The Dyak

image credit: Veronica Ng

A big thank you to our friends Apple Tan and Mika Kuan of Kuching for helping us to discover this place.

'Dyak' is pronounced 'da-yak'; the old English spelling used by the Brookes to classify generically the various tribes of Borneo. The Dyak serves authentic Dayak favourites and Dayak inspired fusion soul-food prepared with time treasured culinary techniques and served on authentic Dayak kitchenware.

Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available with imported wines, beer, fruit juices, soft drinks and your favorite coffee-shop staples. While it’s air-conditioning and free WiFi makes it ideal for families and parties, smokers are not left and can enjoy al-fresco dining.

The Dyak opens from 12 noon till last order at 9.30 pm every day including public holidays, and are closed on Mondays. They are not kosher as pork is featured rather prominently on the menu. Parking is ample and free.

It is a comforting place to relax and enjoy good food after a tiring day-out.  I totally love the ambiance of this place - it felt like you have just entered someone's home and the hostess is whipping out her finest dishes while you read up on the stories of the owner’s family, history & culture conveniently laid out in your placemat.

The genuine friendliness on arrival, the fact that the staff are obviously proud of their culture and heritage and the many genuine artifacts on the walls make the Dyak a truly special place. The restaurant walls are artistically adorned with Dayak photos, jewellery and musical instruments. Indigenous Dayaks music plays soothingly in the background.

As far as the food is concerned, go for the owner's recommendations and you really can't go wrong. They certainly don't skimp on the portions but do save room for the fermented rice/ice cream drenched in Tuak - simply and elegantly a great end to your meal!

This is the meal we ordered

Daun Ubi Randau Guring which is  sweet potato leaves stir-fried with garlic, desiccated coconut, chillies and dried shrimps

 

Petai Gulai Kechala, which is stinky beans (petai) stir-fried with fragrant wild ginger flowers, onions and anchovies 

Jani Tunu which is grilled three layered pork served with Chef’s secret spicy sauces on the side.

Manuk Lulun which is chicken cooked in bamboo with tapioca leaves; a salty dish commonly known locally as pansoh

Tilapia Empikau which is a whole fresh Tilapia fish garnished generously with pickled durian (commonly known as tempoyak), wrapped in turmeric leaf and steam-baked Dayak style,

Dessert: tapai (fermented rice) ice cream soaked in tuak

While our meal was absolutely delicious, my favourite has to be the petai. It was gloriously fresh with a nice bite to the texture. I highly recommend the Jani Tunu and Manuk Lulun as well for its exquisite wine-infused broth.

What makes your meal an all-round complete experience given the soothing ambience and awesome food is your omnipresent host and owner Vernon Kedit. If his name sounds familiar, he used to manage songbird Ning Baizura before Sarawak called him home to open his unique f&b outlet.

While the ever smiling, warm and welcoming Vernon is a walking treasure trove of information about the dishes, drinks, culture and history of the Dayaks, he is ever mindful never to be intrusive and ensures you enjoy your meal with your dining companions. 

 

Dyak’s main dining room is lit by a series of chandeliers with portraits of traditional Iban life adorning the walls, including pictures of Vernon’s great-grandmother, a member of Iban nobility.  The decor is very much a statement of intent that proudly states that your experience here is going to be enjoyable with authentic and personalized attention in a soothing ambience.

The wine list is small, headed by three types of tuak or local rice wine, namely the Tuak Stambak Ulu Indu, Tuak Stambak Ulu Laki, and the Tuak Stambak Ulu Mansau, three whites and seven reds (guests are welcome to bring their own wine at RM70 corkage).  

 

The emphasis is clearly on the Tuak, and full credit should be accorded to The Dyak for brewing their own Tuak. Vernon later informs us that the fermented rice from which the tuak is brewed, known as tapai, is served as dessert with our vanilla ice-creams.

Our party of five certainly enjoyed our experience at The Dyak. It’s made our list of highly recommended restaurants and is in the running for our annual awards.

 

Address: Lot 29, Ground Floor, Panovel Commercial Complex, Jalan Simpang Tiga, Kuching 93300 Tel: +6082 234-068

Website: http://www.facebook.com/the.Dyak

Article resource: Vernon Kedit

Tribal Scoops Restaurant and Snack Bar

Sarawak in general is chock full of intriguing and great ethnic cuisine experiences and Kuching’s Tribal Scoops is a gem of a find introduced to us by Kuching socialite Gracie Geikie.

Nestled just next to Tune Hotel at the Taman Sri Sarawak complex and facing the Kuching Hilton, it celebrates the unique food, farming, forest and cultural heritage of the Bario Highlands - one of the last surviving intact traditionally farmed and forested highland watersheds in Sarawak and East Malaysia.

In order to fully appreciate the Tribal Scoops dining experience, a little history and geography lesson is in order. Bario is a village located in the centre of the Kelabit Highlands in the north east of Sarawak, very close to the international border with Indonesian Kalimantan, and 3280 feet above sea level. It is the main settlement in the Kelabit Highlands.

The Kelabit, at approximately 6000 people, is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Sarawak. Like many other indigenous communities in Sarawak, the Kelabit live in longhouses in the Bario Highlands. It is estimated that only 1200 Kelabit are still living in the highlands.

The community's main economic activity is agriculture, mainly growing Bario rice. The cool climate at an average 20℃ enables the residents to cultivate citrus fruits besides rice. Bario is also famous for its high-potash salt and the refreshing, juicy Bario pineapple.

A chat with Tribal Scoops’s owner, Esther Balan-Gala, revealed that as she was unable to find readily available traditional Kelabit food anywhere in the city, she decided to open Tribal Scoops Restaurant to cater to that craving.

Her aim is to promote authentic ethnic food which is healthy and organic yet affordable, while also promoting Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage through the unique and authentic products being sold in her outlet, including Kek Lapis, ethnic headbands, Bario Highland salt and cinnamon, ethnic artworks and crafts, CDs of ethnic Sarawak music and recipe books.

This charitable lady reveals her soft side by allotting space on the walls to showcase artworks by talented but handicapped local artists, and never fails to encourage her customers to support them.

With that rather long introduction, let’s get down to the business of food. We opted for the buffet line instead of Ala Carte, and came face to face with Nubaq Layag which is mashed rice, either red or white, wrapped in a fragrant Isip leaf.

Before we could inquire, Esther explained that in the old days when people went to the farm, they didn’t have plates. So they used leaves for plates and even scoops for soup. We also use bamboo to bake fish and meats, and use them as serving dishes, cups and spoons, she said.

Next up, the Manuk Pansuh which is chicken cooked in bamboo had the wafting aromas of ginger, tapioca leaves and lemongrass, and was seasoned with organic Bario Highland Salt and had the distinct flavor of bamboo. This dish is also known as Pansoh locally.

More tapioca leaves were to be found in the savory Udung Ubih, which was stir- fried with tangy lemongrass. 

Tribal Scoops boasts many other ethnic cuisines which are a must-try, such as A’beng (deboned fish), Pa’uh Ab’pa (jungle fern) fish cooked with Dayak brinjal, cucumber and black fungus soup, Labo Senutuq (shredded beef/serunding style beef), stir-fried bamboo shoots, bunga kantan salad and many more delicious dishes all cooked using organic ingredients and flavored with local herbs and spices as well as the mineral-rich Highland organic salt.

Esther stressed that they don’t use MSG in their cooking, their greens are all organic, and that all meat and fish at Tribal Scoops are obtained from Halal suppliers. No pork or lard is used in their cooking. We found the staff to be friendly and attentive while the food was awesome. This restaurant is definitely on the shortlist for the frigglive annual awards.   

Tribal Scoops offers free Wifi, and caters for private functions and events. They can also arrange for activities like rice wrapping demonstrations where participants will learn to wrap their own rice.

Tribal Scoops Restaurant and Snack Bar is located at No.10, 1st Floor, Block H, Jalan Borneo, Taman Sri Sarawak. Tel: 082-234873.

You can also find their website at http://tribalscoops.com

Or their facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribal Scoops/353218421368011