Kuching guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Kuching, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Kuching's signatures are Sarawak laksa, usually eaten at breakfast, and kolo mee, dry egg noodles with pork, along with kopitiam coffee and tea. Wikivoyage lists Choon Hui and Chong Choon as famous laksa spots and says popular stalls sell out early. Almost all of this uses pork, prawn, egg or shared oil, so it is not easy food for strict vegetarians or Jain travellers, and Wikivoyage warns that even some dishes sold as vegetarian can contain anchovies, chicken stock or lard.
What we could verify is modest. Gandhara Vegetarian Restaurant, a Buddhist-society buffet at Iris Garden, is listed as allium-free and very vegan-friendly. Popular Vegetarian on Jalan Padungan has a separate vegan menu, though it warns that vegan dishes are not always available. Big Veggie nearby is a vegetarian cafe that can make some dishes vegan on request, but its menu labelling is unclear, so ask about egg. Ceylonese Restaurant on Jalan Green Hill is an Indian-style restaurant that serves meat but has dosa, naan and dhall; ask about egg and ghee. We found no Jain restaurant and no restaurant we could verify as pure vegetarian in the Indian sense, and the listings are from HappyCow and Spinach Guide, so check hours before you go.
In a hotel or cafe, ask for noodle soup without meat or stock, rice with vegetables and fried egg-free options, and say clearly that you avoid shrimp paste and lard. Fruit stalls and the Satok market are reliable for fresh fruit.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
Jalan Padungan, Kuching
A vegetarian cafe on Jalan Padungan with outdoor seating, lunch and dinner service and a few vegan dishes, including Sarawak laksa on request.
19 Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang, Kuching
An Indian-Muslim mamak cafe on Jalan Khoo Hun Yeang that Wikivoyage lists for nasi biryani, roti canai and teh tarik.
Jalan Green Hill, Kuching
An Indian-style restaurant on Jalan Green Hill serving dosas, naan, curries and appam, with vegetarian and some vegan dishes alongside a meat menu.
275 Jalan Chan Chin Ann, Kuching
A coffee shop on Jalan Chan Chin Ann that Wikivoyage names as one of Kuching's two best-known places for Sarawak laksa, usually sold out by noon.
34 Jalan Ban Hock, near Grand Continental Hotel, Kuching
A Jalan Ban Hock coffee shop near the Grand Continental Hotel, listed by Wikivoyage for a spicy, popular Sarawak laksa that is best eaten before 10 am.
Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho, Iris Garden, Kuching
A self-service Chinese vegetarian buffet run by the Kuching Buddhist Society at Iris Garden, described as very vegan-friendly and allium-free, open for breakfast and lunch.
105 Jalan Sekama, Sekama, Kuching
A Jalan Sekama cafe that Wikivoyage lists for its kolo mee served in an orange bowl, along with wonton soup.
Carpenter Street, just past the Harmony Arch, Kuching
A food court on Carpenter Street just past the Harmony Arch, where Wikivoyage lists kolo mee, Sarawak laksa, fish-ball soup and pork satay under one roof.
Jalan Ban Hock Road 99, Kuching
A Jalan Ban Hock restaurant that Wikivoyage lists for Sarawak traditional cuisine, open for lunch and dinner and closed on Sundays.
Lorong Abang Abdul Rahim 5A, off Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim, Kuching
A long-running Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Kuching with faux-meat dishes and a separate vegan menu, open for lunch and dinner and closed on Thursdays.
Lot 206, Section II, Jalan Satok, next to Carpet Shop, Kuching
A daytime cafe on Jalan Satok that Wikivoyage lists for mi sapi, Sarawak laksa and mee Jawa, open daily from 6 am to 5:30 pm.
Rich Commercial Centre, Batu 7 (7th Mile), Kota Sentosa, Kuching
A restaurant in the Rich Commercial Centre at Batu 7 that Sarawak Tourism lists on its Kuching halal food crawl and Wikivoyage names for grilled catfish with sambal.
Top floor, Taman Kereta car park, Jalan Padungan, Kuching
A multi-stall food court on the top floor of the Taman Kereta car park on Jalan Padungan, listed by Wikivoyage for seafood at varied prices.
