Dyak

Top choice in Kuching


This elegant restaurant, 2km southeast of Old Chinatown, was the first to treat Dayak home cooking as true cuisine. Classically trained in a Western style, the chef uses traditional recipes, many of them Iban (a few are Kelabit, Kayan or Bidayuh), and fresh, organic jungle produce to create mouth-watering dishes.

The dining room is packed with unusual indigenous artefacts and the menu urges diners to have a walk around to view them. Vegetarian dishes, made without lard, are available upon request; staff are happy to explain the origin of each dish. A meal at the Dyak (the restaurant uses the colonial-era spelling of the word) is not to be missed.