Where to eat in Kuching

28 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Kuching. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Eat
Authentic Hock King Chicken Rice
Basic, but quite generous meals throughout the day. Mr Hock is one of the better hosts in Kuching, fluent in multiple languages and will do almost anything to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Many local celebrities stop by for lunch regularly as Hock King is well connected.
Eat
Bismillah Cafe
If you love Indian and Mamak food, try this one. They serve good nasi beriyani, roti canai and teh tarik.
Eat
Bla Bla Bla
Wayang Street (A few shops down from The Junk). 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.
Eat
Chong Choon Cafe
One of Kuching's two famous laksa joints. Usually sold out by noon.
Eat
Choon Hui Cafe
Another famous laksa joint. Spicy and popular, get here before 10AM.
Eat
Ho Joo Coffee Shop
The place where you can get the thick Hainanese-style bread, toasted in a small toaster oven before spreading butter and kaya on it.
Eat
Hong Kong Noodle House
Standard HK fare like roast duck on rice or noodles. They also serve local Chinese dishes and is open for lunch and dinner.
Eat
KY Cafe
嘉远茶餐室
Run by a band of three brothers, they serve what is arguably the best 'Kolo mee' in town. Characterised by being served in an orange plastic bowl, this 'kolo mee' tastes a little bit on the sweet side and has the distinction of tasting much better towards the end. They also have excellent wonton soup.
Eat
Kubah Ria Complex
A shopping and food center by the Sarawak River very near to the historical Satok Bridge. Built by SEDC to replace the former food and beverages centre. This shopping center houses 45 shoplots and 45 food and beverage outlets. This is now the most popular eating and shopping spot in Kuching.
Eat
Lau Ya Keng Food Court
A simple food court that has been around for decades and is very popular with locals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can buy very decent Kolo mee and Sarawak laksa here. But a lot of people come here for the fish-ball soup and famous pork satay that opens in the early afternoon.
Eat
Lepau
Interesting and good restaurant specialising in local flavours of the Sarawak traditional cuisine. Many dishes are typical of local tribes in Sarawak, definitely a culinary experience as you'll find them nowhere else. Organic food and relaxed service. The restaurant has no air conditioning but plenty of fans. Not so many tables, hence reservation is a good idea especially for dinner. A 15% tax and service is added to prices in the menu.
11AM-2PM -- 6PM-10PM -- Sundays closed70 RM
Eat
Magenta
has been relocated to the old court house at Waterfront. Beautiful colonial building with a romantic oriental ambience. Good menu with large portions. Speciality is lamb shank with mashed potato which sounds bland but is very tasty.
Eat
Mango Tree
A/C dining room, or dine alfresco in a traditional Thai garden. Thai cuisine.
Eat
Open Air Market
Despite the name, the place is actually covered. It has a wide variety of stalls serving Malay and Chinese cuisine. Their most popular stall is the one serving beef noodles and sio bi (pork dumplings). Also popular is the fresh porridge and seafood stalls. But beware, this area is not the cleanest of places so order your food from only the most popular stalls.
Eat
Pure Fish Ball Cafe
Halal. It is a nice and comfortable A/C cafe selling local food especially pure fish mee noodle with 100% mackerel fish meat.
Eat
Rojak Kuchei Batu Lintang
This place served the best rojak India and chicken rojak in the town. Don't be surprised to see a lot of visitors during morning time because this place is constantly crowded with people from the nearby offices during breakfast time.
Eat
See Good Food Centre
Casual laid-back restaurant that serves excellent and very fresh seafood, very popular with the locals. It is best to get there early in the evenings to secure a table and minimise the waiting time, as they don't take reservations.
Eat
Sepinang Sari Cafe & Restaurant
Sells the best Mi Sapi HjSalleh and usually operates from 6AM-5:30PM daily. You will also find delicious laksa Sarawak and mee Jawa.
Eat
Serapi Corner
Peninsular Malaysia-style food. Their specialty is ikan keli bakar bersambal (grilled catfish with sambal). It is a bit hot inside. Check for the price list carefully to avoid charging errors on the bill. If you don't mind waiting for hours, they have a view of a hilly road to kill your time.
Eat
SideWalk Cafe
Al fresco style western food away from the city near the airport. Its only open in the evenings till late and is popular with locals.
Eat
The Junk
Wayang Street (opposite Fata Hotel). Walking distance from the waterfront. Western/Italian menu and popular with locals and expats. Colonial Chinese decoration with lots of antiques. The portions are large and the lamb shanks and fisherman's basket seem to be the most popular. Bookings are advisable if you have a large group.
Eat
Top Spot Food Court
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.
Eat
Tracy's Kitchen
Serves its original "Pak Lo" duck and chicken, kolo mee, kacangma duck, wine chicken, pork leg, assam fish, rendang, and a variety of other dishes. Not to miss is its fresh cucumber juice. Not halal.
Mon 9:30AM-6PM, Tue-Sun 9:30AM-9:30PM.
Eat Not mapped
Hartz Chicken Buffet
This buffet restaurant is a franchise to the All-American Chicken Buffet. All you can eat for RM34 per person (Jan 2023). Crispy and spicy fried chicken, wide range of salads, mashed potatoes, cakes, breads, ice-cream and fruit.
Eat Not mapped
Singapore Chicken Rice
Has branches at Padungan, Satok and Kota Samarahan. Serve excellent chicken rice comparable to other established chicken rice shop. Other side dishes are baby kailan in oyster sauce and beansprouts.
Eat
Alfresco
Lots of Western dishes here, including pizza and beer.
Eat
Madam Tang's A Taste Of Sarawak
Teh C Peng special, beef noodles and nasi lemak rendang.
Eat
Popular Vegetarian Restaurant
Vegetarian Chinese restaurant.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Kuching (CC BY-SA 4.0).