Sarawak Laksa
A spicy shrimp-based noodle soup, often with chicken, shrimp and egg. A good first stop in the morning; the ingredients differ per stand.
Sarawak's cuisine · From breakfast to the night market
Kuching food guide. A city worth tasting.
Start with Sarawak Laksa, explore noodles and local greens and save room for gula apong ice cream. Here you will find dishes, places to eat and a food tour to get you started.
Your first order
Six things that taste like Sarawak.
Our introduction: a hearty noodle soup for breakfast, later a dish with midin and finally gula apong ice cream. You don't have to try everything in one day.
Kolo Mee
Mixed noodles with meat and other ingredients. Pork is often included; there are also other variants. Ask specifically if you avoid certain ingredients.
Midin
Young forest fern, often fried with garlic or belacan. It's worth asking about shrimp paste, especially if you're on a vegetarian diet.
Ayam Pansuh
Chicken cooked in bamboo. This is a different culinary focus than the kopitiam noodles; I'm specifically looking for regional cuisine.
Kek Lapis
Multi-layer cake in different colors and patterns. For a first impression, a small portion is better than a large supply.
Gula Apong Ice Cream
Ice cream flavored or syruped with Nipah palm sugar. A good sweet break between old town and dinner.
Specific contact points
You can start your day of enjoyment here.
Chong Choon Cafe
The tourism authority lists the café as the address for Sarawak Laksa. Plan it as a breakfast stop; popular dishes can sell out early.
Location on the map →Oriental Park Cafe
Another contact point mentioned by the tourism authority, this time for Kolo Mee. Choose laksa or noodles as your first meal instead of planning both breakfasts back to back.
Location on the map →Top Spot Food Court
A well-known address for seafood. Choose a stand and clarify the portion, weight and total price of fish or seafood before ordering.
Location on the map →The addresses are research tips, not a commitment to today's opening or menu. A location link helps you find the right stop.
From the court to the appropriate address
Find pansuh, cake and gula apong.
Lepau Restaurant
The tourism authority recommends Lepau for Manuk or Ayam Pansuh. Choose it for a consciously planned evening with regional cuisine instead of just looking for another pasta stop.
Mira Cake House
The provider names a branch at Rumah Merah, Kampung Boyan, 44A Tebingan Permaidani BGS. This is a targeted stop on the other side of the river; For your day you clarify the route and opening of the chosen branch.
IG Ais Krim, Plaza Merdeka
The published branch menu mentions Gula Apong ice cream. The Plaza Merdeka can be combined with the Old Courthouse and the western part of the waterfront - without making it a separate day out.
More than a quick snack
Siniawan: your own evening under lanterns.
Night market instead of a walk into the city center
The historic shophouses and lanterns make Siniawan an attractive evening idea. The tourism newsletter describes the night market around 21 kilometers from Kuching, operating on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
This is a weekend option with your own journey. Plan your return trip before you go and don't treat Siniawan as a walkable extension of the waterfront.
This is how the market fits into your trip
Schedule the visit on a free evening after the city day. If you leave early for Bako the following morning, a shorter dinner in the center is the easier choice. Eating at the market is not an automatically included part of the food tour shown below.
Distribute your full days sensibly →Go out yourself or with a guide?
This is how food becomes part of your city day.
On your own
Have Laksa or Kolo Mee for breakfast. Then connect Carpenter Street and Main Bazaar, take a break with a sweet snack and plan a top spot or regional cuisine in the evening. The City route gives you the order for the sights.
If a particular dish is important to you, start with that. This is more practical than leaving all food stops until the end of a day of excursion.
With the guided food tour
The approximately three-hour tour combines five tastings with the historic city center. According to the description, local drinks, laksa and kek lapis are part of the culinary program; The meeting point is at Hong San Si Temple.
Important for your selection: The description also mentions pork. Nutritional adjustments are not currently offered by the provider. For halal, vegetarian or special intolerances, a self-made selection is more suitable.
Program and nutritional conditions of the presented tour: GetYourGuide, product 1013048 ↗
Order and plan
Price benchmark for your day of enjoyment.
How much to budget for food?
The Big Fan Cafe's published delivery menu lists MYR 11 for “Laksa Small” and MYR 3 for “Teh C Special Peng” as individual price benchmarks. At Mira Cake, “Vanilla Chocolate” ranges from RM12 to RM60 per size option. These are not average restaurant prices.
Delivery platform prices may differ from the restaurant menu; Delivery and additional fees are not included. Cake prices refer to the product size, not a slice.
Further price examples & budget calculator →Which stop is appropriate and when?
Morning: Laksa or Kolo Mee for breakfast and then the old town. Afternoon: a short ice cream or cake break near your route. Evening: regional cuisine at Lepau or seafood at Top Spot.
Siniawan is the separate weekend alternative with a return trip. Don't fit all the sweet stops and the night market into the same already busy day.
Your experience · GetYourGuide
Your first taste of Kuching.
Select your date for current prices and available options.
Old town & local cuisine · about 3 hours
Check dates & prices ↗Food tour with five tastings
Try it out and combine the history of the city: a guided introduction with a meeting point in the old town.
Advertising / Affiliate links · Booking with GetYourGuide.Compare all tours →
Answered briefly
Good to know.
The most important answers for your planning.
Is Kolo Mee always halal?
No. Many versions contain pork. Another type of meat alone does not confirm Halal certification; ask the specific company.
Can I take part in the food tour as a vegetarian?
The provider currently advises that nutritional adjustments are not available. The tour described is therefore not a suitable standard recommendation for vegetarian or halal diets.
Editorial selection · last revised on October 19, 2026. No personal restaurant, tour or hotel test. Your own routes and budget assumptions are planning suggestions.
Continue planning
This makes your trip complete.
City & Nature
Which highlights fit into your trip?
An old town route and the big excursions with realistic time requirements.
Read guide →
Plan budget
How much does your stay in Kuching cost?
Calculation example, own budget calculator and the most important cost drivers.
Read guide →
Your travel month
When is which tour worthwhile?
Monsoon, island time and a useful plan for rainy days.
Read guide →