Sinalau Bakas Himbaan Bongol — Restaurant in Borneo

We visited Sinalau Bakas Himbaan Bongol during our trip and ended up coming back for a second round — and we’re glad we did. On our first visit, we decided to take away their signature dish, the sinalau bakas (smoked wild boar). While we were excited to try this iconic Sabahan delicacy, the portion we received was quite dry and tough, which made it less enjoyable than we had hoped. The smoky aroma was there, but the texture didn’t hit the mark for us.

Still curious and not wanting to miss out on what others raved about, we returned for a second visit — this time to dine in, and we requested a less dry, juicier cut of the meat. That made a huge difference. The meat was much more tender and flavorful, and we finally got to enjoy the dish the way it was meant to be savored — smoky, rich, and satisfying.

Dining in, however, had its own challenges. The weather was noticeably warmer and more humid than we remembered from past years, and the dining area was stuffy with little to no wind, which made it a bit uncomfortable to sit and eat for long.

That said, the overall experience was still worthwhile. The staff were friendly, the location rustic and charming, and the food — especially on the second visit — really hit the spot. If you’re planning to visit, we recommend asking for a tender cut and checking the weather if you plan to dine in. A great place to experience a true taste of Sabah — just...

Brought my friends there, and while the adult found nothing special with the food the kid finished the rice (wrapped in leaf) and the bbq pork. Personally I like it, even though it's no longer a wild boar. I grew up with a dad who loves hunting, I know how the skin of wild boar looks like and their bloody smell. The seller did confirm it's all normal pork, not wild boar. But the smell of bbq, balanced fat and meat portion, kicap, and the chill atmosphere can be such a great place to hang out if it weren't placed so far from city. Foreigners need to bring local friend or translator. You order by deciding how many kg or half of kg, or any particular parts you like, you gotta communicate it clearly to the seller. Either seller are ok, I chose the first guy closest to road because I'm lazy to walk. Then you ask friends to secure a table for y'all to sit. Apart from pork, their fruits are quite nice. Pineapple is RM5 for 1kg, sweet and juicy. Their toilet though, like common Malaysian's toilet, need many improvements. Please be careful when going in or out of the toilet especially when you are wearing slippers, you will slipped and fall from the small cliff.

Those who are particular with hygiene better don't come here, they don't really use gloves or haircap. Those adventurous and love bbq, it's worth a try, better...

The local signature smoked pork (sinalau bakas) that tasted really good! Especially for someone like me who usually finds too much pork to feel kind of nauseous. But this, I could enjoy quite a lot and still want more. RM5/100g, for a family of 6 adults, we ordered about RM40-50 portion each time (yes, we stopped here for lunch on our way up to Tamparuli Ranau and also on our way down back to KK). You can add on rice wrapped in leaves for RM2 each. They also sell pork soup, which we tried and was just so-so. There are other snacks for sale, including jeruk tuhau from RM6 each for the smallest size. If you ever travel nearby or are searching for the right sinalau bakas stall to stop by, it might be unfair for me to say this might be the best in the area as I haven't tried any other stalls, but I can tell you the ones from this stall are delicious! Tables looked slightly old but, just buy a pack of tissue (RM3) and give your chairs and table a wipe. Choose the table near the side of the verandah, it's more windy. They sell beers and rice wine too. By the way, they now smoke the normal pork, as wild boar has been very scarce to...