Vincent is originally from Kuching, Sarawak. He moved to the US in 2009 and has been talking about the food, specifically Kolo Mee, since we started planning this trip. This was my first time visiting East Malaysia. The travel day started badly and got significantly better from there.
Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia by area, located on the island of Borneo. It is a place most international visitors overlook in favor of Kuala Lumpur or Penang, but for anyone who has spent time there, it has a pull that is hard to explain. It is quieter, greener, and more intimate than KL. The food culture is deeply distinct from West Malaysia. And for Vincent, it is home in a way that is still very much alive even after more than 15 years away.
The Air Asia Check-In: A Warning
The airport check-in process was chaos. The self-service kiosks were broken, the lines had no clear organization, and there were two people working the entire counter. We made the flight but it required a large buffer of time.
If you are flying Air Asia from this terminal: Build in significantly more time than you think you need. Also, they required us to remove our watches going through security, which was a first for both of us.
Lounge access tip: Once you go through security at this terminal, you cannot go back. There are no lounges on the other side of the checkpoint. If you want to use a lounge like the Plaza Premium, you need to do it before you clear security. We did not know this ahead of time and ended up at OldTown White Coffee instead, which was fine: egg toast and a good cup of coffee before boarding.
OldTown White Coffee is a Malaysian chain that is genuinely worth a stop if you have not had it before. The half-boiled eggs with soy sauce, paired with kaya toast, are a classic Malaysian breakfast. It is not a glamorous pre-flight meal, but it is a very good one.
Landing in Kuching
The moment the plane descended, I could feel the difference. Kuching from the air looks like dense green jungle interrupted by rivers and low-rise development. It is lush in a way that Kuala Lumpur, even with its parks, is not. The air when you step off the plane has a different quality: humid, warm, and softer somehow.
Vincent was quiet for most of the descent, which is not like him. Coming home after this many years, I think the weight of it was real.
The Kuching airport is small and efficient. Baggage came quickly and within 30 minutes of landing we were in a car heading toward the city.
The Waterfront Hotel: Suite Surprise
We had booked a King Suite at The Waterfront Hotel in Kuching. At check-in, we found out we had been upgraded to a massive two-story suite with a spiral staircase and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the Kuching Waterfront and the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building.
The staff left a "Welcome Back to Your Hometown" message on the bed for Vincent. A small detail, but the kind of thing that makes you feel like you actually matter to a hotel rather than just being another booking. Vincent saw it and went quiet for a moment. I took a photo.
The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows was the kind you do not expect from a hotel at this price point. The Sarawak River in front of us, the old colonial buildings along the waterfront, and the State Legislative Assembly Building lit up across the water. It felt like being handed something generous and unexpected.
For the full breakdown of the room, amenities, and views, see the Waterfront Hotel Kuching Review.
The Kuching Intercultural Mooncake Festival
We had no idea this was happening. Right outside the hotel along Carpenter Street, the entire road was blocked off and packed with food stalls for the Mooncake Festival. Perfect timing.
Carpenter Street is one of the oldest streets in Kuching, lined with well-preserved shophouses that date back to the colonial era. During the Mooncake Festival it transforms completely: lanterns strung overhead, the smell of grilled food in every direction, people of all ages crowding between stalls. Kuching describes itself as a city of diversity, with Malay, Chinese, Dayak, and other communities living alongside each other, and the festival reflected that clearly. The food alone spanned multiple cultures.
Here is what we ate:
Taiwanese popcorn chicken: Different seasoning profile from what we get back home. Better, actually. The basil and spice blend was more assertive and fresh.
Chinese herbal tea: Cold, slightly bitter, and genuinely refreshing in the humidity. These kinds of teas are part of traditional Chinese medicine and the taste takes a moment to appreciate, but on a hot night at a street festival, it works.
Panggang: My first time trying this. Sticky rice wrapped around fish, then grilled. We also tried a version with anchovies and sambal inside. The sambal version was deeply savory and incredibly addictive. This is a Sarawakian dish and Vincent had not had it in years. His reaction said everything.
Taiwanese sausage on a stick: Fresh off the grill, sweet and slightly spicy. It tasted completely different from the packaged Taiwanese sausage we have had elsewhere and noticeably better.
Sweet corn with margarine: Simple and exactly right as a street snack.
We also watched fireworks from the festival before heading out for the main event of the night.
Trying Kolo Mee for the First Time
This is the dish Vincent has been talking about since before we left Arizona.
We went to a spot near the Electra House, which is a place he used to visit as a kid growing up in Kuching. We ordered the "Red" Kolo Mee, which gets its color and depth of flavor from the BBQ pork sauce.
Kolo Mee is a dry noodle dish unique to Sarawak. The noodles are springy and slightly chewy, tossed in a sauce made from lard, shallot oil, and seasoning, then topped with BBQ pork (char siu), minced pork, and sometimes wontons. The Red version uses the BBQ pork sauce as both the topping and the seasoning base, giving it that reddish color and sweeter, more caramelized flavor.
My honest reaction: I understand why he has been hyping this up. The noodles have a chewy texture with just the right amount of sauce coating each strand. The BBQ pork flavor is slightly sweet and intensely savory at once, and it does not taste like anything I have had before. It is genuinely surprising that this dish is not more widely known outside of Sarawak.
We ordered a large bowl and I was already thinking about the regular version before we finished. If you are ever in Kuching, Kolo Mee is not optional. It is the dish. There are dozens of stalls and small shops serving it across the city, and locals each have a favorite they will defend passionately. Vincent has his.
Practical Tips for Visiting Kuching
- Fly into Kuching Airport (KCH): Budget airlines including Air Asia fly from KL. Build in extra time at the departure airport, especially on Air Asia.
- Lounge before security only: Check whether your lounge is pre or post-security before clearing. You cannot go back after passing through in this terminal.
- Waterfront Hotel location: Excellent for first-time visitors. It puts you right on the Kuching Waterfront and within walking distance of Carpenter Street, the Old Town, and the main food areas.
- Kolo Mee: Eat it for breakfast if you can. That is the traditional Kuching way and the stalls are freshest in the morning.
- Mooncake Festival timing: The festival occurs around the Mid-Autumn Festival in September or October each year. Carpenter Street is the center of the celebrations.
- The Sarawak River: The waterfront area is very walkable in the evenings when the heat drops. The view across to the south bank is worth the walk.
Verdict
Kuching exceeded every expectation I had, which were already high from years of Vincent talking about it. The Waterfront Hotel set the tone from the moment we arrived, the Mooncake Festival was a complete surprise bonus, and Kolo Mee lived up to every story Vincent had told.
For anyone who has spent time in West Malaysia and feels like they have seen Singapore and Penang: Kuching is the trip to add to the list. It is different in every way, quieter and more personal, and the food alone justifies the flight.
