Have Perut Will Travel...: KCH Day 5 │ River View Rumah Asap • EMart Moyan!

Dinner at a Rumah Asap

After our amazing nature excursion at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, we hopped onto the first buggy out of the feeding area and reached the park entrance three minutes later. From there, we got into the rental car and set course for something we had been craving for years — a rumah asap dinner.

Sarawak is famous for its rumah asap (literally “smoke house”), eateries known for local BBQ, native dishes, and live music. We’ve been smitten since our first visit back in 2019.

This time, we were headed to River View Rumah Asap, located along Jalan Rantau Panjang beside the Batu Kawa bridge, overlooking the Sarawak River.

Dinner… Without the BBQ

It was our first time here, so we took our time surveying each stall before deciding on:

Nasi Lemak Sotong Sambal
Nasi Lemak Sotong Goreng
several rounds of drinks

Why no barbecued meats — the signature of any rumah asap?

Because it was the fourth day of Gawai, and the Panggang (BBQ) stall operator didn’t turn up.

Even without the BBQ, our dinner came to RM28.80 (≈ USD7/EUR6), which was still a great deal.

A Quick Stop at eMart Moyan

After dinner, we drove to eMart Moyan nearby. Cat had read that traditional clothes were sold here, but most stalls were closed for Gawai. Still, we managed to pick up a few packets of Bario O’grain Highland rice from the eMart outlet.

We also stopped by Potato Story and grabbed several packets of chips and fries for supper later tonight.

With our little haul sorted, we hopped back into the rental car and made the 40 minute drive back to Adelyn’s homestay.

What’s Next

Stay tuned — tomorrow morning we explore Main Bazaar and the Riverfront.