The Ruai Room, Bukit Petaling

The Ruai Room is Bukit Petaling’s new Sabahan-founded, Borneo-flavoured restaurant, its garden setting inspired by a communal longhouse spirit.

Specialities indigenous to Sabah and Sarawak hold their natural ground here: Manuk pansuh bamboo-steamed chicken, soothingly herbaceous in tapioca leaves; earthy-nutty dabai fruit-infused keropok; flame-grilled sotong katak from shallow shores off Sabah, bouncy in buttery, spicy-sweet sauce.

Fish dishes are also available, from seasonal grouper umai to Kota Kinabalu-style fish belly noodle soup, served with warmth and care. Even the coffee, tea and coconut beverages are reputedly Sabah-sourced.