Sarawak cuisine by guest chef Jamilah @ Paya Serai, PJ Hilton

I have been Sarawak-fied lately. Barely 2 weeks after I came back from Bintulu & Kuching, where I had the most authentically possible prepared Sarawak cuisine in longhouses & cultural villages, I was extended an invitation to the Sarawak Cuisine promotion at Paya Serai PJ Hilton.

Now, Ive had the buffet here before & thought it was pretty decent.
For the Sarawak Cuisine promo, it is a combination of the usual buffet spread but with an added area for the the Sarawakian delicacies.

Guest Chef Jamilah, who was flown from Hilton Kuching, will be sharing her vast knowledge and skill of authentic Sarawak cuisine here in PJ Hilton. Ahhhhhhh, there is hope after all for us poor Peninsular foodies.

Apart from just stuffing yourself silly, sharpen up a bit on your knowledge on Sarawak culture with the handicraft exhibition & cultural demonstration held in front of the restaurant.

Guest of honour during the launch of the Sarawak Cuisine promo includes Siri Neng Buah, Director of Intangible Heritage, Chris Ehmann, General Manager of Hilton PJ and YB Datuk Hj. Fadillah bin Hj. Yusof, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.

I had way too much Sarawakian food during my trips so I only tried a few of the dishes on the buffet. The Sarawak Laksa, for one, didnt quite meet my expectations.

I thought it needed a lot more spices and a thicker soup base.

We tried the Umai (a sort of ceviche prepared seafood but in this case it was prawns or fish ) next as this is another popular Sarawak dish.

Prepared freshed on the spot, the Umai didnt fare too badly.

We started to staple other items from the Sarawak buffet section slowly after the moreish umai. The range laid out was pretty extensive & this would be an ideal buffet for those who are keen for an introduction to Sarawak cuisine or those who seek momentarily gratification for their Sarawakian food cravings.

It may not be the best, (this is my personal opinion in comparison to the food I stapled in Kuching & Bintulu) but it does offers a decent range of Sarawakian food at one place, one time and all for one price.

Below: Featuring the dishes from the Sarawak Cuisine buffet table.

The all too familiar Manok Pansuh.

Chicken rice in bamboo!

Nasi Merah Bario.

Fret not though, the same buffet offers perennial favourites like OYSTERS, fresh boiled prawns, smoked salmon, soups, cold appetisers & DESSERTS in addition to a whole repertoire of Chinese, Western, Indian dishes as well so its a good deal for the price you pay.

The buffet spread is available for
Lunch:
* RM68++ for adult
* RM45++ for child (below 12 years old)
Dinner:
* RM75++ for adult
* RM45++ for child (below 12 years old)

Paya Serai opens from 12 noon till 3pm for lunch and 7pm to 10.30pm for dinner. For reservation, please call 03-79559122 ext 4060.

All pictures credited to the Miri boy VernonChan.com.