PETALING JAYA, Aug 3 — Dayaks in Sarawak love barbecues – affectionately calling it “Q” – as the communal round-the-fire cooking brings family and friends together.

Once held just in their villages, its popularity has spread throughout cities in Sarawak and even crossed the seas to the Klang Valley.

Rumah Asap Kanid, opened by Dayak-Kelabit Adrian Langat and his partner, is the latest to bring East Malaysian culture to Restoran Ah Pei Char Siu.

The Damansara Jaya coffee shop, once known as Times Kopitiam & Cafe, has recently been taken over by Chan Yoke Pui, who runs Ah Pei Char Siu.

All the other stalls are still here except for Ang Kee, which decided to look for a new location.

During lunch, diners can order Kanid’s 3 Layer Pork (RM15 per 100 grams) to share as an additional protein with their bowls of curry mee or wantan mee.

There’s also a night session where patrons can wind down over the grilled items just like in Sarawak.

A full meal can be ordered as a set for RM17.90, which includes a portion of Kanid’s 3 Layer Pork, Daun Ubi Tumbuk and a choice of rice or nuba laya topped with braised pork belly and their two types of chili sauce.

Nuba laya is rather rare in the Klang Valley but back in Sarawak, it’s a traditional Kelabit dish where mashed cooked rice wrapped in an isip leaf – which infuses it with a sweet flavour – was the sustenance for hunters on their trips to trap wildlife.

What makes this pork belly exceptional is that it doesn’t need a heavy marinade; expert cooking over a hot grill produces a smoky, tender bite you won’t stop eating.

The brighter red sauce mainly uses blended chillies while the almost black sauce combines chillies, dark soy sauce and shallots to give a sweet-spicy hit to the charred meat.

You won’t find any peanuts or prawns in these sauces either, as Adrian is allergic to both ingredients.

Offal lovers can order Kanid’s Pork Intestine (RM13 per 100 grams), which is cut into bite-sized, tender pieces without any funky smells.

Don’t miss Kanid’s Pork Satay (RM2 per stick), where the classic meat-on-a-stick gets a makeover with the use of pork belly cuts.

With the fat dripping down, this bastes each piece of the tender meat, leaving it temptingly juicy; it just needs a dab of their chilli sauces for a touch of heat.

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As the stall just started business last week, they’re still finding their way but one thing is certain: these are masters of the grill, who can control the temperamental fire to produce such tender bites.

Rumah Asap Kanid @ Restoran Ah Pei Char Siu (formerly Times Kopitiam & Cafe)

42, Jalan SS22/25,

Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya.

Open: 11am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 9pm. Closed on Mondays

Tel:011-53993533

*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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