Kuching Open Air Market has been a landmark for hungry souls in search of authentic Kuching food. It’s strategic location i.e. in the heart of Kuching City, surrounded by pre-colonial shophouses, Electra House (the first shopping mall in Kuching), major bus stations (Sarawak Transport Company, Bau-Kuching Transport Company, Matang Transport company and Chin Lian Long (CLL) bus company) and rented vehicles station makes the place accessible to all walks of life. Besides Kuchingites, folks from the rural areas would dropped by here for lunch or to quench their thirst before they continue the long trip back to their kampungs (villages).

What I find unique about Kuching Open Air Market is that, it is also a traffic roundabout.

There are about 50 stalls serving Kolo Mee, kacang chanut (Kuching’s own version of cendol), ais jagung, sotong kangkung, mee sapi, home-made fresh soya bean drink and siow bee, to name a few some of the local favourites that this long-existence open air stalls served. The stalls open as early as 6am, lunch time being its peak hours and some stalls remained open (changed operators) till the wee hours to serve hungry Kuchingites after a night out of clubbing. There’s another building besides the Kuching Open Air Market, I call it the sister building which operates 24 hours. This sister building houses stalls mainly serving order-based menus.

Mee Kolo Merah (Kolo Mee in red sauce)

Whenever I go back to Kuching, I’ll always make it a point to visit my favourite Mee Tomato stall at Kuching Open Air Market. It is so addictive that I must visit the stall at least once or it’ll never be a complete holiday treat for me.

Teck Huat stall #40 remains my favourite day-stall for mee or koay teow tomato.

Mee tomato is made of crispy deep-fried noodle (hence the nickname mee dawai or wire noodle) in thick tomato sauce served with green vege, shrimp, squid, fish cake, pork’s liver and BBQ pork. You can also request it to be served in char koay teow if you don’t like the crispy deep-fried noodle. This stall charges RM3.20 for their mee tomato.

The lightly sweet and mediumly sour taste, further enhanced by the pickled chillies really tickles your taste buds for more.

The meal is not complete if you don’t order kacang chanut (cendol) or shaved ice with coconut milk, red beans, brown sugar and green jelly. This heavenly sweet stuff costs around RM1.50 per bowl. I noticed that all the drinks stalls here are now health conscious because they give customers a choice of either coconut milk or evaporated canned milk for the kacang chanut.

One bowl of this is merely an appetite teaser. I’d normally go for two.

Another special drink that you can find in Kuching is called “white lady”. It’s a cocktail drink served with longan, lychee, pineapple and jelly in shaved ice enriched with evaporated milk and syrup.

You’ve ever heard of “Dutch Lady“? In Kuching, white lady is dedicated in this special drink.

There you go! The next time you plan to holiday in Kuching, make sure it is completed with a visit to Kuching Open Air Market. If you’re staying at Merdeka Palace, the open air market is 5 minutes walk across the Merdeka Field (opposite the hotel).

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