Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo Delicacies & Nightlife
First time visitors will realize that Sarawak is not only famous for its caves, national parks and other natural wonders, but it is also famous for its unique and delectable dishes. In terms of food, Sarawak has many of its own specialties that are unique and delicious. Coffee shops, food centres, Chinese, Western, Indian, Indonesian and Japanese restaurants, as well as restaurants that serve seafood, steamboat and vegetarian food are found in Sarawak, particularly in Kuching.
DINING STYLE Go al-fresco Sarawak style
Dine at open-air hawker stalls - which offer the most scrumptious food at amazingly low prices. And during cool nights, just treat yourself to dinner under a canopy of stars on a river cruise. Food courts are vast open-spaces that house many hawker stalls of all sorts, serving Chinese, Indian and Malay food all in one compound. Among the popular ones in Kuching are New A La Carte Food Court (with air-conditioning), King's Centre, Top Spot Food Court and Lau Yar Kaeng. The Top Spot Food Court is especially very popular among the locals and tourists. It is an open-air food court above a big car park, near Kuching Hilton. Visitors may also visit the Sunday market, which apparently starts from Saturday afternoon till Sunday it is actually a very busy fruit and vegetable market, where many local producers offer their tropical products on sale. In the evening you may also eat at some of the many stalls there, that offer local dishes.
Sumptuous Seafood
It is said that South East Asia's finest seafood is best savoured in Sarawak. Most towns in Sarawak are strategically situated close to the sea, and thus receive fresh daily supplies of seafood either from the South China Sea or imported from the waters of Thailand, Indonesia and Sabah (especially during the monsoon season at the end of the year). Local fish come in a wide range, such as the pomphret, red snapper, garoupa, Spanish mackerel, kurau, haruan, terubok and the ray fish. Restaurants serve these fishes in numerous ways - steamed, fried, baked, curried, grilled or with sambal - a mild, spicy mixture of Malay origin, made up of onions, dried chillies, candlenuts and belacan (prawn paste). Crabs, prawns, lobsters, clams, squids, oysters and bamboo clams are equally plentiful and fresh.
Five-star dining
Besides the variety of local delicacies, five-star hotels in Kuching and Miri have fine dining outlets offering both western and oriental cuisine. A number of Japanese, Korean, Thai, Mediterranean and Western restaurants dot the streets and business areas of these two cities.
NIGHTLIFE After dark, shopping complexes and eating places are the busiest places in Sarawak's cities and towns. Shopping complexes close at 9:30 pm, but some eating places are open as late as midnight and beyond. After 6pm, Kuching will be filled with colorful streetlights, enhancing the natural vigour and charm of this vibrant city. The city centre will showcase Kuching's rich culture and tradition with beautifully lit up monuments and pre and post colonial landmarks such as the Fort Margherita and The Astana. Melodious rhythm from adjoining entertainment outlets, clubs, bistros and nightspots will surely tempt the energetic few. Indeed, for those into the pub and club scene, both Kuching and Miri have the hottest nightlife. The many hotels in these two cities house pubs, lounges, and discotheques for the night owl. Outside the hotels, more karaoke lounges and nightclubs can be found. Many hotels offer live-band entertainment. Here are only a small selection of city centre pubs and bars - the inquisitive will make their own discoveries.
Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo Delicacies & Nightlife
