Culinary delights of Kapuas Valley

“YOU are very brave people to go on the cruise! Don’t be too disappointed. And I hope you get to have some nice food,” a friend cautioned before we signed up for The Inaugural Danau Santarum Batang Kapuas River Cruise 2017 in Kalimantan.

Despite all the naysayers, we went ahead, equipped with our sleeping bags, insect repellents, torchlights, medicine pouches and a long list of other necessities for this off-beaten-track adventure. As senior citizens, some of us looked as if we were lugging a mini pharmacy onto our bus at Lubok Antu.

We were surprised nothing untoward happened throughout the cruise, except on the first day in Kalimantan when the oldest uncle fainted from a combination of probable causes — the heat in the Badau Community Hall, the long journey, the long welcoming ceremony and blessing under the hot Kalbar sun, a three-hour programme of long speeches by different Badau officials, dance performances, singing and other protocols.

However, the tough uncle was revived with constant and careful fanning.

Were we, indeed, leaving the comforts of home behind? Fifty-three people from different races, ages and cultures in two rickety buses made our way along the newly-tarred road to the government community centre at Badau. In the next five days, we were treated to eight extremely special welcoming meals, accompanied by dances and music, arranged by the various Kalbar government agencies.

Bapak Herkalanus Sutomo of Sungai Utik, Kalbar, our consultant and coordinator for the cruise, remarked, “Having Major General Datuk Stephen Mundaw and his wife, Datuk Pemancha Janggu Banyang as well as Datuk Thomas Akin and Puan Sri Julia Mawan on board made the adventure even more historical and meaningful.

“On the Kalbar side, the various government agencies and the Sultan of Sanggau were most prepared with their welcome. It was historically significant for the Dayak community on both sides of the border. One of a kind, indeed,” he added.

 

Badau

After the rather slow border-checking at both

CIQs of Lubok Antu and Badau where, unfortunately, only one person attended to the large tour group, and four hours later, we were at Badau Community Hall where we enjoyed our first Kalimantan Barat reception. The group was already behind time by then.

We had barbecued ikan tin, the size of a big man’s arm. These freshly roasted fish came in big baskets and were served on large plates for us to dig in. An awesome traditional dish of deep fried salted ikan toman, covered with a spicy red sauce, exuded a tempting aroma while two other very tasty dishes of local, authentic, organic young corn, fern tops and vegetables were presented in huge bowls on the well-laid out buffet table.

Stephen Beda from Kanowit noted, “The special fragrant white rice, grown locally in the vast paddy fields of the province, reminds me of my elders’ home-grown rice. This is going to be a very nostalgic trip for me.

“Conversation about rice-growing is part of our polite culture. I am beginning to see so many similarities between the living cultures of the Dayaks of Sarawak and Kalimantan.”

 

Aboard Kapal Bandong

Bapak Sutomo arranged for chef Yudha Indra Pramanto, two assistant chefs, Robby Darwis

and Rinto Alkadrie, to man the small kitchen — measuring just 5X10 feet with only three burners but no kitchen table — to cook for all the 64 passengers and special crew.

The small open deck at the back of the river cruise vessel — Kapal Bandong — was for washing dishes but in between, the travellers could bathe in the open air. One passenger clowned around in the early hours of the morning and went nude on the open deck. He said although he did have all the privacy, nevertheless, the whole Kapuas River was having a ‘sneak peek’. But he said he felt liberated. No stress.

The queue for ablution to the two restrooms to the right of the kitchen may be long but it was here that the kitchen team made friends with the travellers. We had a memorable RM702 meal, prepared in three ways — steamed, braised and fried. It was an amazing feat, a banquet from paradise, considering the very small kitchen. It was a meal not many people from Malaysia could easily get.

Judge Datuk Thomas Akin was very impressed with one of our afternoon snacks — special banana fritters with cheese and condensed milk toppings. The fritters literally disappeared within minutes — all credit to the kitchen crew who spent the whole morning peeling bananas.

A member of the Sarawak Coordinating Committee, Alim Mideh, loved the special banana and sweet potato porridge, In fact, almost everyone loved the food.

 

Sintang

Fishing is the mainstay of the Kapuas Valley, so it was no surprise many different dishes of fish — Ikan Sultan, Ikan Lais and some smaller species — were served.

At Sintang, the Bupati and his committee came up with a delectable dish of deep fried fish, served with a lovely sweet and sour sauce. The special mixed vegetable soup made of local, organic vegetables was nourishing.

An official introduced the dishes to us: “Beef rendang, specialty of Indonesia, is served to welcome important guests. Chicken is for special occasions, cooked in many different ways, and usually presented in vibrant colours. Keropok and sambals are always present.”

 

Sekadau

The Bandong was five hours behind time. We sailed into Sekadau in the wee hours — at 3am. During a conversation with one of our two chefs de mission, Major General Datuk Stephen Mundaw, was reminded that no matter how late we were, the hosts were prepared for our arrival.

And we could not bypass

Sekadau.

At Sekadau, the reception was extraordinary with dances and lots of seasonal fruits such as durians, rambutans, mangosteens, bananas and other sweet local kuihs all served in huge plates. The Bandong left Sekadau about six in the morning. It was a unforgettable visit.

The Bandong managed to clip some travelling time and we reached Sanggau for a very grand breakfast with the Sultan — splendid ayam opor, made from the tastiest and sweetest of kampung chicken, wonderful fresh spices, coconut milk, a pineapple, chicken sambal and banana-leaf-wrapped rice.

The royal hospitality was awesome. Three datuks, one Puan Sri and one Datin were feted at the Astana. The Sarawak group enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast at the royal patio while listening to gong music.

We had another warm reception by the riverside before it started raining. Several memorable dishes were served like chicken stir fried with buah kedondong leaves, deep fried ikan lais and a special cooling drink made from syrup and shreds of cucumber.

 

Suka Lanting (kubu raya)

Our boat reached Suka Lanting in the early hours of the morning. The lighted Tua Pek Kong temple greeted us and there was a hint of a Chinese coffeeshop — to the delight of coffee lovers. We made a beeline to the temple to bathe and a lovely cup of local coffee served on a small tin saucer, traditional style. The lady owner, Madam Lim, spoke Hakka and we happily ordered fried eggs and cup noodles.

One young traveller got a bit carried away and called out, “Where are my eggs?”

We all answered, right on cue, “They have been fried!”

It was Day Three of our cruise and we were already One People, One Mind and One Heart.

The event, organised by the Youth, Sports and Tourism Ministry, started right on time at 8am, serving a delightful breakfast of mi sago, krepek tempe, jus pinang, and cendol ikan nangka, all unique and novelties to the Sarawakians, Sabahans and Bruneians. What an eye-opening breakfast!

 

Pontianak

We had two official banquets in Pontianak at the official residence of the Governor of Pontianak, Dr Cornelius, SH. MH. Bakso and special fried chicken, fish, and rendang were served.

The Ruai TV took us through its live telecast programme and later feted us to a python rendang meal. Indonesian rendang is one of the world’s top dishes, according to a survey.

The Aloe Vera drinks, offered by our hosts of the Aloe Vera factory, were exceptionally cooling and welcoming. We brought home many memories of special tastes and flavours.

Kalbar is a ‘melting point’ in Southern Borneo where the Dayaks, Malays and other ethnic groups merge with the Chinese who have been living there for more than seven generations. The fusion of food cultures, creating different flavours, tastes and presentations is a hidden tourist gem.

After this cruise, many feel our taste buds will never be the same again.

The Kalbar hospitality throughout the Kapuas Cruise was amazing. For me, it was also a special Kalimantan culinary adventure — alongside all the royalty-befitting fanfare.

Indeed, Robert Frost’s words — “Two roads diverged in a wood and I — I took the one less travelled by” — ring true on this special river cruise. And what a difference the Kalimantan culinary sojourn has made to my life.

Special thanks go to the Sarawak Coordinating Committee, including Salam Chimie, Alim Mideh and Terence Temenggong Jayang for bringing together the large number of participants, the Western Kalimantan Cruise Coordinator, Babak Herkalanus Sutomo, and his team, the Ruai TV for covering the journey from Badau Lanjak, officials from the Youth, Sports and Tourism Ministry, Kalimantan Barat, and representatives of the four Regencies who welcomed us.

We are also very honoured to be led by the Major General Datuk Stephen Mundaw and Datuk Pemancha Janggu Banyang.