Words and Photos  by Floyd Cowan, Support from Sabah Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STTOS)

(February 18, 2025, Tenom, Sabah) Having breakfast in Hotel N◦5 in Sabah, Malaysia I didn’t pay attention to a piece of paper taped to the coffee pot with the words Tenom Coffee written on it. Two days later, when I was again having breakfast in the lobby café, the words now had real meaning for me. 

After breakfast I travelled with Hisyam Azmi, Marketing Manager at Sabah Trade & Tourism Office Singapore (STTOS) and Satnoheadsot (Sat) our very experienced local guide. Roslan, our driver, drove out of Kota Kinabalu going south, with Mount Kinabalu behind us and the Crocker Range ahead. The highway ran parallel to the tracks of the Sabah State Railway that connects Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu to Tenom 134k away. We motored past beautiful green fields, rolling hills and small towns. We cruised over streams and beneath a peaceful sky. 

Reaching the Crocker Range the climb became steep. Large lorries passed us coming down with smoke and steam streaming from their overheated tires and brakes. The views were mesmerizing. We stopped in the mountains, enjoying a rest break and the cool fresh air of the jungle at altitude. 

We left the steep slopes behind and settled back down in the valley bordered by the Crocker Range in the west and The Trus Madi Range to the east. The railway (“The fastest in Borneo,” joked Sat about the only railway on the island) didn’t cut through the mountains but followed the Padas River that flows into the South China Sea. One stretch, 9–10 km through the Padas Gorge, is popular for whitewater rafting.

Our destination was Yit Foh Coffee Park. Yit Foh was established in 1960 by Mr. Yong Loong Vun. It was a simpler operation then with a roaster, grinder and packaging. In 2017, Yit Foh Coffee Park was born that consists of Yit Foh Robusta Restaurant and Yit Foh Coffee Park Cottage. There are plans for further growth. 

Sherryna Chee, (pictured above) who was to be our guide, greeted us at the entrance. She began her introduction to the company by explaining why a propeller airplane is depicted on the company’s bags of coffee. “When we began producing coffee,” she explained, “not many people in Sabah could read. We put the airplane on the bag so they would know which brand to buy. More recently, in 2017 as the company grew and evolved, we added Yit Foh as a brand name on the coffee.”

Having passed through the colourfully decorated outdoor seating for Robusta Restaurant  we entered through a gate into the parking lot in front of the coffee factory and visitor’s centre. A large cup of coffee statue, with ‘coffee’ pouring out on to the pavement, was just being installed. Past it was a small single engine plane (a Piper, I believe) that was not the model for the package logo. That plane has four engines. 

The factory is housed in a squat cinderblock building. Inside is a passageway with windows on either side. On one side we could see where the coffee is roasted, ground and packaged. On the other side the final packaging and distribution is done. “We are still using the grinder from the 1960s. Wood is used to roast the beans because it gives it that special flavour and aroma.

“The British introduced coffee to Tenom in 1926. They used arabica beans at first, but they proved not to be suitable for the climate and so the change was made to robusta. It is best for growing at this altitude, it is more pest resistant and it is higher in caffeine. Robusta has better flavour than arabica.” 

Sherryna pointed out that beans are sweet until they are roasted. “Roasting makes them bitter, and the longer they are roasted the stronger the flavour.” Today, you do not need to be satisfied with one flavour. “We have 30 products,” Sherryna stated. Some of which surprised me. “There is Musang King durian coffee. The largest demand for it comes from China. They can buy it here or on-line." Another unique coffee is Tongkat Ali flavour. More mainstream are unflavoured coffee, café latte and hazel nut. Instant 3 in 1 premix coffees are the company’s most popular coffee product. Specially blended, it has a classical smooth sensation. The coffee is individually packed, with sugar and creamer added." Check out the website for all the variations.

Leaving the factory through the unused entrance Sherryna told us that this will become an educational area for students. “We already do educational tours.”

Adjacent to the factory the visitor centre serves and sells coffee – as well as souvenirs. Of the number of flavours we sampled, the most surprising to me was the Musang King Durian coffee. I was drinking it before I learned it was the durian flavour. Only then I recognized the distinctive, though subtle, taste. If you like durian, this is for you.

As we sampled different flavours we watched a video on the history and development of coffee in Sabah and Yit Foh. Tenom is the ‘Coffee Capital of Borneo’ the narrator stated. Certainly not an overstatement with three places producing coffee that they sell in Sabah, the rest of Malaysia and abroad, with another businessman planning to produce coffee. 

Yit Foh, like other local producers, grows its own coffee and buys from farmers in the region.  “Yit Foh,” Sherryna informed us, “has agents throughout Malaysia to ensure our customers can easily purchase our products at the stores nearby in addition to online purchase from our website. Also grown around Tenom are coconuts, durian, avocado, pineapple, pomelo, banana, lime, tapioca and dragon fruit.

Yit Foh Powder Series

Yit Foh Drip Coffee Series
Yit Foh White Coffee
Yit Foh Kafé Au-Lait
Yit Foh Coffee Mix (various blends)
Yit Foh Musang King Durian White Coffee
Yit Foh Café Series (ready-to-drink style mixes)
Yit Foh Teh Tarik (tea-based product)
On line you can purchase: 

Kopi O (Kosong, 2‑in‑1)

Latte (2‑in‑1, 3‑in‑1)
Mixed Coffee & Tea (Yuen Yeung)
Drip Coffee variants (Italiano, Java, Americano, Mandheling)
Hojicha Coffee Latte
White Coffee (no sugar added) 

Robusta Cafe

Yit Foh does more than produce coffee. Robusta Café is very popular. We enjoyed lunch there, and it was very busy – and again in the evening when businessman Mr Tham Yau Kong, the proprietor of Padas Farmstay in Tenom, hosted us.

Yit Foh Chalets 

Checking out the Chalets, with names such as White Coffee, Café Latte and Espresso, each room has a coffee machine. There are four types of rooms. Chalet (King or Twin), Long House (1 King Bed), Long House (Double Decker), Family Hut (1 king Bed & 2 Single Beds). The rooms are clean and comfortable.

Whatever you do at Yit Foh you will be served by friendly, attentive staff. The food is top shelf and with all the styles of coffee available you will find the brew that inspires your tastebuds. 

Yit Foh Coffee Park

W: yitfohcoffee.com

Robusta Cafe

The restaurant is open from11:00am - 9:30pm

Menu: https://yitfohcoffee.com/our-menu/

Hotel N.5 Address 

1, 500, Penampang, 89500 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

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