On the first day of my Trengganu friends’ visit, I took them to Kanowit, less than an hour’s drive away, and needless to say, I had to bring them to enjoy my favourite “red kampua” noodles…
…for our breakfast. I certainly would not miss that every time I drop by Kanowit and they thought it was really so very nice…and other than that, I also ordered a bowl of pian sip soup…
…for them to try. Action speaks louder than words, so they say…and even before they had finished the first bowl, they had asked for a second one – it was that good and they really enjoyed it so much.
After having had our fill, we walked around the town and also the market where I bought them some lenggeng to try, the yellow ones…
*My friend’s photographs on Facebook*
These are our local wild version of the longan or mata kucing and that afternoon, back in Sibu, I managed to get some of the green variety (inset) at twice the price and like me, they liked these more as they were not as sweet and the flesh was very much thicker.
After that, we headed to the nearby Iban longhouse at Rantau Kemeding…
…which was really very long…
…and they had a great time walking around the place and talking to the people who were around at the time. I was thrilled to bits when I was able to get one lady to part with a bottle of her top quality own-made tuak (Dayak rice wine) to take home.
On the way back to the town, we stopped by the St Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church…
…after which, we proceeded straight back to Sibu. They were somewhat envious that even a tiny one-road town like Kanowit has a very nice and impressive church like this one while they do not even have a decent place where they come from. In their own words, they have been “wandering in the desert” all these years.
It was almost 1.00 p.m. when we got back into Sibu town and as we were still quite full from breakfast, we agreed to go for something light here. My friends had had Sarawak laksa before when they were in Kuching once and they said that they did not like it. I found out that they had it at a hotel where they were staying – no wonder!!! What can anyone expect from hotel food? At best, it may be all right but more often than not, it is never anything near the real thing.
I insisted that they tried the one here…
…and it came as no surprise at all that it changed their minds completely. They loved it!!!
They did not really like the oven-toasted kompia with minced meat filling…
…not after those heavenly deep-fried ones that they had the day before when they had just arrived.
They thought the pian sip, dry…
…came nowhere near what they had in Kanowit and I must say that I would agree with them on this.
They found the sotong kangkong…
…different from the ones in the peninsula which would come with rojak sauce while the ones here would have their own special sauce and they quite enjoyed it. Other than these, they also tried the ang tao cendol and they were of the opinion that it wasn’t too bad.
After that, I sent them back to the hotel for a nap and a good rest before we headed out again in the evening for a tour of some places of interest in Sibu and also for dinner.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
yellow lenggeng? as sweet as those red ones? would certainly love to try them out 😀
VERY VERY much sweeter, don’t like. I just eat two or three, I would find my throat feeling sticky and sore already. Very heaty, this fruit. That is why I prefer the green ones, they’re very much milder, flesh is much thicker, not as sweet…and has that green fragrance (as in green tea) – much nicer but very much more expensive. 😦 I would say both are quite different from what you may have over there though the names may be the same and they may be from the same family.
the long-house looks super-spacious … you could fit an entire school dormitory in there! 😀
A dormitory? That’s an understatement! This is just the common corridor, the ruai – each door on the left leads into a bilik…each of which despite its name, is A HOUSE in its own right with a living room, bedrooms, kitchen and everything else. Let’s just say it is a terraced house, a very very very long one with a common corridor and verandah.
Kampua and piansip, never bored of those.. I love the soupy piansip compared to the dry ones.. Oh first time I hear lenggeng, looks very wet, slipperyband juicy from the picture..The Iban longhouse is indeed very ‘long’, big too..
Note the cross on the roof. They have one on every door of their biliks too – this one is a Christian community, Catholic to be precise. But owing to inter-marriages, conversions – as in the case of the young ones leaving home for further studies or work, you may find other religions too but they all live together, carrying on the same lifestyle they have had since time immemorial in peace and harmony under on roof.
Most of the young ones don’t stay there anymore though – they may only come home on weekends or for the Gawai Festival – 1st June and other times, you will find that it is very quiet, mostly the old folks around.
Not a big fan of lenggeng because I easily get sore throat if overeat it.
Kanowit indeed look nice in picture. I havent been there.
Yaloh. Must get someone to bring them eat local food in Kuching, never taste those from hotel. Too commercialised and not necessarily taste great.
Yes, very heaty. I never buy to eat, like rambutans – just a few and I would feel sick already, can’t eat too much. Kanowit is so near – at my speed, less than an hour. If you drive, maybe 30 minutes, there already – nearer than Sarikei. Use the Durin bypass – Farley side. Can go one weekend, one morning enough already.
That’s why I prefer going to places where I have family or friends. Can’t just go any place around the hotel or eat in the hotel and then generalise that the food at the place is not nice. Have to go for the real thing, and the best in town at that.
Your friends are blessed to have you bringing them around eating all the delicious food. I like the sotong kangkong. The longhouse is is very nice, clean and well kept with spacious verandah.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, lots more coming up. The sotong kangkong here is Kuching-style, buried in the sauce. Ours – they would serve everything in one big plate…and everyone would get an individual bowl of the sauce to dip and eat.
Ooh, I’ve never tried that fruit. I do love discovering new fruits and veggies.
Then you should come here. Lots of local fruits that are not found elsewhere.
Wonder when Claire n Kucing family going Sibu again, hehe….
She does not seem all that keen. Keeps going to Penang instead… 😦
I really love the look of this place, and that long deck….fantastic!!! 🙂
Yes, these longhouses here are major tourist attractions. They love such places, so uniquely different.
Woah, that longhouse, I don’t think I’ve seen any that is quite that long!
And the photo was actually not taken from the very end – still some distance to go…but the planks the rest of the way were kind of old and I was worried, walking on them…for obvious reasons. Hehehehehehe!!!!
woah..I never been to a long house before. It seems quiet over there. And , the rojak … it looks special. No dark sweet sauce here ? SG style also got a lot of nuts.
Yes, it is. Very quiet and very peaceful, so laidback the life here. See my reply to Princess Ribbon’s comment.
Don’t think I’ve ever tried Singapore’s sotong kangkong…or the rojak even, for that matter.
Glad I learnt something new – yellow and green lenggeng 🙂
And the Sarawak laksa looks so good..drooling now.
Tastes as good as it looks! No plans to hop over here anytime soon?
i’ve never tried this fruit! It all looks so scrumptious! I really love this place! Nice pictures!
Yes, visitors would find this outing interesting, local and those from abroad alike – very different from what they are used to in the big towns and cities.
Lenggeng? I have not heard of that before!
Their skin looks somehow like Chinese dried mushrooms 🙂
You’re very imaginative. 😀
Sounds like food trip, eat breakfast then light lunch back hotel to nap then hunt for dinner again after wake up, haha!! Not bad!!
With tours in between. Isn’t that what people do mostly when they go on tour/holiday? They’re not into shopping – I suppose they would rather do that in KL, not here, so that was not in the itinerary.
Mmm the pian sip soup looks delicious!
My friends will surely second the motion!
That looks amazingly rich and delicious!
The Sarawak laksa? Tastes as good as it looks, take my word for it!
Wow! This post certainly brings back memories. My dad used to be based in Kanowit when I was 13 years old, he was there for quite a few years. Back then it took up to 1 1/2 hours to drive there (gravel and mud road) which was then cut down to 45 minutes.
Yes, they just constructed the road link when I was there, early 80’s. It was horrible – not surfaced. I was telling my friends that by the time we arrived in Sibu, we would all have become smowmen…or Bigfoot, to be exact. All covered with the dust. 😀
Lenggeng season?? I like lenggeng, and will eat a lot too!! Your Kanowit red kampua look very attractive! Slurp.
Must make a trip there the next time you come back. Nearer than Sarikei.