Borneo is known for its nature and wildlife, but visitors are often surprised by the wonderful selection of food on offer. While Borneo has similar cultural influences to Peninsular
Malaysia, Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, the tribes native to the area have also influenced the culinary scene.
Bird’s Nest Soup
Sarawak has a long-standing reputation for producing world-class bird’s nests. Popular with Chinese, local climbers risk life and limb to climb precarious caves to reach the nest of swallows. The saliva is then extracted and dried into pieces before being made into soup.
Satay
Satay is probably one of Malaysia’s most famous dishes, and for very good reason, it is bloody delicious. You can find good satay pretty much everywhere but we were lucky enough to have our resort’s head chef prepare some us specially. The delicious little sticks of meat, usually chicken or beef, are cooked with handful of spices and lemongrass and then barbecued to give them their unique flavour. They are then served with a scrummy dipping sauce usually made with coconut and peanuts among other things.
Kolok Mee
Kolok Mee is a unique Chinese dish found only in Sarawak. The noodles are made from eggs, blanched in water and then served in a clear sauce. Small pieces of beef or pork are then drizzled over it. However, you can find variations of this dish today in
Kuala Lumpur.
Manok Pansoh
This is a dish from the Ibans of Sarawak. Pieces of chicken are stuffed into a bamboo tube together with mushrooms, lemongrass and tapioca leaves. It is then cooked over an open fire, the bamboo preserving the taste and fragrance of the ingredients within.
Nasi Goreng
This fried rice dish is again one the most popular dishes to eat and you should come across it in many varieties, usually served with crackers and topped with a fried egg. This can be eaten anywhere from street food stalls to high end restaurants.
Hinava
The Kadazan are responsible for this unique dish which is a form of sushi. Pieces of fresh mackerel, shredded ginger, mango seeds, sliced shallots and red chillies are mixed and drenched in lime juice, which acts as a ‘cooking’ agent. The result is a fragrant dish with a delicious taste.
Sayur Manis
This leafy vegetable was first discovered in the Sabah town of Lahad Datu by a farmer, who found a way to grow the stems into a crunchy texture and give the leaves a tender texture. Today, Lahad Datu is famous for these leafy greens.
See more:
Must-try street food in Kuala Lumpur
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