Give a taste of Sarawak for tourists, restaurants urged

RESTAURANTS in Sarawak have been urged to not only serve Western and Asian cuisines but also local food.

Environment and Public Health Assistant Minister Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie said this would give tourists a taste of Sarawak, thus complementing tourism industry.

He urged local entrepreneurs to venture into wine-making for international markets.

“Our entrepreneurs need to be creative to penetrate the markets overseas,” he said during the opening of Absolute Tribal, a Thai restaurant at Hills Shopping Mall in Kuching.

Absolute Tribal chief executive officer Gerald Goh said the restaurant could be a platform for the introduction of the unique tastes of Sarawak.

“Our menus have local elements such as kangkong belacan, fishball soup and others,” he said.

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Global cuisine in Kuching

THE new Raintree Restaurant at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) promises a new dining experience for city folk with its global cuisine and views overlooking Sarawak River.

The restaurant, which was launched last Saturday, offers quality, value-for-money food in a beautifully-designed space at one end of the centre. It can be accessed from indoors or through an outdoor garden.

BCCK chairman Datuk Raziah Mahmud-Geneid said the Raintree’s concept of global cuisine emphasises the combination of ethnic ingredients with classic French cooking techniques and Japanese food presentation skills.

“We have brought together a team of professionals with experience in international hotels and restaurants in Kuching, Peninsular Malaysia and overseas,” she said.

Describing the Raintree as “another piece in the BCCK jigsaw,” she said it would not only serve guests and delegates attending events at the centre but also provide a welcome addition for city folk with a preference for fine dining.

“We have a unique design in a unique setting, serving some of the best food in Kuching and a magnificent view over Sarawak River,” she added.

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F&B a major tourist attraction for Sarawak

If somebody asks me what is it about Sarawak that makes people come back again and again – at least once in their life time - my answer is that it depends on the person. Each traveller has his own needs and wants. I am not a marketing expert but like other any tourist destination Sarawak has something at par to offer travellers from around the world.

When someone browse through holiday brochures he is quite certain to see the words such as “It’s a must see and must go” place printed on the brochure or leaflet. It is almost a certainty that the holiday makers or travellers would form some rough ideas of their destinations.

Sarawak in general is beautiful and has a huge potential to be a tourist destination. It has numerous tourist products and there is no denial that it is a paradise with its picturesque flora and fauna, and a landscape that only exists in this part of the world.

But tourists do not come here for just the landscape or filling up their digital camera memory cards. They want something different that could not be found from where they come from. They want to experience something – other than snap shots – that they can remember for a life time.

Singaporean actor cum gourmet expert Moses Lim, who is the Sarawak Food Ambassador in the republic since Sept 1 this year, said personally he sees Sarawak as a very interesting destination with numerous tourist products to promote. Moses explained that for many years people form Singapore and the Asian region had not heard much about Sarawak and East Malaysia.

“I knew Sarawak in the 1970s when I was involved in my late father’s automotive business. I travelled to this part of the world. I used to travel at least 21 days a month around East Malaysia and came to know the many interesting places and food that people would love to experience.

“In the middle of this year, STB ex CEO Gracie Geikie approached me and asked me whether I would like to promote food like laksa since I have such gourmet experiences and laksa is one of the food loved by Singaporeans. I believe we should promote Sarawak through the varieties of authentic food and beverage products,” he said.

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Sarawak Restaurant - Simply Eaton

I was introduced to a really good Malay restaurant in Miri recently.

It is good in every sense - right from the concept of the name, down to the food and the people who serve you.

Patrons come from far and near. Not only that, VIPs also frequently patronise this place. I noticed that patrons consisted of Malays, Chinese, Dayaks and other races as well.

The place is called 'Simply Eaton'. According to the owner, Mr Rammel Firdaus Ramli, the word, 'Eaton' is derived from 'Eat On'.

"You can order a few dishes and simply eat on as you go along. You are not pressured to order a lot of things in one taking.
"In this way, you take your dinner or lunch in a relaxed manner and simply add on your menu and eat on as and when you feel like eating," said a smiling Rammel.

"We spent a lot of money on the decor to create the ambience that is soothing and relaxing for the patrons. They even have a choice of outdoor or indoor air-conditioned room."

I noticed that there was also a surau or prayer room for Muslims.

On Fridays, Simply Eaton has a special menu, Nasi Berani lamp shank, priced at only RM6. Many Muslims come for this special signature dish on Fridays.

Another signature dish of Simply Eaton is Mee Jawa, a traditional Malay dish consisting of yellow noodles, with egg, beef and bean sprouts.

What makes this Mee Jawa different from others is the sauce, which is a family owned secret recipe handed down by parents of Puan Zaiton Adeni, the mother of Encik Rammel. Both mother and son manage Simply Eaton.

They are the perfect example of successful Malay entrepreneurs. They started the business with their own capital, with chipping in of savings from the father, mother and sons.

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Miri International Food Festival launched at Grand Palace, Miri

MIRI: Food operators in Miri, especially in hotels and restaurants, are urged to be more competitive in the food industry which could help boost the tourism industry here, Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Lee Kim Shin said. He urged them at add an international outlook to their effort in order to attract more foreign tourists.

He made the remarks when he officiated at the grand launching of ‘Miri International Food Festival 2008’ at Grand Palace Hotel here on Friday night.

“You have to view cuisine more as an art rather than just food. Try to make food more interesting and attractive to all kinds of people,” he advised.

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Eating Out: Atmosfera cafe Kuching - Relax and enjoy your cuppa

Recognise this? Just as you were about to take the virginal sip of your anticipated latte, a child or a passer-by accidentally bumps into your chair, rudely jerking you from your seat killing “the” moment? It is not their fault, honestly, as coffee joints these days are crammed for space. To them, seating capabilities equals money. Therefore, the more customers they can seat, the more they can make.

Sadly, this business equation often compromises the customers’ comfort, which will slowly but surely taint their overall experience at the store. Nobody wants to have their Italian fashioned coffee, in a congested space.

The solution to these spacial deficiency is Atmosfera cafe.

Located just opposite The Spring shopping mall, Atmosfera cafe offers an ambience like no other. Glass panels which rise from the floor to the ceiling, and spread across the corner of the cafe instantly gives it and its diners a view of the outdoors. Aesthetically speaking, it is beyond beautiful.

On a recent trip to Atmosfera, I have brought along two willing friends to help me sample some of the offerings they have.

Alexandra Vasiliadis aka Alex, 19, and Naomi Craker, 23, from Melbourne, were two eager friends who were there to just get their coffee and chocolate fix while, as Naomi puts it, “escaping the daily grind.”

We were told that the popular smoothies in Atmosfera are the Mango and Pink Guava. We ordered the Mango.

It literally is made from fresh mangoes, blended to a thick milky consistency and topped with mango chunks.

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Executive Lunch at Cafe Majestic, Crowne Plaza Riverside Kuching

Well-known for its wide variety of international and local cuisine as well as its popular Japanese Buffet and High Tea, Cafe Majestic at Crowne Plaza Riverside Kuching is a great place to dine at.

Recently, the restaurant introduced its Executive Lunch menu, featuring fast savoury meals that are ideal for executives who are out on a lunch date with their business associates, colleagues, friends and loved ones.

The menu rotates daily and diners get to choose from a good selection of lunch items. These include, among others, Chicken Gordon Bleu (French-inspired poultry dish with deep fried moon potato and herb gravy), Malaysian style Bawal Hitam Panggang Bersambal with Sayur Campur Ikan Masin and steamed white rice, and Ginger Beef with stir-fried mixed vegetables and steamed white rice.

The Sweet and Sour Fish served with Baby Kailan Belacan and steamed white rice is just tantalising while the Ayam Panggang Percik with Sayur Kangkong Belacan and steamed white rice will surely please diners who are into spicy food.

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Good Nyonya food in Kuching

Nyonya cuisine is hard to come by in Kuching. But somewhere in 4th Mile lies a shop that promises customers delicious nyonya food.

The name Nyonya Bites may or may not be familiar to many, but it has been around for the past one year. It started out as a simple snack shop of sorts, selling Nyonya kuihs and so on. Recently, its menu has undergone a little “revamping” and now it offers more than just things to bite.

The kitchen was recently taken over by a new team of chefs specialising in Nyonya cooking, while the other in Chinese cuisine, and their assistants. They are called under Xiang Lian Seafood and offer an a la carte menu of restaurant dishes like fish, crab, oysters, chicken, pork, prawn, lamb, venison, vegetable, noodle, rice and soup.

Though the eatery no longer carries Nyonya kuihs like Pai Tee since the change, they have, however, introduced several Nyonya specialties that has grown popular with its regular diners.

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Where to eat in Sarawak

KUCHING: Here is some thought for food when you are visiting Sarawak.

Eat only at places graded ‘A’.

Stay away from a restaurant or eating spot that is graded ‘D’ as it has not likely met the stringent conditions for cleanliness and hygiene that the state government has stipulated.

“There have been a lot of complaints about the cleanliness of food outlets.

“Even in coffee shops where the eating area is clean, the toilets and kitchens may be dirty,” said state Environment and Public Health Minister Datuk Michael Manyin.

“As such, all local authorities in Sarawak have agreed to have a common grading system. This was introduced in March,” he told reporters after launching the India Street cleanliness and beautification campaign here on Monday.

Under the system, coffee shops, restaurants and other food outlets are graded from 'A' to 'D', to denote how clean they are.

The grades are given after taking into account points for cleanliness of toilets (30%), food preparation area (30%), eating area (20%), personal hygiene (10%) and miscellaneous requirements (10%).

An 'A' grade denotes excellent standards of cleanliness, 'B' (good), 'C' (fair) and 'D' (unsatisfactory).

“The grades will be prominently displayed in the food outlets and the local authorities will closely monitor those receiving 'B', 'C' and 'D' grades to make sure they improve.

“If those in grade 'D' have not improved satisfactorily by the time their licence expires, it will not be renewed,” said Manyin, adding that the system aimed to get everyone – from enforcement officers to shop owners and customes – to maintain cleanliness at the eating places.
“The customers will be the final judges of cleanliness. Don’t go to coffee shops that have a 'C' or 'D' grading; this will spur these eating places to improve.”

Kuching North City Hall director Onn Abdullah said the cleanliness and beautification campaign was also in preparations for the upcoming National Day celebration in the city.

He said City Hall would work with the business community in the area to clean and repaint buildings as well as put up new streetlights.

“We hope the city folks will cooperate with us and take the initiative to beautify their premises and not to throw litter about as this would give Kuching a bad image,” he added.

Source: The Star

ED NOTE: The cleanliness grade rating applies to all eateries in Sabah as well.