The Rain Tree Restaurant @ BCCK

Western Food is abundant in Kuching but to go to a place with a good environment and at the same time serving good western food, there aren't many.

Over the years, the city of Kuching has been growing and developing at an acceptable pace. I wouldn't say it is really fast but it is as I said acceptable. As people from other places starts to flock into the city, as the number of expatriates increases, the lifestyle of the people here has also changed. Over the years international brands has been making their presence known in this middle size city. Some are doing well, such as Starbucks Coffee, Secret Recipe, boutiques and much more.

The demand for variety of food and fine dining places has also certainly increased. The recent opening of the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching has marked yet another mile stone for the City of Kuching, being the first purposed built convention centre in the island of Borneo. It has already managed to attract a few international conventions to choose it as the place to be. Another further development for the convention centre was the opening of it's fine dining restaurant called The Rain Tree Restaurant.

This mid-size restaurant located at the east side of the building (as you enter it) is nicely designed with the Sarawak native tribal designs. The restaurants integrates both Western and Asian delights into their menu, but do bare in mind that the restaurant serves mainly western food.

Using nature to create this water feature.

The service at the restaurant was good, waitress were attentive and the supervisor was friendly and approachable. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cozy, gives a warm and welcoming feeling. The choice of menu was good, waitress or waiter was well exposed to the menu and was able to recommend when inquired.

While waiting for the food, fresh breads are being served together with butter. The drinks are not bad at the same time not that great either. I opted for Lobster Bisque and Duck breast with herbs.

Mushroom Soup

Lobster Bisque

The Lobster Bisque was good, It wasn't too salty nor too bland, it was just right. As for my duck, it was good too, the meat was tender and juicy and the black-pepper brings out the taste of it. I did try bits and pieces of the dishes my friends ordered. The mushroom soup was thick and delicious. The Spring chicken served with rice was good, especially the rice, I would recommend that if you do drop by at the place do try the spring chicken. The rest of the dishes was not too shabby, salmon was well grilled and the rack of lamb was tasty too.

Spring Chicken With rice

Grilled Salmon

Duck Breast

Giant Prawns

Complimentary chocolates

My overall impression of the restaurant is good. I think it is a good place to dine with your family and friends, that is if you are not too price conscious. I would warned that the pricing for The Rain Tree Restaurant is expensive.

So, verdict... Would I recommend The Rain Tree to everyone?

I think it is a restaurant that is good to bring your family for some big occasions, the restaurant is a bit far as it is located at the Isthmus area where plans is to built up that area into another part of the City of Kuching. It is slowly developing place. So in case you want to celebrate some special occasion do consider The Rain Tree Restaurant @ BCCK. For more photos please click HERE.

Getting to Borneo Convention Centre Kuching or The Rain Tree Restaurant. For large map click here.

Puzzle @ Pullman Hotels & Resort Kuching

It was like any other normal day, but it was a bit special as it was a celebration. What was the celebration about? Well, it was a celebration on the completion of my undergraduate studies at Swinburne University ( Sarawak Campus). Finally, I am out into the working world...technically speaking as I am still job hunting. My sister gave me a few choices for places to dine for the celebration.

She suggested Pullman. Then I thought about the comments which I have received about the food there and hoped on the opportunity to try it out and to see if it is really that bad. Dinner started around 7. When I arrived the restaurant was not really packed. The atmosphere was good, not much to complain about, I would say the design is minimalistic as the hotel's main aim is to cater for business people.

Once seated we were offered a choice, either à la carte or buffet. I chose the latter and my sister and mother went for à la carte.

Buffet Choice & Taste
I think the choice given for the buffet was decent, ranging from cold to hot dishes. The choices for desserts was pretty good as they offered various pastries and cake. I was happy as they were offering salmon shashimi and cold boiled lobster. I noticed some of the dishes does not have any name being displayed, which is something that the staff in puzzle has to look into.

Shashimi and some other cold dishes

I thought the food was pretty good, albeit not all are good some are pretty much bland and tasteless but most of it was good. I truly enjoyed the shashimi and also the other cold dishes. The pasta with meat balls was good. The butter fish was not that good as it doesn't have the butter taste to it but more creamy I would say. I like the grilled asparagus which was nice and also the appetizer which my sister ordered which consist of chilled jelly fish, prawns and fish, there is a spicy and sourish taste which makes it really appetizing.

Pasta with meatballs and the supposedly butter fish

As for the steak which if I am not mistaken, is called the Oak Basket was really good, the meat used is cured beef and very well marinated. Make sure you request the steak to be medium rare.

The Oak Basket

Cheese Platter

By the time I wanted to start with the dessert I was quite full so I didn't have much. I tried the jelly cake which tasted ok and another cake which I can't remember the name was quite sweet but not that bad. The tarts are good, love the tarts. As for the macaroons, it was not that great, no doubt the inside was soft but I thought it was pretty much bland.

Desserts comprising of cakes and tarts


Macaroons~

Service
The service was good as the staffs are friendly and would greet you but I won't say excellent as there is space for improvement, as at times they fail to take care the needs of the customers.

So what is my overall impression of puzzle, here is my rating.

For information about Pullman Kuching CLICK HERE

Expert @ 4.5 mile, Kuching

There is this coffee shop located at 4 1/2 mile that sells pretty good Kolo Mee.I personally felt that Good Kolo Mees are hard to come by these days. Sure there are lots of stalls selling the same stuff but they taste like crap.

But the stall here, if I am not mistaken makes their own noodles, thus, it tastes different and it has a really good texture.

I also found out that they sell good fried carrot cakes here too. Yums!!

The delicious Noodles (above) and fried carrot cakes (Below)

Takoyaki anyone?

Takoyaki anyone? Or more to What the hell is Takoyaki?

Here is a little introduction of Takoyaki @ simply-edwin.blogspot.com. Takoyakis are a popular Japanese dumpling which consist of batter, chopped cabbage, spring onion and not forgetting Octopus. It is topped with Okonomiyaki sauce, Ponzu, Mayonnaise, Katsuobushi (Fish Shavings) and Wasabi sauce.

They are very delightful stuff to chew. Japan Boat Takoyaki is a Franchise which orignated from Osaka, Japan. Over the years they have spread their wings to Hong Kong, Taiwan and gradually in 2001 into mainland China. Their growth was tremendous as in 2003 they expanded their Franchise into Canada and the United States of America.

Japan Boat Takoyaki @ Hills Shopping Mall (Top) and cute decor (Bottom)

They ventured into the Malaysian market in 2008, with the establishment of Japan Boat Takoyaki Sdn Bhd (equivalent to Pte. Ltd.) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. 2 years later the franchise was brought into the bustling city of Kuching, Sarawak. JB Takoyaki is very new in the Kuching market. Over the years locals has mimicked the making of Takoyaki, but none of them make them as good as JB Takoyaki. Theirs are Big, delicious and with wasabi sauce too! The batter for JB Takoyaki is send in from Taiwan and Japan to make sure the quality is there,hence the good texture and mouthwatering smell and the gastronomical taste to it.

Cooking the Takoyakis

After taking JB's Takoyakis I have found my new love. It was simply delicious and best taken when it is still pipping hot. JB Takoyakis are topped with pepper, chilli powder, mayonnaise and wasabi sauce, which is a sinful combination.

The delicious...mouthwatering Takoyakis!

I'm Lovin those Takoyakis!!!! Mmmm...mmmm....Mmmm~~

For those who wish to taste Japan Boat Takoyaki, dropped by at Hills Shopping Mall, it is located underneath Pullman Hotels, go to Lower Ground Floor and look for Food Inc and walk in, it is 1 stall next to Kimbay Express. There is map below showing the locality of Hills Shopping Mall.

Hills Shopping Mall Locality map

Enjoy and don't forget to obtain you card coupon and with 20 chops you get one free.

Note: Japan Boat Takoyaki is the first and only in Kuching and probably Sarawak. It is Tasty, Yummy and Delicious. Remember Never Try, Never Know.

When Predators become the Prey...

They lurk in the sea... maybe in schools...and for those fishes who fails to notice them will die a miserable death...

Honestly... I do know what type of fish is this... all I know is how to cook them LOL! But one thing I must say is that these are the ugliest fish I have ever seen in my entire life... seriously they are hideous! And there is no prize for any guesses what do these fishes feast on... by looking at their teeth and mouth and looks... one word... carnivores. The funny part is despite their hideous look, the flesh of this fish is actually quite nice. How do I describe the sensation when the flesh touches your mouth... the only way to describe it, is that it melts in your mouth.

The fish and its family members... from predator to prey XD

This type of fish is best cooked with soup and Chinese preserved vegetables. To clean the fish is easy too. Just use a knife cut the head halfway down (gills area) and pull and the guts will be pulled out together with the head. Use water to clean the stomach for any blood.

This guy must be hungry!! Look at the size of that fish it ate!!

Next boil a pot of water (500ml approx.) wait for it to boil add in the vege and cook for a few minutes then after that add in the fish and for 5 minutes you can turn off the flame and it is ready to be served.

Best taken with rice.

half way through preparation for other dishes I found this adorable chilli!! It's short fat and cute... LOL...