Kuching is a very spread-out city and naturally this means that there are many places where one can choose when it comes to eating out. However there are some areas where many eateries cluster together to form an all-in eating place, that makes the choices of a bewildering arrays of food a little easier. It is pertinent to note that the list is by no means exhaustive and this opinion is entirely mine. All the food centres hawk a great varieties of food, but for brevity, they are described in another article HERE. Most of these “food places”, as I would like to call them, are in the outskirt of the city itself, and in order of their popularity, they are:-
No. 1 – Premier 101 along Jalan Tun Jugah
Premier 101 food centre in Kuching. Only in the evening.
This is the “mother” of all food areas of Kuching, but it only comes to life in the evening after 6.00pm and continues until late at night. There are no less than 100 stalls of various sizes, several seafood restaurants and specialty eateries in this area. However eateries of Kuching come and go, what is mentioned and favoured by many today, may be gone six months later for all kinds of reasons. First timers are often bewildered at the choices of food available here are and are thus advised to browse enough to decide what they like before sitting down on to the first available table or regret later that there is this great “little fried-something” just a few stalls away.
No 2 – Jalan Song behind One Jaya Mall
Peach Garden Cafe at Jalan Song
Before Premier 101 came along, this is THE place Kuchingites head for when they want to eat out in evening. But its declining clientele had just returned recently and the place is thriving again. With equally large numbers of stalls catering to all palate, this area has some very good hawkers fare. This is an evening place, but in the daytime, a few good coffee shops are also found at the fringe of the core area, namely the Top 10 Cafe and some unnamed stalls nearby at the back of Precinct 88 building.
No. 3 – RH Plaza, along Airport Road.
Coffee shops at RH Plaza, Airport Road, Kuching
Noted for its numerous chic eateries besides the plentiful al-fresco hawkers fare, this area has no less than 10 air-con eateries, among them the delightful Shanghainese dim sum cafe, Thai Pandan Leaves Restaurant, Steamboat buffet, Sea Food Restaurant, Taiwanese restaurants, Hainanese Chicken Rice shop, etc. It is right next to the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, and is a favourite eating place for the hotel guests.
No. 4 – 4th Mile, along Jalan Penrissen,
4th Mile Penrissen Road
There are two popular coffee shops here the Big Hand Cafe and xxx across the road, Expert Food Court on the other side of Penrissen Road and several other coffee shops inside the Liang Kee Commercial Centre. In the centre is the Everrise Supermarket which has the Penrissen Point Cafe and the Food Avenue Food Court.
No. 5 – Kenyalang Park
This ia a neighbourly food centre serving the Kenyalang Park, one of the oldest planned residential areas of Kuching, thus some of the coffee shops are the hangout of senior citizens. Nevertheless, it has clienteles coming all over from Kuching, especially during weekends, to savour its delightful food by the numerous food courts and coffee shops
No. 6-Jalan Padungan and its environs.
The Song Kheng Hai Hawkers Centre. Don’t be let down by its nondescript facade, the food are gorgeous!
Though not all the eateries are close to each other, there are some really good ones along this long stretch of road, which include Jalan Abell, and arguably the most famous laksa Sarawak stall in Kuching is located here at Chong Choon Cafe. The nearby coffee shop below Kapit Hotel is a favourite hangout for a lot of western visitors too. There are several chic eateries like Pinoy Pinoy (Filipino fare), Memories, The Office and so on. At the back of the popular supermarket Everrise is the Song Kheng Hai Hawkers Centre with its wildly popular ais kacang (shave ice sweet dessert), belacan bee hoon, cuttlefish and kompia. This is an afternoon place, from 12 noon till 5.00pm when most of Kuching hawkers shut down for siesta.
No. 7 – Jalan Ban Hock (backlane)
Back lane of Jalan Ban Hock has a long stretch of coffee shops within its two blocks.
This enclave is probably the nearest food area within walking distance to all major hotels, like the Hilton, Grand Margharita, Riverside Majestic, Ariva Gateway, 360 City Express, among others. The Grand Continental is just across the road. There are no less than 6 kopitiams, cheek by jowl, along the stretch of the road behind Ban Hock Road, and is often bursting with clienteles in the morning. By noon, most of the stalls are calling it a day. So go early!
No. 8 – King Centre, Jalan Simpang Tiga
One of the perennial favourite food places for Kuchingites for as long as I can remember. Straddling a strategic location at the Simpang Tiga roundabout, this food area has visitors from all over the city and has no less than three huge coffee shops joined together under one roof. As if this is not enough, a stone throw away is the huge Da-light Food Court. Though a pale shadow of what they were in their heydays, these two food courts serve clients all day. So, come morning, afternoon or evening, there are always some hot piping food waiting for the hungry customers.
No. 9 – Stutong Area
A stretch of kopitiams opposite of the Stutong Wet Market.
Another newcomer to the Kuching food scene, this wildly popular food centre, especially in the evening, is where Kuchingites make a beeline after a hard day’s work for family dinners or meeting up with friends. Popular cafes here are the C121 Cafe, Lau Lee Cafe, HongKong Pau, Bombay Masala, Twin Star Cafe, Imperial Duck, all within walking distance of each other. Across the busy Jalan Setia Raja, the popular Foody Goody Cafe and a chain of at least 6 coffee shops serves breakfast to a horde of workers.
No. 10 – 7th Mile Bazaar
7th Mile Bazaar has one of the most concentration of coffee shops in Kuching
It may not be right to classify a whole township as “food area”, but that’s what 7th Mile Bazaar is. “Batu Tujoh” (in Malay) or “Chit Kee Pa Sat” (in Hokkien) as affectionately referred to by the local, eschewing its new stylish name of Kota Sentosa, is crawling with so many kopitiams at almost every turn and corner along its narrow and busy streets. Perhaps its huge catchment area of residential population necessitates its existence. Fresh Food Court near the wet market is reputed to be the place where the famed “three layer tea” was first served.
