We take a walk down some of the most colorful streets in Kuching.
Last year, with Annie and the kids off in KL for a short trip and me all alone, our good friend Mike invited me to join him down to the Kuching waterfront for some breakfast and wandering.
Fueling Up
First things first. Mike took us to the Harbour Court building (at the end of Jalan Chan Chin Ann) where the kopitiam (coffee shop) features one stall selling Foochow Beef Noodle. This soup noodle is sweet and hearty, and the beef is tender and flavorful. I also got a drink of freshly blended kedondong juice.
Foochow Beef Noodle @ Harbour Court Kopitiam
With breakfast taken care of, we parked in the parking garage a few blocks from India Street and walked over. Along the way, we passed by a couple of shops which were making various baked and fried dumplings.
India Street, as the name implies, used to be the place where Indian merchants set up to sell their wares in the old days. Nowadays, India Street is a wide pedestrian mall, flanked by shops selling clothing, jewelry, and household goods to all races. A couple of alleys branch off from India Street, where you’ll find knick knacks, fried foods, and cold, fruity drinks.
At the the midpoint of India Street is a white arch with a sign proclaiming “The India Mosque Lane”.
If you go down the narrow, dimly lit passage, you will discover about midway through that there actually is a mosque where Indian muslims gather to pray. Continuing onward, you find yourself on Gambier street, fronting the Sarawak River. Here you will find all manner of bulk spices (both whole and ground), dried fruits, pastas and chips, and different varieties of dhals for sale. The stores even sell long sticks of Indonesian cinnamon bark.
There are also markets selling fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and meats as well as sundries stores, snacks stores, household goods stores, and many proprietors selling colorful textiles and fabrics. Gambier Street is bustling with activity. In addition to shoppers from this side of the River, you also have shoppers coming from across the River, deliverymen bearing heavy boxes of goods, and nosy tourists like me, pointing their cameras in every direction and generally getting in the way.
This is my entry for this month’s Muhibbah Malaysian Monday blog carnival. MMM was created by Shaz from Test With a Skewer and Suresh from 3 Hungry Tummies. This is an event where food bloggers post something related to Malaysia and food on a Monday. If you want to join the party (I’m hosting this month), submit your entry on our announcement page!
Aloha, Nate
I feel like I am right there with you. And I soooo want to be. Love it.
Linda –
you’re welcome to come to Kuching and experience it yourself! I know we’d love to come up to Seattle once we get back to the States.
Hi Annie-Nate,
Finally I found your new home…I still linking to your old blog until today…that’s not fresh…I will change your address soon. The new house of you is look really great, especially in English..so I don’t need to use service translate…hihihi…I love this content…more nice pictures and much more understanding. Unfortunately cannot join your party in Malaysia..:(
Whatever thank you for your voting. You got mine too of course.
Good Luck! 😀
Tan –
thank you!
I love that bowl of beef soup! My type of chow!
It’s so fun to see your travels. Wish we had a flight there too!
This is what I LOVE about Malaysia. You just walk out there, and you can hop from one place to the other, all food from different cultures and traditions. Amazing.
Thanks for taking us on a tour of these two fun streets!
Natasha –
you’re welcome! Hopefully you can make a trip out this way one year.
This is so cool 🙂 Nice to read about your exploration of my beloved hometown. Must be hot walking around like that.
Did you try the yam puff & siew pau at Chong Chon? They are yummy. Make sure you get it from Chong Chon and not from the copy cat shop next door. There is also a shop nearby that sells yummy pineapple tarts. I think the shop is called Cheak Hng.
Dorach,
yes, it was a hot day, but at least we started early.
No, I didn’t get to try the yam puff or siew pau at Chong Chon. They were sold out and making more. I’ll have to look the next time we’re down that way.
I think I could easily spend a week in this area! I especially liked the photo of the six large containers of beverages lined up on the table. The colors are gorgeous. Any idea what those drinks are and did you try any?
Jenny
I cannot recall all of them but I think they were (left to right) red plum (li hing), calamansi lime, coconut, ???, rosewater, and orange. Someone else please correct me if I’m wrong!
I had the coconut water. Perfect thirst quencher on a hot day!
Thanks for bringing us down memory lane… I feel nostalgic looking at these pictures! I used to walk through India Street when I was in secondary school, to get to the bus station, which was then located opposite the Electra House, where the open air stalls were (or are?). The streets didn’t look pretty then, but since India Street became a pedestrian mall, everything changed and you have captured the scenes with perfection. Love the colours of the spices and textiles. Cheers, mate!
IH –
wow, literally memory lane for you! I’m glad to take you back there 🙂
Very colourful post Nate! I’ve only been to Kuching twice, next time I’ll know to check out these streets 🙂
Thanks for doing such a fantastic job of hosting Muhibbah Malaysian Monday this month!