubi rebus and mee rebus more accessible to urban crowds.
“We’re a callback to old times. Yes, you can still find a lot of the dishes we serve today, but not so much in the city. So we hope to bring the kampung to Kuala Lumpur. Now the people here can enjoy their favourite foods at their own convenience, any time they like,” Adila told FMT Lifestyle with a smile.
Adila, a former homemaker, said the idea for the café came during the pandemic a few years ago. Due to movement restrictions, her husband, who is a film and television producer, had been unable to work. Needing another source of income, the couple decided to venture into the F&B business, and opened Tingkap Café in February this year.
The eatery is most known for bringing in a fresh supply of delicacies such as nasi tumpang, nasi kerabu and nasi dagang directly from Kelantan every morning. These are often snapped up eagerly by customers, with stock sometimes completely depleted by 11am or 12pm every day.
Its kitchen also whips up various popular Malay dishes such as satay, roti goyang and roti jala with chicken curry daily.
The Mee Rebus is a crowd-pleaser, and the café’s Cucoq Udang or prawn fritters, are a tasty snack that go well with either a hot or cold beverage.
Try their Pandan or Raspberry lattes if you’re feeling adventurous! Prices here are reasonable, with almost everything on the menu ranging from RM3-RM14.
If you’re looking for something small and sweet, Tingkap Café also serves a vast selection of kuih on its countertop.
From kuih lapis to kasui gedik, from lompat tikam and onde-onde to ketayap and nona manis, all are on offer, so even the pickiest of eaters is bound to find their just desserts here.
According to its founders, most of their venue’s distinctive décor was sourced from kampungs all over the country.
The café’s most famous set piece, a wall full of windows, features window frames from Taiping, while a lot of their furniture is from Bagan Serai and Muar, the hometowns of Adela and Syahid respectively.
What they enjoyed most about running Tingkap Café, the couple said, was being able to serve and get to know people from all walks of life.
Their eatery welcomes everyone: this is evident by the signboard at the entrance, which features a message of ‘welcome’ in four languages.
“We really enjoy it when people come here to just have a kopi or some food with their friends, and reminisce about the past. Some of our customers have a lot of stories. They’ll look at our décor, or cutlery, and say their late mother or grandmother used to have things like that,” Adila reminisced.
“And for younger visitors, they can look at vintage things which they may have never seen before. It’s nice to tell the new generation all about the past. I hope all our customers enjoy their time here, and keep coming back to visit,” she said.
Follow Tingkap Café on Instagram.
Tingkap Café
52, Jalan 1/14
PJ Old Town
46000 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Business hours:
8am-5pm; closed on Monday
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