MODERN CITY OF KUCHING SARAWAK

Latest Malls

• The Spring ^[34] - The largest lifestyle shopping mall in the state, situated along Jalan Simpang Tiga, was opened on 10 January 2008, covering some 420,000 sq ft (39,000 m²) of net lettable area (built up - 1.2mln sq ft). The anchor tenants are Parkson Department Store, Ta Kiong Supermarket and MBO cinemas. other tenants are Eu Yan Sang
   
  , Starbucks Coffee, Secret Recipe, Big Apple Donuts, Quiksilver & Roxy, Esprit, Timberland, Giordano, Levi's, Mango (MNG)
   
  , Kenny Rogers Roasters, Bonia
   
  , G2000, City Chain, Universal Traveller, Padini Concept Store
   
  , Memory Lane,^[35]

• Boulevard Shopping Complex - Phase I of the mall was opened on 22 December 2007. It is a new regional mall located along Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli in the 4th Mile area. The major tenant is the Boulevard Department Store & Hypermarket, with some 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m²) of net lettable area, which will be the largest one-stop lifestyle mall in the state. Other tenants include Body Glove, Hang Ten, Popular Bookstore and Converse. International fast food restaurant franchises like KFC, Sushi King, Pizza Hut and Kenny Rogers Roasters can be found here.^[36][37]

• Green Heights Mall - Kuching's first suburban neighbourhood small mall, occupied by international franchise, Cold Storage Supermarket, and additionally with some 4,000 m² of leasable space, opened on 13 June 2008.^[38]

• OneTJ ^[39] - Sarawak's first ICT based shopping mall was developed in the Heights Drive Commercial Centre, with some 67,500 sq ft (6,270 m²) of leasable area, opened on 22 November 2008.

• E-mart - A new one-stop shopping destination, located at Matang Jaya. The anchor tenant is E-mart Department Store and Supermarket.

• Hills Shopping Mall - A new 2 storey up-market shopping centre, with about 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m²) of retail space, located in Kuching City Centre, opened on 29 December 2009. Calvin Klein Jeans, Mango(MNG), Old Town White Coffee and Sushi King are part of the tenant in the mall.

The Riverside Shopping Complex in the City Centre   The Spring Shopping Mall

Cuisine

Kuching has a number of notable local dishes served at hawker stalls.

• Kolo mee - Egg noodles, flash-boiled, then classically served with crushed garlic and shallot, minced pork or beef, white vinegar, either vegetable oil, pork oil or peanut oil, and sliced barbecue pork known as char siu or beef.
• Sarawak laksa - Spicy coconut prawn paste-based broth served with rice vermicelli, omelette and chicken strips, prawns, sliced deep fried tofu, and occasionally clams.
• Tomato sauce mee or tomato sauce kway teow - Crispy deep fried noodles or ricecake strips served with tomato sauce, vegetables, and chicken.
• Bubu cha-cha - Concentrated mixed syrup of sago, agar, and sweet potatoes.
• Kway chap - Ricecake strips served with pig entrails, deep fried tofu, and hard-boiled egg.

Custom ordered dishes (usually called the "special") are available on request. Most hawker stalls serve a variety of these three dishes, but locals often debate

 

vigorously as to where to find the best variety. Visitors should be aware that portions are half of what is usually commonly found at Chinatowns in the West. Kuching has some very good local seafood restaurants, often run by the Chinese residents serving prime local shellfish. Prices are usually very reasonable. There are many such establishments in and around the city, most notably along the way to popular seaside resorts located on the island of Santubong.
While global chain outlets (McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Starbucks) are ubiquitous in the prime commercial complexes, a local fast food chain "Sugarbun" also serves a variety of Malaysian food in a more Western style.