Eating in Kuching - Special Dinner at The Junk Take III

We had another special dinner at The Junk Restaurant in December last year, and as on the previous occasions this was another great dinner experience. Basically we gave George the Chef/ Owner a fixed budget per person and leave the rest in his capable hands. He usually needs a minimum 2 weeks' notice to gather the required ingredients. I was waiting in anticipation until the day.

The dinner this time was at an extension next door to The Junk. George has done up the place with a small bar downstairs and private dining areas on top. It is cozy and filled to the brim with the owners' eclectic collection of antiques and junks. The air-conditioning was a bit noisy - hopefully they can fix that quickly.


Dinner started with the by-now signature pizza slices. It was topped with ham cheese and rockets - really delicious.


The pizza was followed by an oyster shooter.


Next came something totally unexpected - an appetizer of sushi rice and raw salmon flavoured with bonito, seaweed flakes and Japanese spices. It looked interesting and had a complex texture and flavour which tickles the tongue and was really pleasing to the palate.


Next course was grilled black cod with a pumpkin soup. The soup packed some heat from the cayenne pepper, and was garnished with fresh grapes to give it some sweetness. The fish was perfectly cooked but I felt a bit under-seasoned, the soup provided a suitably subtle base for the dish.


The next dish was another surprise. It was a dragon fruit salad with lobster and smoked duck, layered with a lot of ingredients including some mangosteens underneath, topped with sweet dried pork and meat floss. The layering of flavours and textures was incredible - George has once again outdone himself. This was easily the best course of the evening.


The main course - if you can call it that after so many preceding courses - was lamb chops with a mustard sauce and sauteed potatoes. This was the most conventional of all the courses, and unfortunately the lamb was not as tender as the last time. It also didn't have the charred flavour that I like.


After that last dish we were all stuffed, but the chef asked if we've had enough and wanted some more. Feeling greedy - we said "Surprise us !"

A few minutes later came this grilled salmon served on a bed of marinated seaweed. The fish was again perfectly cooked, and this time quite well seasoned with sea salt and pepper. The seaweed gave the dish a Japanese touch and flavour. Another great course to round off the meal.


We still have the dessert course to go - and it was a mixed fruit pudding with custard sauce and vanilla ice cream, quite fitting for the seasonal occasion. The pudding had a light fluffy texture - more toward a sponge cake. It went very well with the custard sauce and ice cream, but frankly we were a bit too full to really appreciate it.

The Junk has once again proven itself to be a great place for a special meal. Keep up the great work George and your kitchen gang !