Sylvester Kitchen’s claypot curry pork ribs warm the appetite

Lim operates Sylvester’s Kitchen at Shi Ding Ji Café, Hua Joo Park, Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Dec 26: The succulent, mouth-watering curry pork ribs from Sylvester’s Kitchen at Hua Joo Park have quietly emerged as a standout culinary gem, offering something rare and deeply satisfying to local food lovers.

For many Sarawakians, a well-cooked pork dish is comfort food at its finest. But when infused with rich curry spices and slow-cooked until tender, the experience is elevated, stimulating the appetite and leaving a lasting impression.

For the past six months, Sylvester’s Kitchen has been serving its signature curry pork ribs in a clay pot, drawing regulars and curious first-timers alike.

The dish is the creation of Sylvester Lim, a 61-year-old self-taught cook and hospitality veteran with more than three decades of experience, including serving patrons at a five-star hotel in Singapore.

Now retired from hotel service, Lim has brought his lifelong passion for cooking to the local food scene.

Sylvester’s Kitchen offers succulent curry pork rib.

“Back then, I served hotel guests. Today, I’m sharing flavours that I’ve loved since childhood,” he said, expressing gratitude to his late mother, whom he credits as his greatest mentor.

He added that he is both pleased and pleasantly surprised by the warm response to his stall and its offerings.

“I’ve always loved familiar local pork dishes, and the kitchen has always been my favourite playground. At home, I would cook hearty, flavourful meals. My mother guided me on how to prepare good pork dishes properly,” Lim shared.

Growing up in Pusa, Saratok, a small village, Lim said the older generation, especially his mother, understood what made a dish truly good.

“Those flavours stayed with me. They shaped who I am and helped me improve my cooking skills and eventually create my own pork dishes,” he said.

After retiring from the hospitality industry, Lim decided to open his stall, choosing curry pork ribs as a signature dish because it is rarely found at street stalls, even in Kuching.

Side dishes of blanched lady-finger and five-spice meat rolled (‘ngo hiang’) available at Sylvester’s Kitchen.

“I’m happy with the result. Many customers now come back regularly just for this dish,” he told The Dayak Daily, adding that his former chef friends are always just a phone call away should he need advice.

In addition to curry pork ribs, Sylvester’s Kitchen serves a variety of comforting local dishes, including stewed pork, herbal chicken (kacangma), curry chicken, five-spice meat rolls (ngo hiang), and red glutinous wine chicken. All dishes are served with rice at affordable prices.

“The culinary knowledge I inherited from my late mother and friends is now my asset in retirement. I’ve become a self-taught cook who can confidently prepare all these dishes,” Lim said.

He added that this new chapter has kept him motivated and active, as he is not one to sit idle.

“I don’t spend long hours at the stall, but I enjoy staying busy and serving dishes people know and love. It’s fulfilling to share my family’s versions of these recipes with the public, earn a living, and keep myself occupied at this age,” he said with a chuckle.

Sylvester’s Kitchen operates at Shi Ding Ji Café, Hua Joo Park, Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli, from 10am to 2.30pm daily, except Tuesdays. For enquiries, call 011-2382 1606. — DayakDaily