ROOTS Restaurant — Restaurant in Sarawak

I took some time before writing this because I wanted to be fair, but honestly, the experience was disappointing — especially when the restaurant is marketed as a place for special occasions.

We started with the Cincalok Fried Chicken Thigh with Lime and the Grilled Octopus with Toasted Chickpeas. The chicken was okay, nothing special, and more importantly — no sauce. It felt incomplete, especially after seeing how it’s usually plated online. It’s a small thing, but it set the tone. On the other hand, the grilled octopus was genuinely good — tender, flavourful, and honestly the best dish of the night.

Then came the main dish — the steak, and this is where things really fell apart. First, the steak came completely covered in gravy. A steak shouldn’t be drowned in sauce — especially when it’s supposed to be the highlight of the meal. I would’ve preferred the sauce on the side or at least not poured all over it.

But the real issue came when we cut into it. The steak was incredibly tough — we couldn’t even chew through a single piece properly. As someone who genuinely enjoys and knows steak, this was disappointing. The texture reminded me of those tougher imported cuts often used for rendang — definitely not something you’d expect at this price point. When I told them the steak was chewy, it ended up cooked nearly well-done, which just dried it out even more. It honestly tasted like cardboard.

I expected better ingredient control and quality checks, especially from a place led by Chef John. If there have already been complaints about this particular beef, the team should be honest and transparent with customers — especially when the price is RM179 for a single steak.

They did offer a complimentary pumpkin risotto with snapper, which I appreciated, but by that point the experience had already taken a turn. Sadly, even the fish wasn’t fresh — no sweetness, no flavour — unlike the octopus which clearly used good, fresh seafood.

At the end of the night, I still paid full price for a dish that didn’t meet my expectations at all. And for a special night, that really stings.

I’m not sure if I’d come back — or recommend the place to anyone — especially not for a celebration. It’s a night I won’t forget, but not for the...

Been here a few times and always thought this place is the best western/tapas food you can get in kuching. However the last time I went on 8/2/25 the quality tanked a little.

Don’t get me wrong. I think the food is generally still amazing. But for some reason everything we had that day was extra salty. After our starter we were looking for our drinks because it was that salty. The drinks came very late too.

Also, a little let down that they don’t serve just normal/table water, but instead only offer overpriced Aqua Panna, so we ordered a small bottle of coconut kombucha (rm28 ++ !!).

The cauliflower soup was to die for. The star of this dish was actually the bread. It was so soft and buttery and it soaks up the rather salty otherwise amazing soup.

Paella was amazing too, but again, too salty.

Truffle meat pasta was good. A tad too greasy and again, too salty.

Cured meat risotto was kind of average. Definitely go for the paella instead. The risotto base was fragrant, a little too runny to my liking, and the cured meat saltiness was too much considering how salty the risotto is.

Portion of each dish was just right, if not a little small for one person. For the price they charge I was hoping it would be...

📍ROOTS bistronomy @ Kuching Old Courthouse

Our dinner date here was exquisite. We’ve been here a couple of times, and have always ordered their specialty ‘Paella’. The heart of the cuisine here is how they incorporate spices from its ‘roots’. Proud of their Sarawakian heritage, the fusion cuisine served here truly is exquisite.

🥘 The Paella here isn’t your typical ‘wet’ Spanish Paella. Bario Rice with garlic aioli, Indian Saffron, Sarawak Black Pepper, Chilli flakes with various herbs are baked to perfection. Crispy at the edges, the vegetarian Paella has never failed to deliver its goodness. Fresh lemon for squeezing is provided, giving it the optional zesty punch.

🍄 The wild mushroom soup was most unique and delicious. The emphasis here is on the usage of wild mushrooms and the ‘Kulim’ fruit, a garlicky herb giving the mushroom soup a whole new angle. It was lovely.

Since we were on a budget, these 2 dishes sufficed, and it was well worth it.

💪 I love how quite a number of Sarawakian cafes place a strong emphasis on their roots. It’s a pride that should be embraced; a cultural strength that Sarawakians...