How do you enjoy to the fullest and have great food on a solo trip to Kuching?

March 29, 2021 | Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

Traveling solo means that not only you get to enjoy the scenery along the way, you can also get to eat the local delicacies to your satisfaction. When you arrive in Sarawak, it is not enough to just take a stroll along the Kuching Waterfront and visit the Cat Museum. The authentic snacks you can find along the streets and alleys of Sarawak are unique and delicious. You will only know how fascinating the food are after trying them.

Delightful kolo mee

Not a single meal can be left out, you can enjoy Sarawak delicacies three meals a day. Let me take you around to eat all day!

Breakfast

A delicious and nutritious breakfast is definitely essential to start the day.

Kolo mee

A breakfast the locals cannot do without is a bowl of kolo mee. The thin slices of char siu (pork slice), the flavorful minced meat, and the hand made noodles make this dish very unique. Some stores do it with zheng (mixed pork soup). The soup is rich with aroma and full of ingredients such as meatballs and internal organs of pork.

Delicious kolo mee

Recommended Restaurant: Kim Joo Kolo Mee

Address: 73 Jalan Ewe Hai, 93000 Kuching, Sarawak

Laksa

In addition to Sarawak’s special meal, Kolo Mee, the one and only Sarawak Laksa is also not to be missed. The rich broth ̶̶ made from a variety of spices, served with prawns and shredded chicken, a few drops of squeezed lime juice is appetizing and tantalizing to one’s taste buds.

Tasty laksa

Recommended Restaurant: Chong Choon Café

Address: 275, Jalan Chan Chin Ann, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak

Popiah and toast

Popiah and toast can be said to be companions common in local breakfast menu. The local Popiah is made of turnip filling wrapped in soft thin paper-like crepe made from wheat flour. Paired with toasted bread and a cup of local coffee, a day of vitality is ahead.

A great combination: Popiah and toast (Picture from: Instagram @ Sarawak My Hometown)

Recommended Restaurant: Choon Hui Café

Address: 34, Jalan Ban Hock, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak

Mee Jawa

Mee jawa, a popular noodle dish in Sarawak, is made of yellow egg noodles, topped with tofu, bean sprouts, hard-boiled eggs and sauce. Sometimes, satay (meat skewer) comes with the meal. A good breakfast choice too.

Brightly colored mee jawa (Picture from: Cai Yu)

Recommended Restaurant: Mee Jawa Rabak

Address: 100, 82, Jalan Main Bazaar, 93000 Kuching, Sarawak

Lunch

It is hard to decide what to eat when faced with such a wide selection of delicious food as you walk around the streets of Kuching. I recommend trying all the delicacies to satisfy your appetite.

Kompia

Kompia, originated from Chaoshan, is very popular in Malaysia. The kompia is crunchy when fried till crispy and golden brown. The locals like to eat Kompia with meat fillings. The aroma from a baked Kompia combined with the fragrant smell of meat make you want to eat more.

Kompia with rich fillings

Rojak

Rojak means “mixture” in Malay. A vegetable and fruit salad dish that reflects the diverse culture of Malay. Rojak cleverly blends various fruits and fritters with a spicy palm sugar paste, then topped with crushed peanuts. You can enjoy this authentic snack anytime.

“Mixed” Rojak (Image source: tripadvisor)

Recommended Restaurant: Song Kheng Hai Hawker Centre

Address: Jalan Song Kheng Hai, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak

Sarawak kek lapis

The colorful Sarawak kek lapis is often served during religious or cultural celebrations. As the celebrity in the cake category, this traditional cake comes in different colors and patterns, so you must remember to take photos of it.

“Net celebrities”: kek lapis

Recommended Restaurant: Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah Kuching

Address: Petra Jaya, 40, Jalan Gersik, Kampung Gersik, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak

Kueh chap

When preparing kueh chap, attention is given to the cleanliness of the internal organs as they are the signature of the dish. The flat wide rice noodles rolls are soft and smooth. The rich meat based broth is an important part of the dish. The combination of the ingredients gives a fantastic and aromatic taste.

Delicious kueh chap

Meat Satay

Satay is one of the common barbecue food on the streets of Kuching. The marinated beef or chicken on skewers are grilled over hot burning charcoal and paired with a special spicy peanut sauce. The aroma of the satay itself is tempting enough

Savory Satay (Image source: when2meets2)

Recommended Restaurant: Lau Ya Keng Foodcourt

19, Carpenter St, 93000

Black olives fried rice

Black olives is a famous fruit in Sarawak. The locals use marinated black olives in their fried rice. The aroma of the olive penetrates the rice and makes it very appetising.

Full-grain black olives fried rice

Recommended Restaurant: Warong Nusantara

Address: 23, 14, Jalan Bukit Mata Kuching, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak

Dinner

The restaurants and cafes at the street become lively when night falls. The food available at night in Kuching must not be missed.

Crispy fried oyster pancake

The local food court is said to be a paradise for foodies; you can taste authentic delicacies at each stall. Crispy fried oyster pancake is a decadent meal of lovely oysters fried in pancake batter with lots of eggs. You’ll love stir-fried Bidin, one of the must-order special dishes. Many of the delicacies can’t be found elsewhere; you would want to try them all.

Crispy fried oyster pancake (Image source: JacquelineTiong)

Stir-fried midin

Recommended Restaurant: Top Spot Food Court

Address: Jalan Padungan, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak

Bamboo chicken

Bamboo chicken is a traditional delicacy of the Ibans in Sarawak. The way to make it is to stuff the bamboo roll with chicken, red onion, ginger, lemongrass and other spices then close the opening with cassava leaves. The bamboo is roasted slowly over fire. The tender chicken takes on a slightly burnt woody taste from the bamboo and goes very well with rice.

agrant bamboo chicken (Image source: Lepau)

Recommended Restaurant: Rumah Asap Dayak Samarahan

Address: 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak

Crispy roast pork

Crispy roast pork is hard to make. The skin is crispy and crunchy, yet the meat an be tender and juicy. Only an expert knows how to pull off this amazing dish. You can’t stop after a bite.

Roasted pork with crispy skin and tender meat

Recommended Restaurant: Yue Fang Yuan

Address: 370, Jalan Kampung Simpang Tiga,Kuching, 93200

Tuak

Why would you even care whether you are single as long as there is wine and a good story? When you come to Kuching, you must not miss Tuak, the traditional rice wine brewed by the Dayak. A sweet taste with unique flavor; it is made from glutinous rice. It is good to savor it alone, enjoying a private moment of drunkenness.

Unique “tuak” rice wine (Image source: Pinterest)

All-you-can-drink location: Drunk Monkey Old Street Bar

Address: 68, Jalan Carpenter, 93000 Kuching

You should find a comfortable place to rest when drowsiness sets in after drinking and eating, without worrying about getting home, and just be able to enjoy the rare solitude. Then you can sleep like a log and be ready to embark on a new journey in the best state of mind the next day.

Lodging

The Marian Boutique Lodging House

The Marian is a boutique hotel in Kuching. It has 40 interesting mixed rooms, ranging from 2 bedroom to family room and 2 room apartment.

The Marian Boutique Lodging House with beautiful scenery (Image source: Instagram@ marian_sarawak)

The hotel is located right in city centre within walking distance to the esplanade and most tourist attractions such as the Chinese History Museum, Tua Pek Kong Temple, Main Bazaar, Chinatown, Sarawak River and so on. You can feel the heartbeat of the city and enjoy a panoramic view. It is a convenient place for tourists to stay.

A corner of the hotel (Image source: Instagram@ the.wrendy.clan)

The Culvert Resort Kuching

Ever tried an unconventional hotel? The lodging is made of concrete drainage pipes. If you are tired of sleeping in cookie-cutter hotels, why not try this a one-of-a kind experience?

Special “drainage” room (Image source: Instagram@ travelokamy)

The dense green vegetation and trees are starkly juxtaposed with grey coloured concrete pipes, forming a oddly beautiful landscape. The rooms in these mini-spaces are cozy and comfortable. A sliding wooden door separates the sleeping area from the compact bathroom. You will definitely feel a different charm when you rest in this unique space.

Interior of a room (Image source: The Culvert Resort Kuching Official Website)

Cove 55

Cove 55 was originally built to be a family villa. It’s luxury yet minimalistic, traditional meets western design, uncluttered and spacious. This beachfront property is a haven. Looking out from the balcony, the view is breathtaking when the sea and the sky reflect each other.

The hotel’s beautiful surroundings (Image source: Instagram@cheahyz)

There are different types of rooms to choose from. You can stay in the garden room if you like to see flowers and plants. If you prefer privacy, you can choose a villa room. The villa is an outbuilding built on the garden near pool deck. It is a good opportunity to take pictures and post on the internet to show off to your circle of friends.