Budget
Chong Choon
Jl. abell opposite maybank. one of kuching's two famous laksa joints. usually sold out by noon.
Pure Fish Ball Cafe
Halal. It is a nice and comfortable A/C cafe selling local food especially pure fish mee noodle with 100% mackeral fish meat.
Delicafe Patisseries
Charming staff, good coffee. Also does orange juice and cereal. Good change for anyone wanting a break from fried food. WiFi access.
Midrange
Benson Seafood
No. 112 jln tunku abdul rahman, â +30 82 255262. a riverside restaurant that specializes in fresh chinese style seafood. it is well-established and don't be surprised to see them catering to groups of tourists.
Hong Kong Noodle House
Jln pandungan, opposite bing cafe. standard hk fare like roast duck on rice or noodles. they also serve local chinese dishes and is open for lunch and dinner.
Oriental Kitchen
Satok. this restaurant serve variety of malay and chinese food. it's halal so muslim visitors can enjoy this one.
Hartz Chicken Buffet
Satok & sarawak plaza. this buffet restaurant is a franchise to the all-american chicken buffet. you can eat as much as you want for rm17.70 per person. crispy and spicy fried chicken, wide range of salads, mashed potatoes, cakes, breads, ice-creams and fruits.
SideWalk Cafe
Green heights towards airport, on the right-hand side of the bdc flyover/roundabout. alfresco style western food away from the city near the airport. its only open in the evenings till late and is popular with locals.
Pinoy Grill Cafe
No. 143 jln pandungan next to pandungan police station, â +30 12 8965651. a nice cosy place that serves filipino food. the fried whole pork leg is popular.
Top end
Bla Bla Bla
Wayang street a few shops down from the junk, â +30 82 233944. a chinese restaurant which was opened by the same restaurateurs as the junk. it quickly became an institution for fine chinese cuisine in kuching shortly after it opened in 2005. the interior is designed with a balinese theme and some of the dishes they are famous for are the ostrich-rolls, soft-shell crabs, and drunken duck. bookings are advisable.
Dayang Cafe
Satok. it looks like a budget cafe place, but don't be fooled by its looks. the food is a variety of nasi campur and roti canai. it might drain out your wallet, but if you love to splurge, try this one. the old woman who guards the cash machine might look furious and loves to overcharge you, but sometimes can be helpful if you ask for something.
Li Garden Chinese Restaurant
Jl. abang abdul rahim inside hock lee centre, 1st floor, â +30 82 340785. a popular chinese restaurant that serves a good peking duck.
The Living Room
Wayang street beside bla bla bla. â +30 12 8880827. 6pm-12am. a third chain by the same restaurateurs as the junk and bla bla bla. it has a nice courtyard with fountains suitable for people who are just looking for some relaxation in a busy city. it is a must for people who are looking for pure relaxation. food from the junk and bla bla bla can be ordered here too. there are some good selections of wines as well and a living room cocktail.
Ristorante Beccari
Jl. tun abang haji inside merdeka palace hotel, â +30 82 270808. a good authentic style italian restaurant. the wood-fired pizzas are excellent.
Top Spot Food Court
Jl. bukit mata top floor of 'taman kereta' carpark, opposite tun jugah shopping mall. has a wide range of food stalls ranging from the budget to the pricey. most locals and tourists come here for the fresh seafood stalls which are on the pricey side. most of the stalls serve good food, but beware; always ask to see a menu with prices - some stalls have been known to 'accidentally' over-charge tourists.
Sarawakian dishes
Sarawak Laksa
Sarawak laksa is the most noticably sarawakian food in kuching. it was a favourite among sarawakian from chinese and malay decent. it has a base of sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. ingredients such as bean sprouts, sliced fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but are sometimes added. non-halal sarawak laksa can be found at most chinese coffee shops while halal sarawak laksa can be found at most malay coffee shops and some mamak too. halal and non-halal sarawak laksa are not that different, except for the usage of halal chicken meat and the cooking utensils used by the cook. the chinese version of sarawak laksa has a less thick gravy but is rich with condiments and toppings. the malay version of sarawak laksa has a thicker gravy but more taugeh beansprouts.
Kolok Mee
Kolok mee is a type of noodle dish commonly found in sarawak. it is served throughout the day - for breakfast, lunch or even supper though some eateries only serve kolok mee until noon because supplies run out. it is made of egg noodle, blanched in water that looks like instant noodle and served in a light sauce with some condiments like sliced pork, chicken cutlets, minced meat or sometimes shredded beef though this is unusual. the difference between kolok mee and wontan mee, which is popular in the peninsula, is that kolok mee is not drenched in dark soy sauce and water is not added to the noodles when served. kolok mee comes in two common flavours, plain or seasoned with red sauce. cooks tend to season kolok mee with red sauce when they are served with pork. occasionally, diners may also request their kolok mee to be seasoned with soy sauce, to give the dish a darker appearance with enhanced saltiness.
Mee sapi
Mee sapi mi sapi is a gravy-ish version of kolok mee. it is garnished and prepared just like kolok mee with a slight difference in cooking method. the noodle can be somewhat egg noodle been used in kolok mee, or mee pok, mi sanggul - a curly type of noodle similar to angelhair spaghetti).
Mi Jawa
Mi jawa mee jawa in kuching or sarawak in general is somewhat different from the one served in peninsular malaysia, or even at its birthplace on java island. it is a thick egg yellow noodle served with tiny slice of chicken and a sprinkle of 'daun sup' or bay leaves. some coffee shops serve a 'special' type of mee jawa which you need to add from 50 cents to rm1.50 with an additional few sticks of satay chicken and/or beef. mee jawa is normally served at malay/mamak coffee shops.
Midin
The locals greatly indulge in jungle fern such as the midin quite similar to pucuk paku that is popular in the peninsular. midin is much sought after for its crisp texture and great taste. midin is usually served in two equally delicious ways - fried with either garlic or belacan. you can try midin when you eat nasi campur during lunch hours in kuching. most coffee shops, served midin daily for 'nasi campur'.
Bubur pedas
Unlike many other porridge that we know, bubur pedas is cooked with a specially prepared paste. it is quite spicy thanks to its ingredients, which include spices, turmeric, lemon grass, galangal, chillies, ginger, coconut and shallots. like the famous bubur lambuk of kuala lumpur. bubur pedas is exclusive dish prepared during the month of ramadan and served during the breaking of fast. so don't expect to eat bubur pedas at anytime you want.
Manok kacangma
Manok kacangma is a chinese type of dish which has grown in wider popularity in sarawak. it is a chicken dish which normally be eaten with white rice. kacangma is a type of herb which normally being used for medical and healing purposes. it is believed that woman who eat manok kacangma can enjoy ease menses. as for malay, they normally cook manok kacangma without wine, while as for iban and chinese, they squinch in wine for more delicate taste. you can try manok kacangma when you eat 'nasi campur' during lunch hours in kuching. however, it is extremely hard to find a coffee shop or restaurant who serves this.
Unlike fellow Malaysians in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, the range of food and drinks in Sarawak, particularly Kuching is somewhat different. Here are the food you might never heard of when you browse through the food menu:
Roti corned beef
Roti canai is a widely-known peninsular-origin of indian decent food of malaysia. however, sarawakian has modified one type of roti canai which you might not find on peninsular malaysia even in mamak stalls or malay coffee shops. it is a roti canai with a corned beef filling and is widely available at malay and mamak coffee shops. it can be bought for as low as rm2 per piece due to cheap canned corned beef. however, since the gateway-brand corned beef was officially considered non-halal, roti corned beef has lost its popularity and if it does exist, the price may range from rm4-rm5 per piece.
Manok pansoh
Manok pansoh is the most common dish among iban. it is a chicken dish which normally be eaten with white rice. chicken pieces are cut and stuffed into the bamboo together with other ingredients like mushrooms, lemongrass, tapioca leaves etc and cooked over an open fire - similar to the way lemang is cooked. this natural way of cooking seals in the flavours and produces astonishingly tender chicken with a gravy perfumed with lemongrass and bamboo. manok pansoh cannot be found easily in all restaurants and coffee shops. some restaurants require advanced booking of manok pansoh dish prior to your arrival.
Coffee, see, and tea, oh!
Coffee and tea in hawker centres and kopitiam goes from 60 cents to RM3 per cup/glass, a steep discount on Starbucks prices, but you'll need to learn the lingo to get what you want. If you order just kopi the Malay word for "coffee" or teh Hokkien for "tea" in Kuching, it will definitely be served with a heaped spoonful of sugar, and more often than not with a squirt of sweet condensed milk. Kopi-C or teh-C substitutes unsweetened evaporated milk, while kopi-O or teh-O makes sure it's served with no milk. To get rid of the sugar, you need to ask for it kosong "plain", but if you want a cup of thick black coffee, you need to ask for kopi-O kaw! If you want your drink cold, just add a peng to the end of the drink name, eg. kopi-O-peng, teh-peng, teh-C-peng, Milo-peng etc. and it will be served with ice. There's a special thing about Teh-C. If you request for teh-C-special, you'll get a Teh-C with 'gula apong' coconut sugar or sometimes with a little bit of honey. Some eating place come with different portion of drinks, such as Small, Big/Large and Jumbo. Choose based on your appetite. The bigger the portion, the more expensive the drinks.
Eating out is the major pastime, with a huge variety of eateries and food available. Most places are pretty cheap with excellent service but the more "local", the less English spoken. Be sure to sample some Sarawak laksa, but beware - it's considered a breakfast dish here and the popular places sell out fast. For the local Chinese, kolo mee, a noodle dish served with slices of roasted pork, is also a daily staple. Although most places are quite clean, there are some which are not. A rule of thumb is if you're not comfortable with it, then walk somewhere else. There are plenty to choose from.