“Go to your hotel, dump your bags, and just go and eat!” That’s the advice from chef and TV host Audra Morrice when you land in Sarawak for the first time.
While Penang and Kuala Lumpur may be the better-known food capitals of Malaysia, this lesser-visited state on the island of Borneo could well be Southeast Asia’s most delicious secret. Tucked between rainforest and coastline, Sarawak is a place of staggering biodiversity, layered cultural influences, and a food scene still flying under the radar.
For Morrice, whose mother is from the capital, Kuching, returning to film the SBS Food series Audra’s Eat, Roam, Relish was a journey through flavour and memory, but also one of discovery.
Sarawak laksa, the “Breakfast of the Gods”
Most travellers enter Sarawak through Kuching International Airport, and if you land in the morning, a bowl of Sarawak laksa is non-negotiable.
Sarawak laksa is richly spiced, tangy, and aromatic. Credit: Audra’s Eat, Roam, Relish
Its broth is infused with a spice paste (rempah) that layers aromatics like galangal, lemongrass, and tamarind with cumin, coriander, cloves, and chilli. Poured over rice vermicelli noodles, it’s topped with poached chicken, prawns, shredded omelette, bean sprouts, coriander, a spoonful of sambal belacan, and a squeeze of lime juice.
“It’s very different from all the other laksas that we're familiar with here in Australia,” explains Morrice. “And if you go to different laksa shops or coffee shops across Sarawak, they will all be slightly different. Some will be more heavily spiced with cloves. Some will have a softer spice blend. Some will be less coconutty, some will be more.”
A city of endless meals
With Chinese, Malay, Indigenous, and Indian influences, and its kopitiams and hawker markets, Kuching is made for eating, from early morning through to late-night snacks.
You might want to follow that bowl of laksa with popiah (fresh spring rolls), kolo mee (egg noodles tossed in savoury pork and shallots, topped with bbq pork or chicken) or kway chap (flat rice noodles and braised pork in broth).
Kuching’s food scene is a vibrant melting pot. Credit: Audra’s Eat, Roam, Relish
“You won't go hungry,” promises Morrice, laughing.
Indigenous ingredients, deep connection
Sarawak’s most unique flavours, though, come from beyond the cities. “Some of the most beautiful food you can have there is the local Indigenous cuisines. It’s all about the foraged food that grows in the jungle,” explains Morrice.
There are about 27 distinct Indigenous groups in Sarawak, some of them still living a nomadic lifestyle.
“In the Western world, we see foraging as something that's pretty cool and part of the restaurant environment. But for these people, if they don't forage, they don't eat. The co-dependency between people and the land is very strong. They understand the land so well,” she says.
Some of Sarawak's native jungle food, including ginger torch and wild fern. Credit: Audra’s Eat, Roam, Relish
“The Indigenous ingredients are cooked very simply, so the dishes purely rely on the flavour of the actual ingredients,” says Morrice.
Sarawak olives are commonly eaten as a snack and in fried rice. Credit: Audra’s Eat, Roam, Relish
Morrice lights up, describing the jungle: “Even just the fruits. Picking a fruit off a tree that I've never seen in my whole life, eating things that just blew my mind. Having wild durian, so fermented, so alcoholic, so creamy and rich. Being on a river, where music is just the sound of the jungle. You don't hear anything else. No cars, no horns, nothing, just animals.”
A place worth visiting and protecting
While Morrice is excited for more people to discover Sarawak, she’s also protective of what makes it special.
Audra Morrice exploring the rivers of Sarawak. Credit: Audra’s Eat, Roam, Relish
As the world rushes toward viral culinary trends and fast food experiences, Sarawak offers something slower, deeper, and strongly rooted.
While it may still be a hidden gem in Asia, it may not stay that way for long.
