Experiencing the delights of Nyonya Cuisine in Kuching
Nyonya Kitchen By Sonia in Kuching
Looking for traditional Nyonya food in Kuching? As hard to please Foodies, were very impressed by the delicious food at Nyonya Kitchen by Sonia. It was the most memorable meal we had in Sarawak! If you have yet to experience Nyonya flavours, you should expect fragrant spices, flavourful stews, and lots of variety.
Whilst visiting family in the City of Kuching, the capital and the most populous city in Sarawak Malaysia, we were taken on the most delicious food tour only locals can do!
We tasted local Sarawak foods such as Sarawak Laksa (a savoury spicy noodle dish that is unique as it has a blend of spices, aromatics, herbs, tamarind paste, and creamy coconut milk), Kolo Mee (dry noodles tossed in a savoury pork and shallot mixture, topped off with fragrant fried onions), and Kacang Ma (Motherwort Chicken) but the most memorable meal was on our final evening when we were taken to Nyonya Kitchen By Sonia and enjoyed a feast of traditional Nyonya home cooking.
What is Nyonya food?
Nyonya food, also known as Peranakan cuisine, is a fusion of Chinese, Malay, and Indonesian cooking techniques and ingredients. It’s known for its use of spices, herbs, and aromatics, and is often described as tangy, spicy, and aromatic.
Is Nyonya food spicy?
Nyonya food can be spicy, but it also tastes sweet, salty, and sour. There is a balance of flavours, so chili spice isn’t a dominant one.
What does Nyonya mean?
Nyonya (also spelled nyonyah or nonya) is a Malay and Indonesian honorific used to refer to a ‘foreign married lady’. It is a loan word, borrowed from the old Portuguese word for lady donha. Many Peranakans trace their origins to 15th-century Malacca, where their ancestors were thought to be Chinese traders who married local women. Peranakan men are known as baba, while the women are known as Nonya (or Nyonya).
As guests with little knowledge of Nyonya food, we asked our hosts to select the dishes from the extensive menu. The result was a delicious array of starters and mains with a range of flavours to pick and choose from.
As you can see from the pictures above we were spoilt for choice and this wasn’t all the food! The food was served as it was ready, as with most Asian restaurants, so at some point, we were busy eating and chatting and began to neglect the photos!
See the photo captions for the names of the dishes. We had a selection of seafood and meat dishes, all with balanced flavours, and came in large portions. We had so much left over that it was taken home for lunch the next day.
The only part of the meal we felt a little disappointed by was desserts. They felt like an afterthought, and we had much better Chendol at street food hawker stalls around Kuching.
Nyonya Chicken CurrySago Melaka and Ice ChendolNyonya Kitchen Abacus WallNyonya Kitchen Kuching
The decor in Nyonya Kitchen is absolutely stunning! Using local materials and drawing from Peranakan culture, the dining room is a colourful delight with so many details to explore and admire. The fabulous mural is eye-catching and captures the essence of Nyonya’s kitchen. The abacus wall is a fun addition, making a 3D display art piece that adds interesting textures to the feature wall. There are also displays of family photos and vintage lamps and fans which make you feel like you’ve been welcomed into a family living room.
The staff are attentive and we enjoyed the chilled vibe of the restaurant. It was a fairly quiet midweek evening, but it’s sure to be busy at weekends and during festive times so be sure to make a reservation.
Overall Food: 9/10
Value for Money: We didn’t pay, but menu prices are affordable.
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
How to find them
Address: In Front of The Banquet Restaurant – Sublot 15,16, 17, Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli, The 3rd Exchange Commercial Centre, Kuching, MalaysiaPhone: +60 18-989 5656Email: jc.orientalhcsb23@gmail.comNyonya Kitchen by SoniaSocials
Who doesn’t enjoy exploring the night street food market when traveling in Asia? We visited two of the famous night markets in Taipei and share our top tips so you can plan a seamless night of strategic foodie indulgence!
Taiwan’s night markets aren’t only about food, you will also find many stalls offering various games to entertain adults and children alike. We saw whole shops full of claw machines, your usual arcade-style games, and lots of games we couldn’t figure out the rules of. It’s fun to watch people play as you snack on your latest find.
Where to go, what to eat, and how much the food costs
Which nightmarkets to go to in Taipei
Starting in Taiwan’s capital city, Taipei, we explore the two most famous night markets; ‘Raohe’ and ‘Shilin’ night markets. Among Taipei’s most popular tourist attractions are the Raohe Night Market in Songshan and the Shilin Night Market near Jiantian MRT station. Both are popular with locals and tourists, and we would highly recommend you visit both if you have the time because there is much to explore and enjoy! There are also many smaller pop-up street food markets in the neighbourhoods to check out too, so do take them time to check them out if you’re in the area.
What to eat
Taiwan is famous for its’ night market street-food from the famous Taiwanese Fried Chicken to the Black Pepper Buns and Sweet Potato Balls, you are in for a culinary treat as you slowly meander through the busy street and stop for street snacks along the way.
You should expect to find seafood, buns, fried snacks, sweet desserts, braised meats and offal, scallion pancakes, noodle soups, dumplings, and freshly made fruit juices. There truly are far too many options to list here but we found this guide a useful resource.
Our top tip is to take a walk around the market and check out what is on offer first as the stalls can change each night and there are often new foods that entice your tastebuds along the way.
Modern Taiwanese culture blends Chinese, Austronesian, Japanese, and Western influences and most of the hawker stalls are run as independent family businesses. This means no one stall’s food will be the same as the next!
How much food costs
The street food vendors generally only accept cash, so bring plenty with you. The food at night markets generally costs between NT10 to NT100 (25p – £2.50) per portion, so try to avoid bringing large notes. The transaction speed is very quick at the food stalls so try and have the correct change to hand when you’re ordering.
Taiwan night markets are free to enter and a good strategy is to arrive early before it gets super crowded. They are generally open from 5 to 11 pm. Be aware there is usually very little seating, so you eat as you walk or take your snacks away. Most menus are in Taiwanese, but some stalls do have English language translations. We used Google Translate, ordered food in English, pointed a lot, and never struggled to order what we wanted.
We spent two days in Taipei, visiting the two biggest night markets, and this is everything we ate!
1. Raohe Street Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
Raohe is one of the city’s oldest night markets, it’s easily accessible by Taipei’s convenient and clean rail system. It’s one of the largest night markets, attracting locals and tourists alike, and offers a huge variety of grilled, fried, steamed, barbequed, braised, and sweet dishes.
How to get there: Take the MRT to Songshan Station. The night market entrance is next to the temple.
Fried Octopus Tentacles
Grilled Whole Squid
Sugar Cane Juice
Taiwanese Fried Chicken Steak
Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun
Egg Waffles Taiwan Night Market
What we ate:
Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun can be found at one of the first stalls as you enter the market by the main entrance. You won’t miss it as there is always a big queue. The buns are made throughout the night and baked in a tandoor in big batches. They are piping hot and you will burn your mouth because you will not be able to resist taking a bite of the fragrant spiced bun you finally hold in your hands!
Taiwanese Fried Chicken Cutlet is juicy, crunchy, and addictive!
Grilled Whole Squid looks impressive on the skewer, but thankfully they chop it into more manageable pieces for you. The squid is basted in a sauce throughout cooking giving it a slightly sweet but very umami flavour.
Fried Octopus Tentacles Soft, chewy, and delicious!
Sugar Cane Juice helped to wash down on the delicious snacks. Many different drink choices include freshly made fruit milks and bubble tea. It was Daryoush’s first time trying fresh sugar cane juice.
Egg Waffles are found throughout the market. We opted for plain ones as we were already so full!
Rainbow Bridge over the Keelung River
Street Art at Rainbow Bridge over the Keelung River
Where to eat your food:
If you want a break from the busy market, want to find somewhere quiet to eat your treats, or just need to walk off your meal to make space for even more tasty morsels, then head to the Rainbow Bridge over the Keelung River. There are many benches along the riverbank to sit and enjoy your food. It’s very peaceful and pretty. There is a ‘LOVE’ sculpture where couples put padlocks on to signify their unbreakable bond and a very well-maintained cycle path with families cycling in tandem enjoying the evening together.
After our leisurely stroll along the river, we headed back into the market for dessert. You can see from my face how much I enjoyed that! By then our stomachs had reached full capacity so we stopped for a foot massage and watched people play games at the various children’s games stalls on the strip.
2. Shilin Night Market
Shilin Night Market is one of the largest night markets in Taipei and covers a large area. You can walk and turn into the side alleys and discover a lot of different little shops open late into the night. It is also Taipei’s most touristy market, so some people may avoid it, but in my opinion it’s still well worth a visit!
How to get there: Take the MRT to Jiantan Station. Take exit 1 and cross the street to the left diagonally to enter the night market. Follow the crowds, you won’t go wrong!
Lu Wei- braised meats and seafood in a secret sauce
Shrimp and Cheese Takoyaki
Stuffed Bubble Egg Waffles
Crab Stick with Nori Powder
Takoyaki
Claw Machine Shops
What we ate:
Lu Wei- braised meats and seafood in a secret sauce is usually one of the biggest stalls on the market and is hugely popular. They are also one of the few stalls with seating!
Shrimp and Cheese ‘Takoyaki’ what is not to love? Burn your mouth goodness with a decent cheese pull guaranteed!
Takoyaki because the original is still the best. Not a traditional Taiwanese snack, but I always get it when I see it.
Crab sticks were not my favourite, unfortunately. It was a popular stall and you could choose your topping flavour, but for me, it tasted very processed.
Stuffed Bubble Waffles novel and cute on a stick!
People playing Children’s Games
Top tips for your visit to any Taiwan Night Market
Make sure you go hungry! We tried a lot less food at Shilin Night Market as we’d had a big lunch. Schoolboy error…
Go on different days to the same night market, if you are spending more time in Taiwan. The stalls change, as do the food offers, so there is always something new to try!
Take cash and plenty of small change. Most stalls do not take card payments. The food is very cheap and card payment commissions eat into small business’ profits.
Everyone has different tastes, some more adventurous than others, so the night markets are a great place to try different foods. The majority of the food is cooked in front of you, and piping hot, so we never worried about how safe the food is to eat. If you are more cautious, stick to deep-fried foods and avoid cold salad and food that has been sitting out for a while.
Hopefully, you now have a few ideas on what foods to try on your next visit. And if so, we’d love to hear what you’ve tried at the Taiwan Night Markets!
Looking for authentic Hong Kong Street Food in Kowloon with a high standard of hygiene? Most importantly you also need a menu in English and helpful staff that don’t ignore you. IYKYK!
Our first meal upon landing in Hong Kong was at the ChorLand Cookfood Restaurant, Tsuen Wan. Just a few minutes walk from our hotel, my relatives took charge and reserved a table for us to enjoy a family reunion meal together after we’d traveled for 18 hours, door to door, from the UK.
Upon arrival at the airport, we were faced with a grumpy taxi driver as we ended up waiting at the wrong place for the lift. (Don’t let this put you off taxis in HK, it’s pretty standard taxi driver behaviour!) So once we checked into our hotel we headed straight out for a decent feed! What better way to start your City Break than eat traditional Cantonese style Hong Kong Street Food?
Traditional Dai Pai Dong in Hong Kong (Image taken from Google Images, owner unknown)
The Dai Pai Dong Experience
Going to a ‘Dai Pai Dong’ Street Food Stand is ubiquitous in the Hong Kong street food scene. You find street food stalls everywhere selling their specialist menus and everyone has their favourite food spots. The modern Dai Paid Dong restaurant is a far cry from the street hawker stalls found when I visited as a child in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. There are no longer masses of temporary stall setups on the side of the street with plastic stools and questionable hygiene practices, but their high-quality delicious food can still be found!
I have core childhood memories of eating a delicious meal during humid evenings, sitting on a stool on the side of the street, surrounded by neon lights, the sounds of woks banging, people gossiping, and the smells of the dishes being dropped at nearby tables. A similar experience can still be found, as many street-level restaurants have tables and chairs on the pavement. However, the pop-up markets and neon signs have all but disappeared to be replaced by modern shop fronts and air conditioning.
Beef black pepper, Rice with lard, Squid with chilli and garlic
ChorLand Cookfood Stall
What We Ate, With Ratings
I have to admit that we left the ordering to my relatives as it was our first time there and we were pretty shattered from the journey so we left them to it. I come from a family of foodies, are there any Hong Kongers that aren’t?!) so they knew what was good.
They ordered a variety of dishes, and the food just kept on coming! Be mindful that the dishes don’t come all at once, they come as they are ready so there is little chance of getting a photo of the whole meal. Some highlights of the meal:
Salted Egg Yolk King Prawns with Toasted Oats (9/10)
Marinated Fried Pigeon/Squab (7/10)
Braised Chicken with Fried Garlic and Chilli (7/10)
Fish cakes with Lotus Root and Truffle (8/10)
Steamed Rice with Lard Drizzle (their famous rice, you get the liquid lard in a small teapot and your mix it into hot rice for an indulgent side dish!) (8/10)
Salted Egg Yolk Corn on the Cob (9/10)
Stir-fried Morning Glory (9/10)
Tofu and Fish Clay Pot with Belly Pork and Lettuce (8/10)
Other dishes came but I didn’t try them/forgot their names, so I haven’t mentioned them here. However, the overall meal was one of the best in our 3-week trip! And such a great first meal to be welcomed with.
Overall Food: 8.5/10
Value for Money: We didn’t pay, but menu prices are affordable.
Service: 8/10 (better than the usual HK standard!)
Atmosphere: 9/10 (No freezing aircon and neon signage for the win!)
This Cantonese Street Food Restaurant offers a delivery service, a loyalty points scheme, and a range of hot, cold, and alcoholic beverages. They also offer a cake-cutting service for people bringing celebration cakes. To be fair if I was local to this restaurant I’d be here building my loyalty points regularly!
Reservations, Opening Times, and The Menu
Make sure you reserve a table! This is a very popular restaurant so reservation is necessary unless you want to stand in the street and queue for a long time. You can do this directly by phone but they have 3 stores so make sure you’re booking for the correct branch.
Opening times are 5:30pm to 2am every day.
The latest menu can be found on their Facebook Page but I also found the English language menu on Open Rice so don’t worry about not understanding it!
