Kalimantan Barat

Kalimantan Barat
(West Kalimantan)

Capital City

Pontianak

Picture: wikipedia

Singkawang

The small city of Singkawang is known for their temples and is dubbed as City of the Thousand Chinese Temples due to the number of temples at almost every corner of the town. During Chinese New Year, the city is on full swing with lanterns decorating the roads and eye-catching real-life pieces that attract the crowd. On the 15th day of Chinese New Year, Cap Go Meh is held to end the celebrations on a good note. During this time, the Tatung or Chinese shamans parade around town showcasing their supernatural ability to pierce their bodies with huge nails and other metals, or stepping on swords, while remaining completely unscathed. The spiritual parade is conducted as a ritual to cleanse the city and the temples from evil spirits with the Tatungs acting as a medium. People from other parts of Kalimantan, and even Malaysia, flock to the streets of Singkawang to celebrate the closing of the festivities.

When visiting the city, you can’t miss out on these dishes:

Choi Pan
Also known as Chai Kue, it is one of the most well-known savory snacks from Kalimantan, mainly Singkawang. It is made from chewy sticky rice skin and is usually filled with chives, julienned jicama, or diced yam. They are steamed and fried garlic is added as a topping. It is a traditional Tionghoa snack that is often served with homemade chili sauce that shouldn’t be skipped when visiting Kalimantan.

Choi pan

rujak thai pui ji

Rujak Thai Pui Ji
If you are not aware of rujak, it is a mixture of sliced vegetable and fruit that is topped with a sugar palm dressing. This dressing usually varies depending on the creator, some could be a lot spicier than others. Thai Pui Ji’s is one of, if not, the most famous rujak places in Singkawang. She started from a humble stall and is still operating in the same place until now, hence why people of different generations have passed down the information regarding her delicious rujak that is definitely worth the try.

lek tau san

Lek Tau Suan
Lek Tau Suan, or usually called Bubur Gunting, is a form of dessert that is perfect to fight the scorching heat of Kalimantan. The sweet and syrupy dessert is made from mung bean, or split green beans, and is usually served with fried Cau Kwe topping. Aside from being a nice relief for the heat, it has plenty of health benefits, such as blood sugar control, digestive support and antioxidant activity, due to mung beans being rich in nutrients.

It would be a shame to miss the capital of the province when you’re travelling to West Kalimantan. Not only does it provide the best Chinese food ever, it’s one of the best places to indulge yourself in the culture during Chinese New Year. The city is populated with various of ethnic groups, including Chinese descendants who take pride in their traditional culture and traditions. Fireworks are a common thing to start off the Chinese New Year tradition. Grand events with amazing performances are the cherry on top of it all, coupled with the fun decorations of red and gold on every building in the city. Sweet special treats like Kue Keranjang, or also known as Nian Gao, are made every year to celebrate the new year. Lempok Durian, a special Durian flavored type of Dodol, is another thing to look forward to when visiting the capital city. Dodol has various tastes, including pineapple, pumpkin, red beans, and it is made with sticky rice, hence the chewiness.

Pontianak

Here are some recommended dishes to try out when you’re in the city:

Nasi Campur Akwang
Nasi campur, which has a literal translation of mixed rice, is a famous Pontianak dish that has the ‘it’ factor. It contains crispy pork, charsiu pork, pieces of chicken, rice, egg and their thick sauce that ties the dish into a complete meal. Although you can find nasi campur in other parts of Indonesia, like Jakarta, it’s never a miss to try the original taste of a local Pontianak cuisine. The restaurant is super easy to locate, all you have to do is ask for some help from your nearest maps application.

Bakmi Kepiting Oukie
Bakmi kepiting is Pontianak’s very own twist to noodles; the addition of crab claws is the highlight of the meal. This specific traditional hawker restaurant has been in town for over three generations, with the current owner being the third generation of the family. It is definitely a must-try!

Ce Hun tiao

Ce Hun Tiau
The local Pontianak dessert consists of black sticky rice, red beans, bongko (a traditional cake constructed of banana, coconut, jackfruit, pearl sago and slice of bread), cincau, coconut milk, brown sugar sauce and ce hun tiau. Ce hun tiau itself is long noodles that are made from a processed white flour. The sweet treat is a great way to end a meal with its saccharine and delicious taste.