1. Atok Kopitiam
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Table etiquette is persistently brushed aside when faced with broken silverware, fish bones, and hungry siblings. Divide and conquer with today’s Groupon you get a speciality chicken or fish rice dish at Atok Kopitiam in Kuching.Anticipate assortments of rice dishes for hunger pangs and carbohydrate cures with four options for a party of two or four. Those who is chicken lovers will fill saucy delights with nasi ayam penyet or nasi ayam percik presenting deep fried meats while fishy fans chew on nasi ikan bawal and reel from exciting sambal servings. Indecisive individuals opt for safe selection in signature nasi Atok Kopitiam as filled tummies turn attentions and spare manners to mobile screens to scurry about available Wi-Fi.
2. Bukit Mata Seafood Center
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Topspot is reputed to be the finest, most favourable place to eat decent (Halal) seafood in the Kuching town area. There, you will find a massive variety of fish, jellyfish, prawns, crabs, lobster, shellfish and many other sea creatures, (apparently) fresh off the fisherman’s boat.
3. Kuching Waterfront Restaurant
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A Kuching restaurant with a view to savour when munching through great cuisine is The Waterfront Restaurant located inside the Hilton Kuching Hotel. This buffet style Kuching restaurant offers a marvellous spread of tasty food including the local favourite of Pansoh Manuk. Another preferred in Sarawak restaurants is the ever famous Kolo Mee. The egg noodles are blanched in water then seasoned with local condiments and then served with a light sauce accompanied by chicken or pork resulting in a dish that is different from its contemporary noodle dishes because of the lack of dark soy sauce.
4. The Junk
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Junk Restaurant is a restaurant that already wins award and specialises in the fusion of Italian, Western and Asian cuisines. They also offer a tasteful list of handmade pizzas, even adding their own twist to conventional toppings. Whether it is an intimate table for two or a group of 12, Junk Restaurant has a few dining areas to cater to your needs. Opening hours are from 6 pm and the kitchen closes at 10:45 pm and extended to 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
5. The Dyak
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When it opened a few years ago, the Dyak caused an impact. It was the first place in Borneo to take classic Dayak recipes, mostly seen as home-cooking or street food, and turn them into restaurant cuisine. Set in an alluring, artifact-lined dining room, it offers one of the complete culinary experiences in Kuching. Each meal can be sourced back to a local ethnic tradition. Try the tempoyak with anchovies, then enjoy the huge manok gulai upa kelapa, braised chicken and not to forget coconut palm in a rich creamy broth. No visitor should leave without trying the ice cream dessert smothered in tuak, the local rice wine.
6. Jambu
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A few upscale restaurants in Kuching practice a fusion cuisine, cooking locally sourced ingredients with western techniques, but none do it as successfully as Jambu. Its building, a grandiose hall, all tall ceilings and elegant low-lit lighting, was once the go-to place for glamorous colonial get-togethers. French-style starters such as homemade chicken pate and garlic-soused escargots can be followed with steaks and grilled fish. The sea bass is served together with Bornean coconut and lemongrass flavors, while the Sarawak chicken comes with local star beans and a Mediterranean source. Sip some wine, be entertained by the evocative jazz soundtrack and take yourself back to the building’s 1920s heyday. The adjoining lounge bar, with a leafy garden terrace, serves tapas.
7. Ling Loong Seafood
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It would be folly indeed to come to Kuching and not to try the seafood, plucked from the Sawarak River and Pacific Ocean. Brilliant fish can be found all over the city, but for the very freshest morsels, you should go for the Top Spot Food Court. Follow the neon-lit lobster up five floors to the roof of a garage, and you will find half a dozen stalls jostling for your attention. Among them, Ling Loong Seafood is often regarded as the best.
8. Bla Bla Bla
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Popular with well-heeled young locals and national celebrities alike, Bla Bla Bla is an epicentre of the lately industrialised, economically flourishing Malaysia. The kitschy décor is eclectic, with Japanese koi ponds, an Indonesian Buddha and a candlelit courtyard. The chilli midin salad is one of best around, made with fern freshly cropped from the jungle and garnished with a lavishly textured sauce. For those who wish for a little flesh, the mozzarella-stuffed ostrich is fantastic, while the sugarcane chicken has a seamless blend of spicy and sweet. Most dishes come in massive servings, designed to be shared. Sister restaurant and also The Junk, which serves Italian food, stands in three early 20th-century shophouses just down the street.
9. My Little Kitchen
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Kuching is not short of pleasing family-run businesses, but My Little Kitchen must be one of the most beguiling. Run by a genial couple, one Malay, one Finnish, the kitchen serves a short, ever-rotating menu of foods from around the world. The restaurant’s main dish, Swedish meatballs with gravy and mash, is only served at the weekend, but throughout the week diners can enjoy a variety of roasted meats, wraps and salads. Everything, down to the bread, is handmade and locally sourced, with no additives and only high-quality ingredients. My Little Kitchen is located down a charming lane in the waterfront area.
10. 21 Bistro
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A combination of cocktail bar and restaurant, 21 bistro is the natural habitué of the young professional. Set in the heart of Old Chinatown, prepare for jazz, a zestful atmosphere and conversations with interested locals. The various menu offers visitors from around the world a taste of home. The fried bee hoon are delicious, as is the salmon teriyaki and the grilled red snapper. The lobster thermidor is crunchy and juicy, and the meat, from lamb cutlets to New Zealand steaks, finely done. A house band plays swing and easy listening most nights.
