LA VINTAGE BAR & GRILL AT TOWERING

In a lonely corner of Penampang, you will find La Vintage; a quaint multi-themed bar and grill that hands down serves up some of the best Western Asian fusion food you’ll likely ever have in town. Though the building itself is a business office, the exterior is an inviting crossover of a neoclassical atrium and a European villa café, through which you will be ushered to enter to the ambiences significant during the epoch of British colonialism.

La Vintage isn’t one of those restaurants where you need to look up things on the menu to figure out what they are but they do go beyond what is so commonly expected from a vintage themed restaurant – a reprint of retro-chic fashion that will soon fall out of favor. The conceptualization of Sabah’s integral past history is materialized within its beautifully designed dining areas; Neo Classical Atrium, English Rose Garden, Queen Elizabeth Suite, Native Butiza and Oriental Tea Corner, as well as its outdoor patio-themed bar, the Tropical Beer Garden – all of which can be reserved for special occasions.

From bruschetta to oxtail soup to quiche to pizzas and steak, La Vintage is the place where everyone can find their favorite meal as you soon will find out…

The Tropical Beer Garden is designed in the celebration of merging cultures of when the British North Borneo Chartered Company came to North Borneo. Aside from a post war Japanese bicycle, a trishaw and a buffalo cart, there is also a waterfall feature installed at the garden to work as a sound absorber to make sure guests can chat the night away comfortably.

Morris Minor cars made in 1952 sourced from an antique car dealer placed at Tropical Beer Garden

Native Butiza, or native pearl is an ode to Sabah's indigenous people and the Kadazan-Dusun heritage. This very special dining room is decorated with intricate rattan ornaments, weaved mats, tableware and carved woodwork.

Oriental Tea Corner; one of the striking feature here is the "prosperity" shelf. It is designed to replicate the old Chinese lantern and to hold teapots. The walls commemorate famous Chinese singer, Zhou Xuan's contribution to music in her era.

In Salata Di Cesare (Caesar Salad), RM18

Although it is essentially a serving of fresh romaine lettuce tossed with grilled rosemary chicken, boiled egg and anchovies with crusted parmesan and bread croutons mixed with special Caesar dressing, there’s something invariably special about it. It's true that even the most carnivorous among us would sometimes crave for something raw and green, more so for one that combines taste and texture. The hardest thing about making the perfect salad is getting the dressing right, but the chef cleverly flavored the In Salata Di Cesare with what tasted like lemon juice and hint of olive oil. Exactly what we need to stimulate our palate before we move on to the heavier dishes!

Cheese Bruschetta, RM14

Bruschetta is often dismissed for its straightforwardness but the cheese bruschetta we had had an odd but comforting flavor combination. Baked and slathered with fresh garlic and then garnished with marinated fresh tomato cube, basil, oregano and melted cheese – it’s hard to deny a cheesy and gooey spread with a decidedly crispy base. It’s a perfect marriage of two very contrasting elements!

Grilled Chicken on Aubergine, RM35

Fresh herbs are the essential ingredients in any of La Vintage dishes and the Grilled Chicken on Aubergine is no exception. It has already been considered as one of La Vintage signature dishes, thanks to the rich contrasting flavors of the two conflicting elements. Juicy and tender, set on top of grilled marinated aubergine, the chicken is aromatic with a smokey scent of pepper, anise and mint. The aubergine itself is lightly flavored with the summery sweet and sour of pineapple and the strangeness of sweet basil. 

Cod Fish and Creamy Leek, RM68

La Vintage added a touch of luxury to an otherwise plain serving of grilled cod fish fillet with a touch of fresh leek blanched in rich cream and smooth tarragon sauce. Its base is lightly glazed with oil to complement the distinctive taste of dried tarragon, chervil, sweet basil, garlic powder and a dash of pepper. Its minimal presentation could not disguise its sophistication – the cod is flaky and its moisture content is preserved and thus harmonized with the use of carefully chosen spices used in the tarragon sauce.

La Vintage Tenderloin Steak, RM68

Perfect for entertaining business associates or as a dinner treat for someone special; La Vintage Tenderloin Steak, expertly hand-carved from the heart of the beef tenderloin, can only be defined by its incredible taste, aroma and texture. Served with potato gratin and a choice of creamy mushroom or black pepper sauce, the beef has a very distinct but mild smokey flavor, similar to that of a naturally aged premium grain fed beef which makes it a steak that will appeal to even those who hardly ever eat beef. Bonus points for the special black pepper sauce that didn’t overpower the natural taste of the beef!

Chocolate Fondant, RM18Chocolate Fondant, RM18

There's always room for desserts, no matter how big the main dish is. Pick from La Vintage’s wide selection of dessert recipes including two of our favorites; the Crème Brulee and Chocolate Fondant.

The Tiramisu comes with an extra dimension; flavor and texture of this one is superior! Its mocha flavoured cream cheese mousse is thick and what it lacks in sweetness, it makes up in pure unadulterated cheese flavor with a nip of espresso and a chocolatey after bite. Yum! The Chocolate Fondant, on the other hand, is the ultimate molten chocolate dessert we’ve had in a while! We especially love the soft protective cake – it’s moist and though it’s tastes chocolatey, it isn’t too sweet. The warm, melted chocolate is the true star of this dessert – bittersweet and has a sticky consistency between solid and liquid. Love it!

Oreo Cheese Cake, RM15

Tiramisu, RM18

The famous "prosperity" shelf that holds Chinese teapots that were used by aristocrats in the old days.

Guests are invited to choose from La Vintage's vinyl collection of Zhou Xuan's greatest hits and play it on the gramaphone.

Although it is called English Garden, it is actually dedicated to Agnes Newton Keith whose nationality is American. She wrote many stories about North Borneo and her writings have won her a literary competition and was offered a serialization in a magazine.

Old vases, pots, short swords, guns and other collectibles from the 1900s can be found beautifully arranged in the Queen Elizabeth Suite.

La Vintage also has a great wine selection

Look at how serene the English Garden is!

When you dine at La Vintage Bar & Grill, know that you are buying luxury - you'll be spoiled for choices and you're bound to try what's next in the menu.

Head down to http://www.lavintage.my for more info. Don't forget to Like 'em on Facebook too!

Address: KM7, Nosoob Baru, Jln Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, 88300 Sabah, Malaysia

Business Hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 1:00 am

Tel: 088-703 863

Email: info@lavintage.my

Serves:

American (Traditional)

Asian Fusion

Brunch

Burgers

Pizza

Sandwiches

Seafood