On experiencing the Sarawakian Culture...

I could now differentiate which culture belongs to which ethnic after a day in the well known Sarawak Cultural Village... but still not expert .... hehehe. Lots of artifacts displayed in each of the cultural house with the friendly guides had triggered my eagerness to learn and experience more on  the Sarawakian ethnic culture and their day to day life.... 

One of the highlight for all its visitor to this cultural village was the 45 mins cultural dance performance from different ethnic in Sarawak. This has given us the opportunities to watch the performance in one place or else we need to travel around Sarawak to watch these performance. To share with all of you what i experience during the performance dance, i managed to capture some video clip while Jonzz was helping me to capture some interesting shots... :)

Iban traditional dance - Ngajat Lesong / Ngajat Pahlawan

This is a traditional welcoming dance performed by the villagers to welcome their warriors after they have come back from a victorious battle. (source: Passport to a most pleasant and unfortable experience)

So how's the dance like ... just watch it 

Bidayuh traditional Dance - Rajang Be'uh

This dance usually performed after the harvest season as a form of entertainment for guest of the longhouse. The movements of the dancers with outstretched hands imitate the movements of the eagles as they flap their wings in flight. (source: Passport to a most pleasant and unfortable experience)

Watch the clip on how the dance like .... :)

Orang Ulu - Kanjet Ngeleput

This dance potrays the nimble but stealthy steps of the warrior as he goes about on a hunting trip in the jungle, searching for his prey. He sees his target, take aim and blows out a deadly dart which seldom fail to find its mark. (source: Passport to a most pleasant and unfortable experience)

Let's watch the warrior dance ... 

While watching the performance, we came across a cute boy who trying to imitate the step of what happened on the stage... he went over to the front and dance like the warrior... i should have captured his dancing with my camera but i just too busy capturing the performance on the stage... hehehe... Jonzz did take a shot of the boy... The boy was so sporty... :)

Is he cute?

After the cultural performance, there was a break for all the staff in the cultural village... including all the guides within the houses from 12:15pm - 2pm... So we decided to take our break too. We headed to the restaurant near the entrance for our lunch... It was a very traditional and artistic restaurant with all the art from various tribe/ethnic.

Artsy Roof

The friendly waitress passed us a menu on what they served in the restaurant... the first thing that drawn my attention was the Sarawak Ethnic & Exotic Set Lunch. The set lunch cost RM15 per person which includes

* Free Flow of Cordial Drinks

* Green Vegetable on Season

* Umai Umai Sarawak

* Chicken Cooked in the Bamboo

* Ikan Assam Pedas

* Steam Rice wrapped in Banana leaf

Sarawak Ethnic & Exotic Set Lunch

There were two dishes that i found it's unique and hardly could get it @ West Malaysia... There were the Umai Umai Sarawak and Chicken Cooked in Bamboo (Pansoh Manok). 

Umai Umai Sarawak (raw fish Salad)

The Umai is traditional lunch meal for the Melanau fisherman. Thin silvers of raw fresh fish, usually iced but not frozen, combined with thinly sliced onions, chili, salt and juice from sour fruits like lime or assam. The dish is usually accompanied by a bowl of toasted sago pearls and it is so simple that fisherman prepare it easily on their boats. 

Hehehe... this is a dish for the brave ... hahaha... I was brave ... I finished the plate :p How it taste? Errrr... just like the japanese Sashimi... unfortunately the restaurant did not served the bowl of toasted sago pearls... os i could not let you know how the real traditional taste... blek~

Chicken Cooked in Bamboo (Pansoh Manok)

This is an Iban dish... Cut chicken pieces, mushroom, lemongrass and tapioca leaves are stuffed into bamboo and cooked over an open fire. This seals in the flavor and the result is succulent and juicy tender chicken with gravy hinting of lemongrass and bamboo. 

How it tasted? Just like some stew chicken but with a strong aroma of the leaves and bamboo... it's a nice dish when go with the rice ... Yum! Yum!

Overall, I enjoyed the traditional food from different ethnic... I learnt and experienced so much from watching the cultural dance and visiting all the houses in the Sarawak Cultural Village ... Moreover, we had the opportunities to interact with the people inside the long house... just like the living museum concept... :) I would give a *Two Thumbs Up* for this place. Try not to miss this village when you visit Kuching in the future eh!