Traditional Dishes at Sarawak Cultural Village

End of January 2011, I was on a FAM Trip thanks to Sarawak Tourism Board and Firefly. We stayed in the Sarawak Cultural Village for 4 days in a Longhouse!

on the second day while the rest headed out for Press Conference, we were traveling with a group of media so they had some work to do in Kuching, Sarawak hence the 4 of us bloggers with Chris Tock, Rebecca Saw and Joshua (Tallboyz) was running around wild in the SCV 😉 no…we didn’t RUN but roam around the magnificent place. While we had our lunch at the dining area in Sarawak Cultural Village it’s something like in a hotel you have the restaurant. Yah, similar to that. We were serve with corn soup with egg if am not wrong. Tasty and a great start as appetizer.

veggie

bamboo chicken the famous local Iban Dish

curry fish

and pyramid shape rice.

 

this is the ceiling at the restaurant

juice
while we had the privilege to try the famous Sarawak Asam Laksa! The soup base is different compare to KL, Penang and so on. Its more rich in herbal taste and aroma.

During the afternoon tour around the SCV after our lunch, I came to know that Sago is not in small round balls like we’ve seen as those are processed sago! Real sago comes from this tree which is known as The Sago Tree and are in milky form before it’s turned into power and then through another process become the Sago in mini balls.
Sago Powder

they used this method to make those sago power become little mini balls. Just by flipping the ratan basket (flip it left and right and soon as the powder rubs in between eachother it becomes and forms shapes in round circles. Well I didn’t know that but sure this was an amazing experience to witness it.

raw Tebaloi to be BBQ

in the process of making it under hot stove. Its a huge platform yet the temperature as you stand beside it feels like your on fire. It’s Hot!

Tebaloi

Kitchen area of the Iban Longhouse in SCV now it’s almost evening and we’re gonna start cooking… yes! We’re cooking traditional Iban Food!

actually only me…the rest are just taking pictures…. here’s the preparation of ingredients.

BANANAS lots of them! For dessert!

another plate of ingredients for the Bamboo Chicken!

normally in Iban Longhouse the women will prepare the ingredients while the Man will do the cooking as it is hot and they cook it at the common area where the Live Fire burns endlessly they place the Big Pan above the rocks and get the pan heated up first.
here’s the fish wrap in leaves.

while here’s the bamboo chicken! Actual bamboo with chicken and ingredients of onions, ginger and some vegetables all stuffed into the bamboo and get’s cooked.

We’re gonna have Bidayuh dinner tonight.

Here’s our dinner! The dark red is chili which is extra spicy and tears even came out as you consume it, while the bamboo chicken on the side of the rice, vegetbles of local Sarawak ferns, and the fish.

chris tock is sobbing. That facial expression is priceless eating in Bidayuh longhouse.

so this is how the bamboo chicken for Iban style are like when it’s marinated. It’s raw…. uncooked chicken… It’s the same dish as the Bidayuh style.

ferns

bake potatoes. To be Bake.

close up of the ingredients

now she’s asking who wanna try… turns out am the one who’s doing all the stuffing into the bamboo. My first time touching raw chicken! eek… but it felt great.

another method of cooking the bamboo chicken. Now we’re cooking in Iban Longhouse.

our dining area! Huge crowd!

here’s our day 2 dinner Iban dish. Same dishes but with an addition of the bake potato

back to the Sago Hut again…

this time to make sago dish.

yet…because I tried preparing food. now am here doing the demo so the rest can take photo while cooking the sago… First spread it out on the wok.

then cover it and start cooking

just for a few minutes and it’s ready.

goes together with the sweet sugar. It’s yummy. Simple yet nice.

another sago dish but goes with spicy flavour.

like glue only….

we are now having the Melanau breakfast. It’s in the TALL Longhouse.

kuhi

Melanau likes sago hence we’re having alot of them.

his been our guide and his cool. Very cool! He does traditional tattooing 😉

well, one of it’s kind experience having traditional dishes in Sarawak Cultural Village! If you do get a chance to stay there. You’ll enjoy the experience! =)

I feel so Malaysian now after being exposed to different cultures! Well I’ve been going to the East Malaysia (Borneo) alot lately and there are just so many experience to share with all of you! Stay tune for my recent Sibu trip!