Food is a main reason to visit Kuching. Sarawak's cooking blends Malay, Chinese, Dayak and Melanau traditions, and several of its best dishes are hard to find elsewhere in Malaysia. Meals are cheap, portions are modest and eating is a social event, so you can try a lot in a day. This guide covers the dishes to look for, the places they are served and a few habits that make eating easier.
Sarawak laksa
The signature dish is a bowl of rice vermicelli in a fragrant broth made from a spice paste, with prawns, shredded chicken, omelette strips and bean sprouts, finished with lime and sambal. It differs from the coconut-rich laksas of the peninsula and is usually eaten for breakfast. Many visitors have it on their first morning and again before they leave.
Kolo mee
This is the everyday noodle dish, a dry bowl of springy egg noodles tossed in a light sauce and topped with minced pork or char siu. There are halal versions made with beef or chicken, so ask if it matters to you. Kolo mee is simple, cheap and available all day at coffee shops.
Other dishes to try
Kompia is a Foochow bun, often filled with pork and baked in a clay oven. Tomato kueh chap is a peppery rice-noodle dish. Umai is a Melanau salad of raw fish dressed with lime and chilli. Manok pansoh is Iban chicken cooked in bamboo with lemongrass and tapioca leaves, and midin is a wild jungle fern stir-fried with garlic. Terubok, a local fish, appears in season, and prawn dishes are common near the coast.
Sweets and drinks
Sarawak layer cake, or kek lapis, comes in dozens of colours and patterns and makes a popular gift. Kuih, the small traditional cakes, fill market stalls. Teh C peng special is a tall glass of tea with layers of palm sugar syrup, evaporated milk and shaved ice and jellies. Coffee is strong and sweet unless you ask for less sugar, and fresh fruit juices are everywhere.
Where to eat
The coffee shop, or kopitiam, is the heart of local eating. Several stalls share a room with stools and fans, and you order from each. The old town around the Main Bazaar has many, along with food courts and night markets. Hawker centres are busiest at dinner. The Satok weekend market is the place for jungle produce and snacks. For a guided start, a food tour with tastings explains what is in each bowl and where to return.
How to order
Sit anywhere that is open, tell the drinks seller what you want and then walk to the food stalls. Pay at each stall or at the end when asked. Prices are low, so carry small notes. Many places are cash only. Ask for less spicy if you are cautious, and say if you avoid pork or shellfish, since the staff will usually help.
Dietary notes
Muslim-friendly food is easy to find, with many halal stalls and restaurants, though mixed coffee shops serve pork, so check the signs. Vegetarian choices exist, particularly at Chinese vegetarian stalls and Indian restaurants, but sauces often contain shrimp paste or fish, so ask. Allergies are best explained in simple words with a card in Malay or Chinese.
Street snacks and markets
Between meals, look for fried bananas, coconut pancakes, grilled satay, spring rolls and sticky rice parcels wrapped in leaves. The Satok weekend market and evening food courts are the best hunting grounds, and a handful of coins buys a surprising amount. Seasonal fruit, from rambutan and mangosteen to durian, appears at roadside stalls and is worth tasting even if you only try a small piece.
A day of eating
A good sample day starts with laksa or kolo mee at a coffee shop, a mid-morning kuih and tea, a lunch of noodles or rice at a food court, afternoon layer cake and a fresh juice and a dinner of seafood, jungle fern and rice. If you visit a longhouse, expect a simple meal of rice with bamboo-cooked meat and vegetables, which can be a highlight.
Eating and sightseeing
Time your meals around your plans. Breakfast stalls close by midday, markets are busiest in the evening and some places close one day a week. Keep snacks handy for national park days, drink water between meals and avoid raw salads from unknown sources if your stomach is sensitive. Above all, be curious, because the best dishes are often at the stall with the longest queue.