Miri is a fascinating city to visit, not just for its healthy mix of traditional and modern lifestyle offerings, but its colourful array of cuisines as well. For visitors looking to enjoy traditional delicacies, Kelabit food is recommended. Bario Highlands, among other places, is the perfect location in which to enjoy Miri’s ethnic cuisine in their purest form. However, when that’s not possible, restaurants serving ethnic food around the city will do just fine. Traditional delicacies like Aye’ Pulut (fried glutinous rice) and Nuba Laya’ (rice wrapped in leaf) are well loved by the Kelabit folks.
Smorgasbords of other exotic and traditional dishes are not to be missed, such as the Labo La’al Sinutug. Much like the famous Pansoh Manuk, it is a dish of chicken cooked in bamboo with aromatic herbs sourced from the jungle. The flavours are more subtle compared to the Pansoh and the Labo La’al Sinutug is lightly seasoned with Kelabit Highland salt.
And then there is Udung Ubih, which is a dish of tapioca leaves either pounded or shredded and stir-fried with the pith of the tepus palm that have been bruised to release the aroma. The Bidayuh also have a similar dish called Dewon Bandung Sapur Mbud Puk in the Biatah (Emperoh) dialect.
Traditional cuisines are definitely a must-try when you’re here in this beautiful Resort City, but Miri is also a treasure trove of other varieties of food. Popular foods that can be found at the local hawker centres here include Kolo Mee, Sarawak Laksa, Dim Sum, Nyonya Kuih, Nasi Lalapan and Nasi Lemak just to name a few.
There are plenty of outlets serving good Western food in Miri as well. Here, diners get anything from pizza and pasta to chicken chop and steak. These are available from simple hawker stalls to fancy restaurants with a sophisticated ambiance to set the tone right for your elaborate Western meal.
Seafood restaurants are popular in Miri too, with diners getting to choose live seafood right out of glass tanks and straight into the wok then onto their table! Salted Egg Crabs and Steamed Garoupa are just some of the favourites among customers.
These all represent the diversity in Miri’s food scene, which should be experienced especially by those who visit Miri for the first time. Bon apetit!
For further information, please contact Miri City Council at:
Jalan Raja,
98000 Miri, Sarawak.
+6085 433501, 433504 +6085 415486
www.miriapp.com
