I spent a month in Sarawak, Malaysia visiting relatives (mostly in Miri), reliving a few years of my childhood, and of course, eating a way too much Kolo Mee. So here are (in my humble opinion), the best places to eat in Miri. Whether you’re a local or traveler, Miri is a wonderful hidden gem for foodies!
Best Food Centre in Miri
Long Men 龙门客栈
Location: Google Maps
Address: Lot 2911, Block 5, MCLD, Miri, 98000, Sarawak
My number one food centre out of the five I tried. Further but well worth the Grab ride, many standout dishes here. The Chong Fun (rice rolls) and Roti Kahwin (kaya and butter toast with half boiled egg), are fantastic. Highly recommend the Roti Kahwin if you’ve never tried it, it’s a simple but satisfying Malaysian breakfast staple.
Kolo mee (pork lard noodles, it’s much better than it sounds), Chai Tau Kweh (stir fried radish cake) and Lao Su Fun (silver needle noodles) are tasty here as well. And finally, the Char Kway Teows (stir fried flat rice noodle) here are my favourite in town. There are 2 popular stalls here, both are great. If you only go to one food centre in Miri, pick this one.
Best Breakfast in Miri
Kwangtung Cafe 廣東茶室
Location: Google Maps
Address: Lot 958, Jalan Kwang Tung, 98000 Miri, Sarawak
This cafe has the best Char Siew Bao (bbq pork buns) ever. I prefer them even more than authentic Cantonese buns I’ve had in Vancouver. The meat here is sweet and chopped into a soft, more uniform texture. You don’t get any dry bits or huge pieces of chewy fat. Their ‘dry’ Wontons are also excellent. 😛 Pardon the ugly bun, I peeled off all the skin (don’t ask). If you’re staying at the Yew Hotel like I did, it’s just a super short walk behind the building.
Best Fast Food
Sugar Bun
Location: 10+ locations, see list
There were no McDonalds in Miri back in the day, so this had to do. But you know what? Now I know I like Sugar Bun better. My old favourite the chicken burger was just as good as I remember. My picture is horrendous, but rest assured the combination of crispy, deep fried chicken patty with a juicy interior and sweet, carrot and cucumber slaw is delightful. Their fried chicken isn’t bad, well seasoned and crispy, but the meat can be dry depending on the cut you get. I wasn’t sure if it was normal to ask for that here, didn’t see anyone else doing it lol.
Best Dessert in Miri
Golden Delight
Location: Google Maps
Address: Persiaran Kabor, 98000 Miri, Sarawak
If you’re a fan of fried snacks or desserts, you absolutely cannot miss this place. I got the Abc Cendol (Malaysian shaved ice), Rojak (fruit & veggie salad w/ sweet dressing) and Kuih Udang (deep fried prawn cakes), all super amazing, though the best of all was the Kuih Udang. This is one of the best deep fried dishes in Malaysian cuisine, easy. I came back twice just for it. For fried items this place is far superior to the other popular rojak spot in town, Sin Wan desserts (imo). But skip the lychee drink, ordered that on my second visit and it was just ok.
Best Day Market
Tamu Muhibbah
Location: Google Maps
Address: Jalan Padang, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Absolute must for durian fanatics! In the middle of the market between two buildings are rows of fruit vendors, most of which sell durian. Many different local varieties are available if you come during the season, and some you can only find in east Malaysia! You can basically do your own durian tasting session. Also good place to get some tarap (last picture)- a rare fruit I think that’s only available in certain areas in Malaysia and the Philippines. It’s probably one of my favourite fruits of all time. Get this if you aren’t a durian fan- a lot less pungent and fun to eat. There are many other local fruits as well, don’t be afraid to give something interesting looking a try. 🙂 Also a good place to stock up local spices, etc.
Best Roti Canai
Restoran Al-Asna
Locations: See list
Not much to say, but this chain serves pretty solid roti canai. I like getting to watch the chef make them.
Best Night Market
Pasar Malam Seberkas
Location: Google Maps
Address: Pasar malam seberkas, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
This is not very big as far as night markets go (Taiwan is king), but still pretty awesome though. I love the dessert stalls, you can buy smaller portions to sample everything. The freshly made Apam Balik (peanut pancake) was HEAVENLY. Wish I was hungry enough to try more! Super tempted to buy some kek lapis (the colourful layered cakes) but everyone was telling me to buy in Kuching instead, so I can’t rate the ones at this market. Also didn’t try any savoury food as I had come here after dinner, but the grilled chicken looked pretty good!
Bonus – Lodging
Yew Hotel
Location: Google Maps
Address: Lot 243 Jalan Setia Raja Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Simple and super affordable hotel. Cleaners came in daily, water bottles, a television and hair dryer were provided as well. The wifi was adequate for browsing and getting work done. Location was good, short walk to Bintang Megamall, just across the street from the Miri Handicraft Centre, and Kwantung Cafe nearby is great for breakfast (as mentioned above).
PS. if you’re going to the mall, do the walk instead of getting a Grab during rush hour. This may not be Kuala Lumpur but the traffic still gets pretty crazy!
