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Showing posts with label Kuching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kuching. Show all posts
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Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part VI) - Sarawak's Natural Beauty

Photos courtesy of David Bates. :)

Here's a local folksong dedicated to the legendary Puteri Santubong, whom according to legend, inhabits Mount Santubong even to these days. I still remember the haunting tune. :)

For translation, read this original article.

Puteri Santubong, Puteri Sejinjang,
Penjaga gunung negeri Sarawak,
Manis sik ada dapat dilawan,
Anak dak dewa turun kayangan.

Ooo... Puteri Santubong,
Menenun kain… siang,
Ooo… Puteri Sejinjang,
Menumbuk padi… malam.

Satu harinya duak kelayi,
Beranok-anok sik renti-renti,
Sorang madah diri bagus agik,
Sorang sik ngalah sampei ke mati,

Yalah kisah duak 'rang puteri,
Suka kelayi setiap hari,
Lalu disumpah raja kayangan,
Menjadi gunung negeri Sarawak.

I love this shot of Misai Kucing, a local medicinal herb...

...and this serene lake overlooking Mount Santubong.

At Sarawak Cultural Village, I'm fascinated with these majestically tall stilts of Melanau (Sarawak Coastal People) Tall House...

...and intricately decorated stilts of similarly tall Orang Ulu Longhouse.

I'm thrilled climbing up and down these utterly dangerous-looking tree-trunk stairs that demand my 100% courage to "conquer" them without tumbling down like an egg. :P

These are hand-crafted sape, a traditional musical instrument...

...and here's a Penan man who speaks good English demonstrating his skills.

This stone statue resembles Jedi Master Yoda from Star Wars!



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Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part V) - Borneo's Gourmet Coffee

Photos courtesy of David Bates. :)

 100% Pure
Borneo's Best Selection of Gourmet Coffee

Address: No. 87, Ewe Hai Street (opposite Berambih Lodge)
Contact No.: 082-420 290
Email: bbcoffee@streamyx.com

I'm attracted to this outlet's down-to-earth, homey, and welcoming ambiance. At one glance, it lacks the commercial appeal of Starbucks and Coffee Bean. However, it is this very point that sets it apart from those commercialized coffee outlets that sell over-priced coffees.

There are two species of Borneo coffee, the Liberica and the Robusta. Coffee plantations are located at lowland hilly areas of southwestern Sarawak, mainly the Bidayuh (Land Dayaks) villages and Chinese farms. In Kuching and Samarahan, coffee plantations are found in Lundu, Bau, Serian, Padawan, Asajaya, Simunjan, etc.

Green coffee beans are processed naturally by being sun-dried. Then, coffee beans of the finest quality are hand-selected and roasted in small quantities with specialized roasters. Freshly roasted coffee beans are 100% pure, clean, and contain no preservatives. Whole beans or ground coffee are then vacuum-packed to retain their quality and freshness.

Liberica Coffee has a smooth, mellow flavor and exotic aroma. It tastes really good either as black coffee or with added sugar and milk. Robusta Coffee has a soft and mild flavor with a nice, strong aroma and is typically served black.

This is Ice-blended Cappuccino with Condensed Milk.

Here's Caffe Latte, served in a quaint mug and a piece of peanut cookie.

These are coffee gift packs that we bought for our family and friends.


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Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part IV) - Food: Local Delicacies

Photos courtesy of David Bates. :)
 
Laksa Sarawak
 
I've been craving for AUTHENTIC Laksa Sarawak for as long as I stay in Klang Valley. Now who can resist a bowl of steaming, fragrant curried broth with beehoon and topped with fresh prawns, beansprouts, slices of omelet, chicken breast meat, and fresh coriander? I can't! I'm more than happy to savor every spoonful and lick my bowl clean in the end. By the way, before you dig into your bowl of slurpy-licious laksa, remember to add these two must-have condiments: lime juice and special chili paste.

Belacan Beehoon
 
A good plate of Belacan Beehoon consists of beehoon, sweet chili paste, belacan paste, beansprouts, cucumber slices, and cuttlefish. Being able to savor Belacan Beehoon without fuss is not easy. It's indeed an acquired taste. For those who can't stand the taste of watered-down belacan, you might find this dish repulsive.

Mee Sapi (Beef Noodles)
 
Sarawak's Mee Sapi is another one of my favorite noodles dishes. Mee Sapi is generally handmade noodles served in mild-flavored herbal broth cooked with different beef cutlets and topped with fresh coriander. If you compare Mee Sapi to its sister dish, Seremban's sticky beef noodles, I still prefer this dish.

Tomato Crispy Mee (Chinese Style)
 
Look at those huge prawns sitting on a bed of crispy mee soaked in flavorful tomato-based broth. I'm salivating just by reminiscing the delightful sweet-and-sour taste of this special dish.

Kueh Chap
 
Kueh Chap is a dish of flat rice sheets served in a bowl of herbal broth cooked from pork and different part of porky innards - pork belly, intestines, etc. This is heaven-sent food for all pork lovers!

Kuching Kolo Mee
 
A simple yet delicious dish of handmade noodles tossed with lard and topped with char siew, fried shallots, and vegetables. If you want to try the "red"-colored kolo mee, ask for char siew oil. Kolo Mee seems to be the staple food for Kuching-ites.

By the way, Kampua, mostly found in Sibu and Bintulu is Kolo Mee's sister dish. I'll write about that when I'm back in Bintulu for Chinese New Year holidays in February.

Hakka Pork Mee
 
Similar to Kolo Mee. See those crispy fried lard? I bet you want to have a bowl right now!

Hakka Lamb Mee
 
This surprisingly flavorful and deliciously rich dish is David's favorite. It's braised lamb chops served with handmade noodles in thick broth.

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Now let's take a look at some of their famous drinks.

3-Layer Tea
 
You can find this in Klang Valley nowadays. The bottom layer is pandan syrup, the middle layer is evaporated milk, and the top layer is tea.

Wheatgrass with Evaporated Milk
 
I love this drink! Locals order them as Wheatgrass Si Peng - "Si" means evaporated milk and "Peng" means iced.

Sugarcane Topped with Coconut Flesh
 
What more can I say? It's indeed a great thirst-quenching drink.

White Lady
 
One of the infamous local shaved ice desserts, good for supper. It's called White Lady because the top whitish part is made from condensed milk mixed with shaved ice. You'll also find longan and pineapple cubes.

Matterhorn

This is another one of the infamous local shaved ice desserts. No milk is added and it's delightfully sourish with lots of longan, pineapple cubes, grass jelly, and transparent gelatine strips.

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More photos on my Facebook albums:
Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part IV) - Food Galore

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Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part III) - Food: Pansuh Manok (Bamboo Chicken)

Photos courtesy of David Bates. :)

Al-Fayad Bamboo Chicken
Address: No. 115, Kampung Boyan, Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak.

Foursquare

From the self-explanatory board, Pansuh Manok or Bamboo Chicken is a Sarawakian traditional dish - chicken cooked in bamboo with 15 kinds of jungle herbs and ferns.

Here's how the cooked chicken and herbs are poured from the bamboo.

Close-up shot.

Pansuh Manok
 
This dish is not really flavorful but it's surprisingly refreshing due to the (almost, I think) non-existence of seasonings. The clear broth retains the original flavor of chicken breast meat and jungle herbs and ferns. I don't know what are the 15 types of "grass" used in this dish but they are not bitter or weird. In fact, I enjoy munching them. :)

Pansuh Manok is definitely one of the interesting, must-try Sarawakian traditional dishes.
Belacan Midin
 
Midin is a local edible fern. It looks like paku-pakis but slightly thinner. Midin is usually stir-fried with belacan and chillies and best eaten with hill rice from Bario, Sarawak. :) 

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More photos on my Facebook albums:
Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part IV) - Food Galore

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Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part II) - Places of Interests in Kuching City Center

Photos courtesy of David Bates. :)

The Great Cat of Kuching, a monumental kitsch statue, is situated at the junction of Jalan Padungan and Jalan Central.

The well-known Kuching Waterfront, located along Jalan Main Bazaar and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, is a must-go venue if you are visiting Kuching. It is a beautifully landscaped esplanade of almost 900m, dotted with wooden benches and food stalls.

The Square Tower on the Waterfront was built in 1879 as a fortress.

The Court House Complex, located at the junction of Main Bazaar and Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, facing the Waterfront, was built in 1871 as the seat of Sarawak's government and was used for this purpose as late as 1973.

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The Waterfront offers excellent views of the Astana (Head of State official residence), Dewan Undangan Negeri (new State Legislative Assembly), and Fort Margherita.

The Astana, the imposing palace on the north bank of the river opposite the Waterfront, was built in 1870 by Charles Brooke as a bridal gift to his wife Margaret. It is nowadays the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak, and therefore not open to visitors.

This is Dewan Undangan Negeri (new State Legislative Assembly).

Fort Margherita was built in 1879 to guard Kuching's river approaches from pirates. Named after Charles Brooke's wife, Ranee Margaret, it is an extremely attractive and interesting building.

Visitors can ride across the river on sampan taxis (known locally as tambang) for a fare of RM0.50 per person per ride.

Here we are in one of the tambangs.

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More photos on my Facebook albums:
Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part II) - Kuching City Center
Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part III) - Kuching City Center

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Kuching Trip 20-22 Jan 2011 (Part I) - Lodging

Note: A special thanks to Firefly - Your Community Airline and I Heart Borneo. 

Photos courtesy of David Bates. :)

During our recent trip to Kuching in Sarawak, also known as the Land of Hornbills on 20-22 January 2011, David and I stayed at Berambih Lodge, a longhouse-style guesthouse. Berambih means come together or in Bahasa Malaysia, datang dan berkumpul beramai-ramai.

Strategically located at No. 104, Ewe Hai Street in the hustle and bustle of Kuching City Center, Berambih Lodge provides excellent access within walking distance to the well-known Kuching Waterfront, Chinese Museum, Main Bazaar, Sarawak Museum, and many more local eateries and handicraft outlets. It is also located within 50 feet from the oldest Chinese Tua Pek Kong Temple, a significant landmark.

This is the mini lounge for room registration and payment.

This is the living room area, adjacent to the registration lounge. Its wall and floor are mainly constructed with palm leaves and bamboo trunks. Inner decor includes traditional kain pua, wooden furniture, and rattan floor mats.

Another view of the living room.

This is the dining area, immediately after the living room.

This is the double/twin room, clean and tidy.

Room rates (per night) as below:
  • Dorm: RM20
  • Single (Private): RM40
  • Double/Twin (Private): RM50
  • Triple (Private): RM70
  • Family (4-6 pax): RM90-120
Notes:
  • Room rates are correct at time of writing this post.
  • No attached bathrooms/toilets. There are two bathrooms (with hot shower) and one toilet per floor to be shared by five rooms.
  • Facilities include breakfast, ASTRO, WiFi, Internet access, air-conditioned room, complimentary towels, and airport transfer (chargeable).

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For more information about Berambih Lodge, call 082-238 589 / 012-888 5589 or send an email to berambih_lodge@hotmail.com or visit their website @ http://www.budgetlodgekuching.com/
 
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We spent Thursday (20 Jan) exploring the waterfront and other places of interests across the river.

Friday (21 Jan) was mostly spent at Sarawak Cultural Village. We also met up with our old friends in Kuching during these two days.

We really enjoyed Saturday (22 Jan) morning and afternoon as we strolled along quaint alleyways of Ewe Hai Street, Carpenter Street, Bishopgate Street, and Main Bazaar. 

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