Indah Cafe. Art & Event Space. Cooking Class — Restaurant in Sarawak

We were thrilled to have found Indah quite by accident as we were roaming the streets of Kuching. We wanted to take cooking class but the only one we saw advertised and we dropped in on wasn’t inspiring us - we walked around the corner and saw the bright sign of Indah. We ordered a coconut shake and fresh pineapple juice and both were delicious. The staff are super friendly and their English is excellent. We booked in for their cooking class the next morning and also a mangrove tour to spot Irrawaddy dolphins and proboscis monkeys in the afternoon . (Tour is run by local Malay guys). The cooking class was fabulous- Owners Trudy and Colin took us to the local food market and explained a lot of the produce we saw, how it is used and we had a few tastes and sniffs also and took some great photos! Alex ran the cooking class with the quiet and well respected Emma in the background doing all of the behind the scenes work. We created 5 dishes inc Chicken laksa, chicken in palm sugar, jungle fern with pumpkin and coconut, salad with pineapple carrot cucumber and herbs and kalamansi lime juice and rice with fresh herbs. So yes - they also cater for meat eaters but also so awesome to see they cater for vegans and vegetarians. Really impressive business - highly recommend visit! We have eaten other meals at the cafe and ordered coffee - and all excellent. The nasi lemak with beef rengag curry on the side was amazing - the sauce rich and almost black in colour....

This café is run by several ladies as a cooperative, serving healthy, traditional food, while showcasing and selling local artwork. Cooking classes are also offered.

The café is fairly small with limited outdoor seating, and half a dozen or so tables in the rear. The modest chairs and tables are clean and add to the charm of the place. When we ate here, we were pleased to see a group of 8 locals enjoying a hearty meal.

The menu offers individual plates, or combinations, and caters for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans.

We ordered the beef rendang sharing platter and the chicken masak mereh. Both the beef and the chicken were delicious, made even better by authentic home-made sauces.

One small negative observation would be the extensive use of microwave ovens to reheat the food. I totally understand that some of these dishes can take hours to prepare and so they need to be reheated prior to serving. In the case of the chicken, though, this led to a number of both hot and cold spots in the meat itself. Reheating gently in a pot instead would likely achieve a more even heat distribution.

Other than this, we thoroughly enjoyed the rich, authentic flavours of the food. The overall price of the meal was very modest too and our hosts were really...

Don't be fooled by the funky name! Indah Cafe really lives up to it's name, both in food and aesthetics.

Located at Carpenter Street Kuching, Indah Cafe is one of the few new mushrooming cafes for nice food and drinks.

Food: What's special of Indah Cafe is that their food and drinks are hand made! Try the Beef Shepard Pie, with its nicely made beef bolognese wrapped in a soft cushion of potato pastry. Or sip their hot Lemon Tea, I highly recommend it especially after a hot sunny day. I haven't tried their coffee yet though.

Price: Being hand made, I'd say that the price is reasonable. In fact, some the food and drinks are relatively more affordable. Occasionally there will be seasonal promotions on certain meal sets.

Service: The staff are very friendly and helpful. You'll be greeted by warm smiles the moment you step into the cafe door.

Venue: The cafe has an extensive collection of artwork by local artists. Take your time to look through the paintings while enjoying your meal. The overall decorations add an ambient feeling of coziness within the old shophouse walls.

Verdict: A cafe, and an art gallery not to be missed next trip to...