Day 1 - Sibu Food Trail

Greetings from Sibu, Sarawak! 

Thanks to AirAsia and Sarawak Tourism, last month, yours truly with some bloggers & media friends were flown to Sibu for a culinary adventure like no other. It was indeed an eye opening experience for me, as we are introduced to the culture, heritage and exotic local food of central Sarawak.  

The weather was fine, clear blue sky, after about two hour smooth flying, we finally reached Sibu Airport. 

First stop, it's lunch at Uncle Bakery. The name of the restaurant might be misleading, but noooo.... we are not having pastry or bread for our lunch. In fact, it's a heartwarming feast of the locals favourite Red Wine Longevity Noodles, Salty Pickled Rice Vermicelli with Fish Fillets and Ginger Village Chicken.  

t

Red wine longevity noodles RM6.00

Love the noodles slightly chewy texture and the flavourful soup, though the chicken was a tad tough.

Salty Pickled Rice Vermicelli with Fish Fillets RM10
Extremely appetizing, simply adore the delicious and tangy soup.

Ginger Village Chicken RM20

UNCLE BAKERY
15, Lorong Pahlawan 7E
Pekan Sibu,
96000 Sibu, Sarawak.
Tel : +6019-8171076

Next, we were brought to Sheng Kee Confectionery to witness how kompia was made from scratch.
Kompia, literally Fuzhou bagel is a famous street food in Sibu. Soft and chewy, it is perfect to go with a cup of black coffee.

Each kompia is generously laden with sesame seeds and baked to perfection in a traditional charcoal oven.

It smells so heavenly, only cost RM1 for 4 pieces, I almost bought the whole box of kompia, but was stopped by our local tour guide. Hey.... It's only your first day here, lady! :p

Sheng Kee Confectionery

63, Jalan Lembangan, 

Pekan Sibu, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak.

Later in the evening, we took a 45 minutes boat ride from Rajang Esplanade to Bawang Assan Iban Longhouse Village. 

Lucky us, we were greeted with the beautiful sunset along Sungai Rejang. 

There is a total of 9 Bawang Assan Iban longhouses here, ranging from the very traditional to quite modern. The longhouses are long and narrow consists of several rooms which usually accommodates from 20 to 50 families.

Upon reaching the longhouse, our friendly host offers us 'tuak' for welcome drink.
The Ibans are the largest percentage of Sarawak’s population, renowned for their traditional weavings such as the Pua Kumbu, woodcarvings, beadworks and silver craftings.

'Tuak', a traditional homemade wine made from the fermentation of rice. It was so good, subtle and balanced. "Ooohaaa!" We toast the Iban style. 

The traditional harvest dance was next on our program. We were invited to join in the fun, although some dance steps can be quite a struggle, but then it's still so much fun.

Last but not least, wonderful Iban cuisines for our dinner prepared by the lovely host. Super healthy, lots of vegetables with a serving of fish and chicken. Here are some of the highlights!

Ayam pansuh
A delicious dish prepared by roasting the chicken in a bamboo, thus it was very flavourful and aromatic. The fish was prepared using the same method with catfish. Absolutely divine!

Midin stir fried with mushroom.
A wild fern similar to pucuk paku, but so much tastier, robust and crispy.

Kuih Jala
A net like, simply addictive crunchy snack.

The ruai, a space where the longhouse folks gather to catch up or carry out with their daily activities.

Frankly, if you are ever here in Sibu, Sarawak, you shouldn't miss the chance to explore the unique culture of the Iban tribe. It was such an eye opening experience and my heartiest thanks for hosting us.

While on our way back to the hotel, we make a quick stop at the stunning Sungai Merah Heritage Walk. Best for an evening stroll, the walkway along the river front decorated with colorful lights was simply breathtaking.

Basically, this wrapped up our first day in Sibu. Please stay tuned for our Day 2 adventure in my next post! XOXO

AirAsia flies 44 times weekly to Sibu, Sarawak from Kuala Lumpur. For flight booking, kindly visit www.airasia.com