If you’re at Sabah traveling from Kota Kinabalu to the Kinabalu Park or Kundasang, the only sane ground road to get there involves driving a long stretch of winding hilly road that is a dream to any motorcyclist (especially those who’re stuck driving a beat up rental Perodua Viva).
Sinalau Bakas along AH 150 Highway in Sabah
On this road you’ll come across a few road side stalls that is really, really smokey, and that’s where you’ll find one of the must-try indigenous Dusun food for those who consume non-halal food – Sinalau Bakas.
In the local language, Sinalau Bakas translate to smoked wild boar, and the dish is simple as it sounds – slabs of marinated wild boar meat smoked on an open BBQ pit, with the operator usually flipping those glorious meat while squinting or seated on a small “bangku” fanning the wood fire below.
smoked wild boar sure is done with plenty of smoke
The meat is usually only transferred to direct heat for cooking once you make your order, which means you’ll get it freshly prepared, and that usually involves some wait time of 10-15 minutes or longer.
As some say – if you wait for the food, it’s gonna be great, if the food waits for you, well…
this was our ten Ringgit’s worth of wild boar meat
The meat is very spicy in a traditional herbal way while not overly tough like you’d expect from wild boar. Get chunks with a fattier cut if you like it more tender. Sinalau Bakas is also served with traditional chili sauce that gives it a bit more kick. I actually found it overall to be rather tasty and we finished everything despite having a slightly leaner cut.
KY & Haze enjoying some wholesome wild boar meat
There’s no actual address for this place, but the GPS location below should help. You’re in better luck than me when I was asking Elfie the Sabahan girl where I could find these stalls!
P/S: and yes, I will be writing the long overdue Kinabalu Mountain Climbing post soon.
Address:
Sinalau Bakas stalls
Along AH 150 Highway,
about half way from Tuaran to Kinabalu Park
GPS: 6.107336, 116.367638
Hours: late morning to after lunch, not regular