Little adventure in charming Marudi ...

When life hands you an opportunity for an adventure, pack your bag and go with an open mind and a ready spirit. Even if you're actually there for official tasks, that is. Killing two birds with one stone what. So here I am this Sunday morning, in charming small town Marudi, encrypting my short journey via an unstable network, while it's still fresh in my mind, before my flight back to Kuching this evening.

Marudi is a quiet homely town, about 2 hours plus drive from Miri via logging roads, or about 15 minutes flight from Miri Airport via Twin Otter , or about 2 hours plus via Express Boats from Miri to Kuala Baram. Marudi used to be tourists gateway to Gunung Mulu previously, and it still is until today for those who crave more adventure.

 

 Bound for Marudi...

Every time I board the Twin Otter, my adventure senses go on overdrive. Imagine that. And it was my shortest flight ever because I remembered I was just about to warm up the seat when the pilot announced "We will be landing shortly..." Since the plane flew low the whole time, I thought he was kidding until we actually touched down. Sweet short ride!

  

Clear low view...

 

Was it scary? Well only if you think about it. Sometimes when it rains or during thunderstorms, I'd like to say it's still relatively safe. Which is why you should never leave home without praying first. =) But the view from up there is really breathtaking man! You'd be too busy snapping photos and admiring the greenery to even feel scared. The Baram river looks tiny from above and you can see the stretch from end to end.

 

 Up the Baram river...

Here's a bit first-hand info on the rural town: Marudi is located along the Baram river up north of Sarawak, and is mostly comprised of highland tribes folk, collectively called the Orang Ulu. They even speak Bahasa Malaysia a little differently, more pronounced and with a soft lilt. Same like folks in other parts of the State like Limbang, Lawas, Bekenu etc. where you can hear the uniqueness in their accent if you really listen.

I have been to other small towns in Sarawak and I can safely say Marudi is smaller than Lawas but bigger than Julau, slightly the same size as Lubok Antu. Perhaps as big as Bekenu maybe?

 Marudi airport...

Standard facilities are available, except for well ... fast food outlets such as (even) Sugarbun. But why look for fast food when there are other available awesome stuffs here? Thanks to friends hailing from Marudi who told me all about the famous Marudi Char Kue Tiaw upon noticing my FB status ... and all this while who knew such delicious fare actually exist? They also recommended the Marudi steamed bread (or was it freshly baked home-made bread? I can't be sure...) but I didn't have enough time to actually look for one.

 Managed to take a pic with the indulgent proprietors...

Anyway, I googled where we could have the best Marudi fried kue tiaw and found this small kopitiam called Lai Lai Coffee Shop, right next to Mount Mulu Hotel (along Lorong Empat, if next time you want to try it out lah). The unique thing about this dish is the noodle (kue tiaw) is home made and therefore home-cut, so the result is unlike your normal flat and white kuetiaw, but rather fat and thick and cut not accordingly (some short some long some thicker than others). I had the feeling of eating fried carrot cake + kue tiaw all in once. Goes well with a hot cup of coffee (with milk).

Arguing ... No... Savoring life's little treasure...

However, if you must know, mostly Chinese coffee shops sell this fare. I have yet to find a Halal version (we even asked around) but probably there is, we just didn't have time to explore. Perhaps next time? Or perhaps if you do find one, do let me know.

Oh by the way, if you're taking the Twin Otter from Marudi, make sure you check in an hour or so earlier than your scheduled flight back to Miri. Business is brisk and sometimes really slow over the weekend in Marudi little airport, but they're efficient as ever. So they know you by name here. =)

Hey, this just reminds me of all other visits to other small sweet rural towns of Sarawak. Hopefully I'll find the time to write about those soon. Till the NEXT adventure!

 

Note: No bird was harmed before, during or after this post.

Dine Around The World at The Raintree Restaurant, BCCK

When they said they had this last year, I began to wonder where I was at that time to have missed it. Probably went around the world myself no doubt, because I won't miss an opportunity like this -- to feast and file, gorge and gauge, chew and review -- for the world.

So anyway, as the Chef de Cuisine of The Raintree Restaurant, Ms Virginia Kedit said it, "the International Buffet is back by popular demand!" With special group booking packages no less. Let me get to that in a minute because right now the only and most important thing that you need to know is how I liked the food. My answer? Very much indeed!

The cuisines choices this year have more variety. Well honestly, I have to take their word for it because I didn't manage to try last year's to be able to make a comparison on it on my own. But if I say so myself, it was an impressive list of variety where international and local cuisines meet for that 'dine around the world' experience. They rotate the menu per weekly too. So, what's a body like me got to complain about? :)

As usual, before I lay down the pictures, I'll warn you that when it comes to BCCK and food, I never follow the food protocols. I'm Asian maa... my appetizers are my desserts and vise versa, and my main course is whatever I take in between. Whatever makes the tummy full, baby, and whatever satisfies the senses goes. Humor me. :-)

I don't know what the above is called, but it's pretty unique. See the yellowish cubes in the middle of the glass? That's mango in spicy paste (sambal asam), the bluish layer below it is jelly, and topped with fried prawn. It's probably the weirdest combination and I don't know how but it works for me. =)

And then there's the pumpkin soup -- just creamy and thick enough. Not really a fan of pumpkin soup but try dipping fresh bun in it when it's hot and you'll get the same sensation you do as with mushroom soup. But that's just me... The bread station is nicely decorated and replenished with freshly baked french breads etc.

Sushi anyone? The only problem I have with this Japanese cuisine is that the California roll has too little ingredient, unlike the ones I'm accustomed to at a proper sushi restaurant, but then I probably shouldn't hope too much.

Baked potatoes coupled with a variety of baked veges, done with just the right heat... a healthy choice.

Pan seared fish with tomato coulis! A nice addition for the already heavy laden dinner plate y'all! Haha

Some more appetizers to meddle with the senses: Mediterranean lamb tagine (bottom), dim sum variety (top) and something I don't quite remember the name but is pretty tacky and filling. What is that, zucchini wrap? Perhaps...

 

Ah. Buttered prawn. My all time favorite. Buttered to perfection. And seen at bottom pic is Japanese potato salad. I actually forgot to try that one out, but you can try it next time and let me know.

That one above is another dish I didn't manage to try. Sigh. Baked salmon with olives, herbs and lemon. Sounds like tiny little heaven. You shouldn't miss this, because you better tell me how it tastes like. I might just come back for it.

I told myself I was going to try each of these lovely looking marinated dish above when I took shots of them, but when I checked them out 20 mins and a few main courses later, they were all gone! *Sigh* All the more reason to perhaps, return huh. Top is the marinated mushroom, bottom left is the black olives marinated in olive oil, and bottom right is marinated capsicum. Those are sold-out dishes!

Baked chicken with olive and potato. Now that's one dish I can try to fix at home. The chicken meat was so tender, and it may looked oily but that's olive oil for you... good for vein cleansing.

Somebody made a huge hole in the lasagna before I managed to take a picture, so all I had was this. I've tasted good lasagna, creamy lasagna, fulfilling lasagna... this is all of that packed together. I would've preferred seafood lasagna, but here's hoping they would have that in the rotation next week. =)

This roasted beef is to die for! BCCK is quite well known for its whole roasted lamb (as per the Ramadan Buffet), so when I asked Mike Cheng, our Coordinator and host, he simply smiled and said "Oh that's the Ramadan specialty. But for this buffet, we give you something else of a similar quality." I have no complain there. The beef, soaked in black pepper sauce, was simply delicious... for lack of a better word. If you can't take my word for it, then take a bite.

Fried kuay teow! Another awesome dish, if that glistening picture is anything to go by. It's seriously nice though. It's only missing some fat clams, if I had it my way.

 

So we're wrapping this up with a proper dessert then... fresh fruits and ice cream! The usuals...

Puddings, various cakes etc... and chocolate fountain with fruit dips. Not exactly my thing... too sweet and too weird to be coating my fruits with melted chocolate, but you go ahead. To each his own.

And the last layer of goodness to settle them all down... a good dose of strong black coffee. Guaranteed to make you perk up and attentive during the mingling and mixing sessions with friends or new friends while you get better acquainted. :-) See how strong the brew is? I could literally carve my own name on it if I were given a toothpick. You may also ask for their specialty -- The Bristot Coffee -- now that I think about it, why didn't I ask for one that time ho? Never mind.

So if you feel like dining out or having a family reunion, or just looking for a relaxing and romantic place to take a loved one to, why not head to The Raintree Restaurant at BCCK (that stands for Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, by the way) and try out their International Buffet? The food is superb (you can take my word for it), the service is excellent (attentive waiters everywhere), the atmosphere is charming, and the panoramic view is simply, well, Sarawak.

Price per adult is RM72++, price for children aged 5-12years old is RM34++ per child, and kids below 5 eat for free.

And yes the special group booking discount! Every booking of 10 to 19 adults can enjoy the buffet for RM60++ per person and RM28++ per child. And every booking of 20 adults and above can enjoy RM55++ per pax and RM25++ per child. See, perfect for a family reunion!

Oh by the way, the International Buffet is available every Friday, from 6.30pm to 10.00pm. For reservations, call 082-392988.

Thank you Sarawak Bloggers and BCCK for this opportunity to have a go at one of the finest restaurant in town. As for you all... have fun dining around the world!