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Sarawak has just under 30 ethnic groups, each with their own culinary traditions and dining preferences
FOOD AND EATERIES IN KUCHING NOT TO BE MISSED
Sarawak - the "Land of the Hornbills" is located on the island of Borneo, and is one of the two states that make up East Malaysia.
According to the World Health Organisation, Kuching is an exemplary example of a healthy city. Boasted as one of the cleanest cities in Asia, Kuching has just the right amount of tourism. The food in Kuching is excellent, while prices are yet to be inflated by the tourist masses. No doubt, the variety of fresh vegetables and fruit and the traditional Sarawak cuisine is partly responsible, as is the melting pot of diverse dining available in city eateries.
From the top-class restaurants in the upscale hotels through the pricey specialist haunts for those with deep pockets, to the street and market stalls, food courts and ethnic dining venues, visitors to the city of Kuching need never go hungry, whatever their budget. Eating out at restaurants in Kuching is a way of life for local people, and the many unique Malaysian specialties are a delicious new experience for visitors.
Food in Kuching Not to Be Missed
Borneo's isolation and unique tribal history have produced many delicious foods that are difficult to find elsewhere. Clean waterways, rain forests full of life, and an average of 247 rainy days a year mean that fresh, healthy food is always on hand!
Sarawak has just under 30 ethnic groups, each with their own culinary traditions and dining preferences. Major cuisines in Kuching include Malay, Indonesian, Korean, Chinese and Indian, all enhanced with regional nuances which make the city a gourmet's paradise.
A unique feature of local cuisine is the use of forest ferns as vegetables and aromatic leaves for flavoring.
The famous Sarawak Laksa
1. SARAWAK LAKSA
Sarawak laksa' is available everywhere. The local Sarawak laksa is a creamy, spicy, local variation of Malaysia's ubiquitous soup. Jumbo prawns, bean sprouts, omelet strip, fresh lime and coriander lend a unique flavor to the broth which is thicker than that found in most noodle bowls - heavy but delicious. The noodles are usually made from thin vermicelli.
-> Pak Amit Cafe Laksa Sarawak.....mesti cuba punya
-> Tinot Laksa Sarawak
-> Mom's Laksa - antara Laksa Sarawak paling sedap di Kuching
2. KOLOK MEE
Another favourite is 'kolok mee'. Consisting of boiled egg noodles, kolo mee is the favorite noodle dish of many locals. The broth is usually made of black vinegar, peanut oil, and is flavored with garlic or shallots. Minced beef or chicken is often added in strips on top of the noodles.
-> Mee Kolok ADM (Gerai No.38, Kubah Ria) - Yang Paling 'Nyaman' Di Kuching
-> Mee Kolok Mangkuk Merah (Benteng) - Yang Paling Sedap Di Kuching
3. MIDIN
Midin - green jungle fern that grows in Sarawak
Fried Belacan Midin
If you try only one unique, local food in Kuching, make it midin. Pronounced "mee deen", midin is a green jungle fern that grows in Sarawak. Unlike other greens that get soft when cooked, midin remains crunchy giving it an enjoyable texture. The thin, curly shoots are a delicious and healthy alternative to noodles and rice. Midin is often stir-fried with garlic, ginger, or optionally shrimp paste (belacan) and chili.
Along with local foods, delicious Malaysian noodle dishes and Malaysian Indian food can be found everywhere!
If you happen to be in Kuching during the fasting month, be on the lookout for these Ramadan foods.
Due to its large Hokkien Foochow and Teochew community, Chinese food in Kuching is excellent, with Foochow dishes using red rice wine for its inimitable flavour. In the downtown and riverbank areas, visitors will find a good selection of international dining available, including both Italian and Japanese restaurants.
A few eateries serve Iban dishes, with a favourite being 'pansoh manok' - chicken with lemongrass cooked in a bamboo section over a fire, resulting in beautifully tender meat perfumed with bamboo and lemongrass.
ayam pansuh
Seafood dishes in Kuching restaurants are especially delicious, with the Melanau dish 'umai' - a simple salad of raw fish, shallots, lime juice and chillies, being one of the city's best loved treats.
Kuching is filled with interesting places to eat that fit all budgets. From luxurious, open-air bistros on the waterfront to steamy food courts serving delicious cheap noodles, you will want to try them all.
Top Spot Seafood Centre :
Set atop the Taman Kereta "hill garden" near the Hilton, this clean, spacious food court is a favorite with local families wanting delicious seafood. At first glance Top Spot can seem intimidating - if it crawls, swims, or lives in the sea, one of the restaurants will have it on display! Choose from a staggering variety of seafood, order by weight, and it will be cooked to order.
Open Air Market
Contradictory to its name, this large market is actually covered. Located nearby to the bus terminals, mosque, and India Street, the Open Air Market is actually set in a large roundabout - look for the red tower protruding from a tin-roofed building. Local favorites such as kook mee, tomato kueh teow, and other noodle specialties can be sampled for under $2.
Little Lebanon
Set inside the beautiful, white colonial building just opposite Carpenter Street in Chinatown, this open-air restaurant serves up local and Arabic foods. Portion sizes are larger than usual and dishes come with a little effort put into presentation for prices that would suggest otherwise. This is a great place to try mee mamak (Indian curry noodles) and umai, a native raw-fish salad flavored with chili, lime, and herbs.
Aha Organic Cafe
The Aha Cafe on Jalan Tabuan is an upscale yet not overpriced place to get tasty organic food made with no MSG and cooked without oil. Portion sizes aren't the largest, but the food and setting are enjoyable. The owner actually grows a lot of the food on her farms. Try the porridge made with pumpkin for around $3.
Life Cafe
Conveniently located on Carpenter Street in Chinatown, this new, stylish cafe serves up unique and traditional favorites for unexpected prices considering the environment. Free Wi-Fi, vegetarian options, and a large selection of tea make this cafe a great option in Chinatown.
Kuching Layer Cakes
One of the first things that people notice while walking along the Main Bazaar in Chinatown are the tables of colorful cakes sold in plastic boxes. Known locally as kek lapis, the layer cakes are edible art and come in a huge variety of flavors including coffee, sweet-and-sour, cheese, and assorted bizarre flavors you would not normally associate with a dessert.
If a whole cake - usually sold for about $3.50 - seems daunting, try buying just a piece for 50 cents in either the Sunday Market or from a bakery, the vendors selling cakes from tables will not cut them.
Coffee and Tea in Kuching
Known locally as kopi and teh, people in Sarawak love their coffee and tea. A slightly-confusing system of getting what you want in cafes has developed. If you do not specify how you take your coffee or tea, the default is to load the drink with milk and sugar!
Kopi : If you just ask for coffee, expect sugar and sweet, condensed milk.
Kopi-C : Pronounded "see", this coffee comes with unsweetened, evaporated milk.
Kopi-O : Pronounced "oh", this removes the milk from the coffee but possibly not the sugar
Kopi-O Kosong : Simply black coffee, served hot and strong.
*** The Malay word for sugar is "gula"; the word for milk is "suss".
Relevant entries :
-> Restoran Kopi 0 Korner - Jalan Satok
-> Restoran Barok - Kpg Boyan
-> Restoran Kets Kitchen - Jalan Matang
-> Restoran Rumah Hijau (Green House Restaurant)
