Highlight a place to call home - BorneoTalk Official Website
Highlight a place to call home - BorneoTalk Official Website
Highlight a place to call home - BorneoTalk Official Website
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Food<br />
Ethnic cuisine<br />
at its best<br />
Bunga Kantan Salad<br />
Labo Senutuq SM<br />
Mashed Red Rice Wrapped In Leaf<br />
Cinnamon Tea (left) & Cinnamon<br />
Coffee flavoured with Bario<br />
Highland-grown cinnamon (right)<br />
What’s a visit<br />
<strong>to</strong> Sarawak<br />
without<br />
sampling its<br />
indigenous<br />
food<br />
Homemade Low-Fat,<br />
Low-Cholesterol Ice-Creams<br />
Abeng<br />
Tapioca Cakes<br />
A<br />
melting pot of various cultures,<br />
Sarawak offers a wealth of<br />
cuisines from different races<br />
and ethnic groups. From Malay food<br />
<strong>to</strong> Western dishes, the variety will<br />
leave you spoilt for choice. But for<br />
those who are in search of truly unique<br />
gastronomic offerings, cuisines of the<br />
indigenous groups of this wonderful<br />
state are simply not <strong>to</strong> be missed.<br />
One <strong>place</strong> that’s a definite must-try is<br />
Tribal Scoops Restaurant and Snack<br />
Bar. The main highlights here are the<br />
traditional Orang Ulu dishes of the<br />
Kelabit Highland community and also<br />
the <strong>home</strong>made ice creams and gela<strong>to</strong>s<br />
that are low in both fat and cholesterol.<br />
The cooking style at Tribal Scoops is very<br />
much influenced by the owner Esther<br />
Balan’s Kelabit mother and aunts, whom<br />
she said are brilliant cooks and make<br />
excellent traditional desserts. Her love<br />
for Sarawak has lured her <strong>to</strong> share the<br />
rich heritage of various ethnic food, art,<br />
music, product and social culture with<br />
visi<strong>to</strong>rs coming <strong>to</strong> Sarawak in a true<br />
1Sarawak spirit, which you will see vividly<br />
reflected at the restaurant and amongst<br />
her staff. Served a la buffet, guests are<br />
offered a selection of meat and fish<br />
dishes, as well as vegetables and soup<br />
of the day, all on rotation basis. The one<br />
item that is a must-have, and is always<br />
in the daily menu, is the Ayam Pansoh or<br />
chicken cooked in bamboo, a traditional<br />
chicken soup flavoured with tapioca<br />
leaves and some fragrant spices, then<br />
simmered in a bamboo cane for added<br />
flavour and aroma.<br />
Another highlight is the Nubaq Layaq,<br />
which is traditional leaf wrapped red or<br />
white mashed rice. The isip leaf in which<br />
the rice is wrapped lends it an inviting<br />
aroma. The leaf also doubles as a plate.<br />
Also a traditional favourite is the Labo<br />
Senutuq which is Kelabit for beef floss<br />
/ serunding daging. There’s also fish<br />
floss (A’beng) for those who are not a<br />
big fan of meats. Besides these, there<br />
are plenty of others <strong>to</strong> choose from - all<br />
with their unique set of flavours and<br />
wonderful colours, and all made with<br />
natural ingredients, many of which are<br />
found in abundance in the jungles of<br />
Sarawak. Varieties include Udung Ubih<br />
(tapioca leaves), Bunga Kantan Salad,<br />
Pumpkin with Daun Timun Soup and<br />
Fish with Terung Asam. All these are<br />
lightly seasoned with all-natural Bario<br />
Highland salt, rich in trace minerals and<br />
is believed <strong>to</strong> have healing properties.<br />
Also available for sale at Tribal Scoops.<br />
There are a variety of drinks you can<br />
order, but why not try the traditional<br />
cinnamon ice tea or cinnamon<br />
coffee Traditionally enjoyed by the<br />
communities of the Kelabit Highlands<br />
and also used as a cure for hangovers,<br />
these beverages are pleasantly<br />
refreshing. The cinnamon used in these<br />
beverages also lend them their natural<br />
sweetness - no sugar required. There<br />
are also desserts such as light and fluffy<br />
tapioca cakes, healthy flourless fried<br />
banana, delicious Kek Lapis selections<br />
and ice creams of various flavours. The<br />
interior is kept simple yet it is able <strong>to</strong><br />
give you a sense of what Sarawak is<br />
all about. Its walls are adorned with<br />
traditional handicrafts of the Dayak and<br />
Orang Ulu communities. One section<br />
in particular boasts paintings inspired<br />
by the indigenous communities of<br />
Sarawak, and are available for purchase.<br />
Tablecloths with traditional Sarawakian<br />
designs are used <strong>to</strong> decorate the tables<br />
while a cluster of traditional fishing<br />
devices hang down from the ceiling,<br />
used creatively as lamp shades instead.<br />
Tribal Scoops also offers free wi-fi,<br />
which is a plus for those who just can’t<br />
part with their Facebook or twitter.<br />
For <strong>to</strong>urists who want <strong>to</strong> take <strong>home</strong><br />
a piece of Sarawak with them, there<br />
are traditional music CDs, handicrafts,<br />
paintings and other Sarawakian items<br />
available for sale at Tribal Scoops. Tribal<br />
Scoops does not serve pork, neither<br />
uses lard nor MSG in all its dishes.<br />
Meats and fish are obtained from Halal<br />
suppliers. What sums up Tribal Scoops<br />
cooking is pure healthy cooking serving<br />
the freshest organic jungle vegetables,<br />
no garlic and uses only vegetable s<strong>to</strong>ck<br />
where even the strict vegetarian would<br />
be happy. Meanwhile, Tribal Scoops also<br />
hosts private parties and functions, with<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>misable menus <strong>to</strong> suit cus<strong>to</strong>mers’<br />
wants and needs. Outside catering is<br />
also provided, complete with tablewares<br />
and kitchen helpers who will do all the<br />
cleaning up afterwards. All cus<strong>to</strong>mers<br />
literally need <strong>to</strong> do is entertain their<br />
guests and have a great time. So for a<br />
taste of authentic ethnic cuisines, head<br />
<strong>to</strong> Tribal Scoops when you come down<br />
<strong>to</strong> Kuching.<br />
Tribal Scoops Restaurant & Snack Bar<br />
No.10, 1 st Floor, Block H, Jalan Borneo, Taman Sri Sarawak 93100 Kuching, Sarawak (opposite Hil<strong>to</strong>n Hotel). T: +6019 8181717 F: +6 082232539<br />
E: embgala@gmail.com (Opening Hours: 11am-9.30pm, Monday <strong>to</strong> Thursday | 11am-10.30pm, Friday <strong>to</strong> Saturday & Closed on Sunday)<br />
www.tribalscopps.com<br />
Apr-Jun2012<strong>BorneoTalk</strong> | 49