Eating in Kuching - Lunch at Bamboo Leaf Cafe

The old Chia Heng Restaurant used to be an institution in Kuching. The restaurant was originally located at Carpenter Street, and it was one of the most highly regarded and popular Chinese restaurant in town. I remember my grand father used to bring back the excellent chicken in galangal almost every week. Till today I can still remember the wonderful aromatic taste.

The restaurant subsequently moved to another location in Pending, and most recently transformed itself into more of a casual dining cafe at the Jalan Song Commercial Centre. It has gone through its ups and downs, and I think the most recent incarnation is more in sync with the current food trend in Kuching - more modern and casual settings instead of stuffy formal Chinese style eateries.


I am glad to see that they have kept most of their popular dishes on the menu, and have added some new ones. The old chicken with galangal is still there, and so is the oyster omelette. But they have added a new crispy version which is excellent. The omelette is fried separately to retain the crispness, and the oysters with sauce served on top, with lots of fresh coriander. Seriuosly yummy !


The chicken with galangal - still one of my favourites. The simple combination of tender chicken pieces and the aromatic spiciness of galangal is a great match. I especially love the deep-fried bits of galangal, very addictive ! Haven't seen this great dish in any other restaurants, so this could be one of Chia Heng's original inventions.


The soy sauce chicken is another very nice dish. The chicken is tender yet with a slightly firm bite. The soy sauce seasoning done just right - not too salty.


Other dishes are quite standard and no different from other restaurants. Sweet and sour chicken.

Long beans with minced pork.

Braised tofu.

I think the best way to dine here is to order the set lunch or dinner which comes in different combinations for various group sizes. You can request for some of the pre-fixed dishes to be substituted, and order additional a la carte dishes that you like. It is good to see an old establishment able to transform itself for new tastes.

READ MORE - Eating in Kuching - Lunch at Bamboo Leaf Cafe

Eating in Kuching - Dinner at the Orchid Garden Coffeehouse

A I mentioned in my previous post, the Orchid Garden Coffeehouse at Kuching Holiday Inn (now Grand Margherita) used to be an institution in Kuching. It was so popular, the place would be packed even to the late hours at night. People would be drinking coffee, enjoy some grilled steak or nasi lemak, and Hungarian Goulash - one of the coffeehouse's specialties. When other hotels came up, Orchid Garden continued to hold its own until recent years when it just couldn't compete with the spanking new and better establishments in town. Still, it has its loyal followers.

The coffeehouse has undergone a complete makeover recently. Now it has a large open kitchen in the middle, with several other cooking stations on the front and back. The seating area is divided into 2 sections, one next to the river terrace and the other just after the entrance.


The central open kitchen. One of the main flaws of the design is that the kitchen is separated from the diners with clear glass. Although this helps to reduce the fumes from the cooking stations, it makes it unfriendly - and diners have to sneak in from the side to order some of the items. A better exhaust system would have made the glass unnecessary.


The food.

The new concept has made Orchid Garden more current, and the menu has also been given a refreshment. Unfortunately the quality of the food is a bit uneven. The salads were good. The sushi was just OK. Cooked items were not very good, and desserts were very limited. There are better buffets in Kuching, but when you have grown tired of all the other places then this serves as a pleasant alternative.

READ MORE - Eating in Kuching - Dinner at the Orchid Garden Coffeehouse