Lepau Restaurant

This is a tricky review to write. The dishes were well-executed, flavorful and unique - but just not to the liking of our tourist palates. The place does seem to be popular among locals however. Service was ok, no AC but ventilated by fans, some mosquitos… We got purple bario rice and signature fried rice - take note this does come with a side of bamboo chicken (hence for tasting purposes, there is no need to order a separate portion - don’t make our mistake). The bario rice is aesthetic but tastes just like a dryer purple glutinous rice. The signature fried rice tasted too grassy and vegetal and left an after taste - just not to our liking. The bamboo chicken tastes homely with light hints of ginger and lemongrass - a good choice. We got the midin salad too and the fish umai too - which both tasted the same, seasoned with a ceviche-like dressing. Refreshing but I would have preferred if the fish wasn’t completely ceviche-d through. We also got the tempoyak fish - I actually enjoyed the tempoyak and there wasn’t a strong hint of durian which I would’ve despised. But the fish was boiled and I think it would’ve tasted better grilled/deep fried as there just wasn’t much of a textural element to the dish. The teas were ok. Quite reasonably priced and we only paid about 120 ringgit in total for the above dishes for the two of us - the portions would’ve been enough to feed at least 3

2 dining sessions for dinner: 6pm and 8pm. Reservations strongly advised (through WhatsApp). 1. Stir fried Kantan w mixed Chillies - 👍👍 torch ginger flower + onion + ikan bilis, amazing how something so simple can taste so good. 2. Daun Ubi goreng w Tepus - 👍👍 tasty and almost creamy. Wish there were more Tepus 3. Signature Pansuh Chicken - 👍 light natural sweetness. Don't expect strong flavours. 4. Kerabu midin - OK lah. 5. Terung Asam Pedas fish - OK lah. Abit too spicy for me. 6. Purple Bario rice - OK lah. 7. Tapai w Ice Cream - 👍 (Tapai inconsistent, last time tried wasn't as good) Food enough for 4 pax. Verdict: Will be back

The environment & atmosphere is good, there is no air conditioning, but since it is dinner time, there are fans in the restaurant, so it doesn't feel too hot The food is delicious, especially the prawn cook with traditional spice, really delicious. However, the kacama chicken (maybe because it is non-alcoholic) so the taste is relatively light. We celebrated our birthday there, and the waiters were very attentive and polite, and they had no complaints throughout the whole process when we asked them to help take pictures, their photography skills were pretty good.

Super local dishes, cooked exactly the way the locals love it — raw, bold, and unapologetically authentic. This place even serves the rare tempoyak (fermented durian) dish you don’t see often these days 👀 A good sign? The tables are filled with locals who clearly know their flavours. Fair warning though — this is definitely an acquired taste kind of spot. As a KL boy, the flavours here are very different from what I’m used to… but that’s also what makes it such an interesting food adventure. If you’re curious, open-minded, and love exploring true local food culture — this place might just surprise you. Insta : EatinGODs

We came here after seeing all the positive Google reviews. The atmosphere is relaxing with a pleasant ambience. We ordered three of the most popular dishes on the menu. The chicken and vegetables arrived first, but even after twenty minutes the fried rice still hadn’t shown up. By the time it finally came, the rest of our food had already gone cold. The chicken pansuh tasted like something you could easily make at home with ginger and lemon. The stir‑fried tapioca leaves rice was quite salty, and while the vegetable dish was nice, I don’t remember its name. Overall, the dining experience fell short of our expectations.

A very popular Dayak food restaurant located around Ban Hock Road area in Kuching. Reservation is strongly recommended. We found the food to be OK but not outstanding. Atmosphere is quite nice but would be more comfortable if there is air conditioning. We were seated near the kitchen so we get lots of the kitchen smell on our clothing by the time we were done. Perhaps an area they can do better to improve the ventilation.

A restaurant that specialises in authentic Orang Ulu & Dayak cuisines. We made a reservation thru Whatsapp on the same day we were going to the restaurant but you can try walk-in also if you want. The service was excellent and all the staff were very attentive & accommodating especially staff name Laja. We ordered Ayam Pansuh, Fiona Tepus Prawns, Bario (purple) rice, Cangkuk Manis with Garlic all in small size portion but enough to make 2 person full and left with a happy mind. Definitely would came back again to try other dishes whenever we are back in town.

This eatery place is always packed with customers. I went on Friday night and it’s already fully booked. Then, I made a reservation for 8.30 pm slot. If you are planning to come here and have a short stay in Kuching, make a booking earlier so that you can enjoy the cuisines. We came and ordered at the table. The waiter explained about the menu. Many diners already made their orders in advance, so we missed the chance to their the purple bario rice. But that’s okay. Of course, we ordered the ayam pansuh and fish umai and few side dishes. And also ice cream with tapai pulut. The waiter also recommended calamari and tempoyak with anchovies. I would saya the tempoyak has a distinct flavor because they cooked the durian paste and add onions and fried anchovies. Overall, we are satisfied. We ordered few drinks on the menu such as air bandung, teh C special and wheatgrass. Though I feel that, it will be better to enjoy your menu with a plain water or chinese tea instead. But thats all depends on preference.

Tempat wajid jika ke kuching...lokasi dia jika datang google maps saje..parking banyak..seloknye booking meja dahulu jika nak makan dekat sini.. WhatsApp saje..tempat selalu penuh..makanan dia sedap2

Lepau is a great place to sample all sorts of Sarawak ingredients that, if you're not a local, you've probably never heard of before. My orders (spanning two visits): fish umai soured with asam paya, daun ubi gosok with tepus, anchovy tempoyak, and petai fried rice (well, that last one can be found anywhere in Malaysia - but I like petai). Asam paya is incredibly sour on its own (I know because I accidentally tried to eat it straight in the market) and even though the fish is supposed to be raw, the fruit 'cooks' the fish almost like a steamer! This dish is very similar to ceviche, the main difference being the souring agent and the fact that fish umai is served with red rice cooked in a leaf. Daun ubi gosok is just pounded cassava leaves, a savory dish slightly more hearty than sweet potato leaves, but lighter than the ever-present (in Sarawak) jungle fern called midin. As for the anchovy tempoyak - even as a three-time previous tempoyak eater, this is one of the most strongly flavored dishes I've ever tried, right up there with Vietnamese bun mam. Gooey and green-tinged from the pandan leaves it's cooked in, the tempoyak suspends pieces of crispy anchovy and chunks of un-pasted durian in its jelly-like mold. This would have been a perfect dish for three people to share. As it was, I needed to mix liberal amounts of petai rice with it so as not to overload my umamu receptors.

Fantastic atmosphere, they have a local musician playing local music! Very popular restaurant especially seats around the performance area. Food wise OK - sambal vege on the 'special' menu has got a weird smell. The chicken main has a strong rice wine taste, the fried tofu is nice. Would go again for the atmosphere tho.