Eating In Kuching - A Special Dinner At The Junk

Recently I had the privilege of enjoying a special dinner at The Junk Restaurant created by George, the chef/owner of the restaurant. The Junk is located along Wayang Street, one of the oldest streets in Kuching. The two-storey old shophouse has been lovingly brought to live by the owners, filled to the brim with antiques and all kinds of paraphernalia. Dining here is like a trip down memory lane.

We didn't know what to expect of the dinner. All we know was it will be 6 courses created by George, and we will eat whatever is served to us. The dinner started with a mojito cocktail, which was a very good start on a warm night.

First to arrive was a big surprise - a Foi Gras, Unagi and Oyster Pizza. All these rich and decadent ingredients combined to make a wonderful starter of a pizza. That was definitely a great primer for what was to come.

Next course was a Prawn Bisque garnished with 2 large prawns. The prawns were cooked just right. The flavour of the bisque was rich and complex, and given an extra texture and flavour with some fresh grapes and lychee inside.

The next course was Australian Wagyu Sirloin with Mustard Sauce and paired with a Salmon Gnocchi. What a clever pairing ! The Wagyu was cooked to perfection - seared on the outside and still rare inside. The fat was melt-in-the-mouth and so delicious. This had to be the best beef I've eaten in Malaysia so far. The salmon gnocchi gave the dish more substance and an added dimension - the beef and salmon matched really well.

Next came a course of King Prawns with Asparagus and a Cashew Nut Sauce. The prawns were very large and perfectly cooked, the nutty flavour of the sauce matched really well with the sweet prawn meat. By this time we were perfectly satisfied, but there was more to come !

Next came Baby Lamb Chops with Sauteed Mushrooms, Balsamic Reduction and Horseraddish Sauce. The lamb chops were tender and juicy, and the flavour perked up by the balsamic reduction and horseraddish sauce.

Dessert was a Chocolate Cheesecake with Cherry Liquer Shooter. Frankly by this time we were totally stuffed by the delicious preceding courses, so could only take small bites of the cheesecake.

The upstairs dining room where we had our dinner.

The downstairs dining area.

This was truly an amazing dinner experience in Kuching, and in my opinion on par with many fine-dining restaurants overseas. If you are looking for a place for that special dinner, you can't go wrong with The Junk. However, you need to let George know at least 2 weeks ahead so he can gather all the special ingredients.