Kuching is far more than a city famous for cats and orangutans — UNESCO designated it a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2021. The food here reflects centuries of Chinese, Malay, Iban, and Melanau communities living side by side, producing flavours that are intensely spiced, richly layered, and built from Bornean ingredients you will not encounter anywhere else.
#1 Sarawak Laksa
Kuching's defining dish. The broth is a coconut-milk base spiced with more than 20 varieties of Sarawak curry paste, served over thin white vermicelli with prawns, shredded chicken, egg, and bean sprouts. TasteAtlas voted it the best dish in Asia in 2021. The original recipe is widely credited to Goh Lik Teck's stall on Carpenter Street, dating to 1945.
- Eat it as breakfast — locals queue for laksa between 7 am and 10 am.
- Popular spots such as Choon Hui and Pontian White Coffee often have long lines in the morning.
- Ask for sambal belacan on the side if you want extra heat — it deepens the flavour considerably.
#2 Kolo Mee
Springy egg noodles blanched and tossed in shallot oil or lard with a light dressing, then topped with char siu (barbecued pork), wontons, fried shallots, and greens. Served hot, it works as any meal from breakfast through dinner and is a daily staple for Kuching residents.
- Try kolo mee putih (white sauce) versus kolo mee merah (red sauce) — they differ in oil and seasoning.
- Add a soft-boiled egg or extra wontons; both cost just a few ringgit.
- The best stalls are usually tucked inside neighbourhood morning markets (pasar pagi).
#3 Ayam Pansuh (Manok Pansoh)
The signature dish of the Iban people. Chicken is marinated with lemongrass, bungkang leaves, ginger, and cassava leaves, packed into a bamboo tube, then slow-cooked over a traditional fire. The resulting broth carries a faint scent of bamboo and forest herbs, and the meat is tender and juicy — a flavour that genuinely cannot be replicated outside of Sarawak.
- Look for it at Sarawakian native restaurants such as Bla Bla Bla Restaurant or at cultural village dining experiences.
- Call ahead if you're visiting as a group — some restaurants need 1–2 hours' notice.
- It is almost always served with plain rice; ordering it alongside other native dishes makes for a fuller spread.
#4 Umai
A raw seafood salad from the Melanau fishing community. Fresh fish or shellfish is cured in calamansi lime juice until just set — similar in technique to a ceviche — then combined with crushed peanuts, shallots, and chilli for a balance of sour, salty, and spicy. Originally a fisherman's lunch, it is now on the menu at most Kuching seafood restaurants.
- Ask for the freshest catch of the day — umai lives or dies by ingredient quality.
- Try it with traditional sago rice (nasi sago) instead of plain rice.
- Seek out restaurants in Melanau community areas, or ask any local seafood place if they carry it.
#5 Midin (Wild Jungle Fern)
A wild fern found only in Sarawak's rainforests. Locals forage it fresh, then stir-fry it with belacan (shrimp paste), garlic, and chilli, or toss it in oyster sauce. The result is crisp, mildly sweet, and carries a distinct forest note. Sarawakians consider it a point of regional pride.
- Order it whenever you see it on a menu — it does not exist outside Sarawak.
- Belacan-stir-fried is the most popular preparation and the most rounded in flavour.
- Supply varies with what foragers find that day; on weekends it sells out fast.
#6 Kek Lapis Sarawak
A vividly coloured steamed layer cake that has become one of Sarawak's cultural symbols. It received a Malaysian Geographical Indication in 2010. Each layer is meticulously grilled and set before the next is added — a process repeated across more than 100 distinct pattern variations. It is Kuching's most popular take-home gift.
- Buy directly from a producer rather than a souvenir shop — the cake will be fresher and you can usually sample before buying.
- It keeps for several days at room temperature when wrapped tightly, making it practical to carry home.
- Carpenter Street shops typically stock dozens of patterns; price scales with the complexity of the design.
Where to stay in Kuching for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Kuching — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
The Waterfront Hotel Kuching
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QuiikCat
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Riverside Majestic Hotel Astana Wing
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Grand Margherita Hotel
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Tours, tickets & activities in Kuching
Day tours, attraction tickets and travel essentials for Kuching — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
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Before You Pack
Kuching's food scene is compelling enough to warrant a return trip planned around eating. Skip the tourist-facing spots when you can — the stalls where locals actually sit down for breakfast or lunch consistently outperform them on flavour.