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【Kuching Food Guide】13 Kuching’s Best Food Gifts

By Admin on Dec 19, 2016

【Kuching Food Guide】13 Kuching’s Best Food Gifts

 

The best gifts are the ones that are edible. Agree? Then you’ll definitely need to take a look at this list for the 13 best food gifts from Kuching to bring back to your loved ones.

 

 

1) Kek Lapis

  

 

Which other food gift can be more iconic than the Traditional Layered Cake? The best layered cakes can be found at Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah on the opposite side of the Waterfront Main Bazaar. Just pay RM1 per trip to cross the river and be amazed by the range of choices. But worry not, you can test out each flavours before you make your purchase.

 

 

 

Traditional Kek Lapis can also be found at many other different spots in Kuching, one perfect alternative is the Mira Cake House which can be found all over Kuching, but there is also one at the same side of the river as Kek Lapis Dayang Salhah. Other alternatives to buying traditional Kek Lapis can be found at the stalls along the Waterfront Main Bazaar.

 

 

  

2) Black Pepper

 

 

Pepper, one of the most used spice in the world for food flavouring. Did you know that nearly 98% of Malaysian pepper is produced in Sarawak? So how could not bring these conveniently packed and bottled Sarawakian Black Peppers for your friends and families to spice up their foods? Other than the pepper seeds and powder, you can also find some black pepper products such as the black pepper sauce, black pepper roots, and more! These products can be found conveniently at the Waterfront Main Bazaar and at several shops at Padungan Street. If you did not have the time to walk around, you can still find them at the Kuching International Airport, that is of course with higher price.

 

 

 

 

3) Salted Ikan Terubuk

 

 

Ikan Terubuk, or the Toli Shad is one of the favourite food gift of West Malaysian visitors. Imported salt that is finer and of better quality is used to process the Ikan Terubuk in Kuching, this is also the main factor that differentiate the Ikan Terubuk here and the ones in West Malaysia.

 

 

 

The main option to purchase Ikan Terubuk is a 10 minutes drive from the Kuching Waterfront to the Medan Niaga Satok at Kubah Ria. This huge market is separated into a few blocks, Ikan terubuk can be found at Block B of this market.

 

 

 

If you don’t have any means of transportation, you can also find Ikan Terubuk at the same side of the river as the kek lapis shops.

 

 

 

4) Bario Rice

 

 

Bario Rice has been the staple diet of Kelabits which contributes to healthy living, clear and smoother skin, as well as long life due to its higher content of minerals and vitamins as compared to the normal rice grains.

 

Bario rice can be purchased also at Medan Niaga Satok at Kubah Ria. While Ikan Terubuk can be found at Block B, Bario Rice can be found at this particular stall at the block facing the main road. If you’re lucky enough, you can also find vacuum packed Bario Rice at the shops along the Waterfront Main Bazaar.

 

 

 

5) Sarawak Laksa Paste

 

 

If you walked around the Waterfront Main Bazaar, then you’ve surely noticed these packets of Sarawak Laksa Paste. Want to let your friends and families try what Sarawak Laksa tastes like? Done!

 

6) Kolo Mee

 

 

Other than Sarawak Laksa, you can also bring the signature noodle of Kuching, Kolo Mee back as gifts! These Kuching “Kiew” Noodle, or the Kuching Kolo Mee can be found at several shops at Padungan Street and the Waterfront Main Bazaar. Do try look out for this packaging below which includes seasoning along the kolo mee.

 

 

 

You’ll also notice a different noodle with seasoning packed along the noodles. These are actually the noodle that originated from Sibu called Kampua, which will also make fine food gift for your loved ones.

 

 

 

7) Brown Rice Tea

 

 

If you’re hanging around at Padungan Street, probably enjoying your tea time at Song Kheng Hai Foods and Recreation Centre, then you should walk a few steps to this shop called “Zhong Jie Lao Dian” (Old Street Delicacy Company) for their Brown Rice Tea. This “Tea” will help improve your body’s blood circulation, reduces cholesterol level, prevent cardiovascular disease, reduce risk of cancer, and has anti-oxidation effects.

 

 

 

8) Bipang

 

 

Bipang, or “Mi Xiang” in mandarin is actually a rice cracker that is also one of the famous products that you must but in Kuching. Bipang is sweeter and has a stronger rice fragrance as compared to Japanese rice crackers. There are tons of flavours for this humble rice cracker, including Onion, Peanut, Black Sesame, Pork Floss, Chicken Floss, and more!

 

 

 

The best Bipang can be found at Padungan Street, the first option is the Sin Hian Chia Enterprise, and the second is the “Zhong Jie Lao Dian”. Both of these shop sells Bipang that are made by themselves. Of course, again Bipang can also be found at the shops along Waterfront Main Bazaar.

 

9) Tai Yang Bing & Lao Po Bing

 

 

Tai Yang Bing (Sunrise Biscuit) and Lao Po Bing is another well celebrated food gift from Kuching. Although these 2 may look the same, but Tai Yang Bing has more crispy skin and has fillings that is more compact and less sweet, while Lao Po Bing has less crispy skin and fillings that is more elastic, similar than that of Mochi.

 

Lao Po Bing have holes on the surface of the skin to better differentiate between the two. Head over to Sin Hian Chia Enterprise to find these delicious confectionaries.

 

 

 

10) Tuak

 

 

Tuak, the locally brewed Rice Wine… which actually is a rice distillate, or you can call it a rice Vodka is what you need to make this trip to Kuching complete, especially if you’re not from Malaysia. You can find tuak from Entangen restaurant while enjoying both original Dayak and Dayak fusion food at Padungan Street. Another alternative where you can find Tuak is at the.Dyak which is located at a further place down the Kuching Waterfront. Or if you have a trip to the Annah Rais Longhouse, you can also find Tuak there!

 

 

 

11) Siew Pau

 

 

While you’re at the Plaza Merdeka or nearby, walk over to Kai Joo Lane (a small and colourfully painted alley next to the police station next to Plaza Merdeka) to locate Tong Kee.

 

 

 

At Tong Kee you will find one of the finest and famous Siew Pau in Kuching operating for around 50 years with their signature Yam Puffs, Curry Puffs, and Chicken Siew Pau. More importantly, the foods sold here contain no pork and no lard.

 

 

 

12) Foochow Confectionaires

 

 

Other than Kampua, Sibu is also famous for its own style of biscuits. If your trip to Sarawak only includes Kuching, then you can find Foochow styled confectionaries here at Huong Hiong Confectionaires.

 

 

13) Coffee Bean & Powder

 

 

In Sarawak, the best coffee beans can be found here at Black Bean Coffee. The main coffee beans sold here, the Robusta and Liberica are mostly grown on the lower hilly areas at the southern plantation owned by Bidayuh villagers and local Chinese farms.

 

 

 

If you're looking for a place to find different types of food gifts, Teaspoon recommends that you visit Kwang Yan Trading located at the Waterfront Main Bazaar

 

 

Other than that, Teaspoon also recommends that you visit Sin Hian Chia Enterprise or the "Zhong Jie Lao Dian" to choose the traditional biscuits, cookies, Bipang, and more! These pictures are some other products that can be found at "Zhong Jie Lao Dian"

 

 

While the following are other products that can be found at Sin Hian Chia Enterprise. Of course there's more that is not included here...

 

 

At Medan Niaga Satok Kubah Ria, you can also find some of the food products and some traditional kek lapis other than the Ikan Terubuk and the Bario Rice.

 

 

Kuching without doubt is a Food Paradise of it's own, so how could you not bring at least one or two or these for your loved ones? Better yet, hunt all of these down and make your friends and family happy!!!