banana leaf rice restoran

if u like tosay, then this is the place to go! serves up a nice crispy fresh tosay, and the kuah kelapa/bawang is a great accompaniment to this dish. its about the only thing that we go for. their capati is so-so, a really good one can be eaten on its own, with this one i cant quite do it. their banana leaf rice is pretty good too, the trick is in the kuah, and they are generous with this. the lauk range is not going to confuse you, i.e. it is quite limited, sticking with basic, chix, fish and kambing goreng or kari. dont bother tyring out the other style of dishes, remember first and foremost this is a mamak joint, so stick with kari. i tried their ayam madu once, and got pretty disappointed, esp when my benchmark is restoran ismail in taman tun kl. the owner started out in kk, and branched out into miri. looking at the lunchtime crowd, i am pleased to say that this joint should be able to survive in miri for sometime. location is at centrepoint on the miri marriott/everly side of town. next to the sister branch of the ipoh kopitiam (see prev post).

ipoh kopitiam saberkas

its become our regular place, esp since the lil one does art classes above it at saberkas...compared to other kopitiams in town, this has a balance of good service and taste. price wise a bit above the rest, but tolerable. good nasi lemak chix wings, the wings are fried fresh so its piping hot and goes with the rice which is not so lemak, and sambal is in the mild/sweet range. the kopi here is the best, hot and has a balance taste to it, unlike the other joint at boulevard which is completely hopeless - who serves kopi susu suam? this place is quite uptodate as it has wi-fi and the diner seats even has a touchscreen  computer in case you are bored and need to surf. this place is owned by one of our friends, i joke with the mrs that this is prob where the friend parks her chinese vases that cant fit in their home anymore. hv a go, certainly worth it.

piasau boat club

a family regular place, if anything for our munchkins place to release energy at the playground and the beach. the dolphin swing being the all time favourite and everything else second. the club was setup by the company to help provide some recreation facilities for the staff, mainly for the expats to not worry about what to cook. its located within the piasau camp area, a members club but was told that you can walk in and pay cash too if you want to eat at the restaurant, else it works by a chit system. the makan is ok overall, it has a range of locals and western favourites, and even catering to some part of our demographics, it even feature bitterballens (dutch deep fried meat stuffed doughballs). its not the same as the haram version in nl, but those were the jahiliah days...a good thing about this place is they dont use msg in their recipes so you dont get that thirsty feeling after you had your meal even after downing a few glasses of drinks. so whats good? the laksa sarawak is quite alright, chicken chop is pretty and burgers. they do a kuching style noodle, which is tomato based, pretty good too. if you have a big group go for the beef black pepper honey, or if your on company lunch, go for the pre-ordered fried cod fish, it is simply deelish. the fish is slightly crispy outside but oh so tender fish meat inside, its so juicy. overall a good place to have a makan and relax during the weekends. oh and i have actually gone sailing with one of the lasers there...but havent got the helms tix yet, that to come.

imperial hotel restaurant

this is one of our regular places whenever it rains or just want to go somewhere simple and air conditioned. its got a chinese and mixed menu. the restaurant is fairly large and mostly unoccupied so we tend to get our usual table by the windows and the little toddler gets to roam around whenever she doesnt want to sit down. we've only gone for the simple goreng, sup stuff from the chinese menu, so never really ventured into the lauks. the gorengs and suppy stuff is done well, though not superb. the mixed menu has the western and local range, and bistro stuff like sandwiches and italian menu, wide enough but not super extensive. the club sandwich is ok, and worth trying the fish (salmon). we stayed at the hotel for a good 5 weeks when we first arrived, so this place has a place in our stomach. prices are reasonable and parking is free when you eat here so all in all a worthy proposition to give it a go. located on the ground floor of the hotel next to the reception counter.

secret recipe

those from west my will be familiar with this chain. we had to give it a go, though it was a while after it opened that we tried it. we did have a peek just when they opened, but they had a simops thing going with final construction work going on and people ordering and eating food at the same time, which was a no no for us considering we have an interpid traveler with us. when we got round to it, its pretty much consistent set of menu with a bit of miri oil town boosted price, or brunei market factor, or whatever you want to call it. we had a go at the vietnamese beefball noodles, the tom yam noodle and little one had one of the fish...ok lah, i think they could tweak it a bit to give a bit more oomph to the flavours. anyway we tried it again and tapau'd the shepherds pie which went down well with our daughter and me too. so that was recommended. the wifey would have their apple juice with something in it (kasturi?). of course they are more well known for their cheesecakes, but we havent tried that yet! for you to have a go. located at the pelita roundabout along the 'bright, happening' part of miri with its nightlife row. overall worth to check out.

Cafe Rosita

been wanting to try this place out for a while, but just never came round to it. one day i just mentioned it to the mrs that we go there for lunch and off we went. its at the ground floor of the dynasty hotel, one of the older hotels here. looks ok from what we saw of the lobby but no idea what the room are like. 3 star ish...apparently owned by a local malay family but sold out due to problems running it. anyway back to the main reason. i was told this place can be busy, but we took a chance and turned and there was a table for us, though not many left. its popular with the buffet. we had a flick of the a la carte menu, and it did look interesting. alas we went for the buffet. overall it is ok, some ups and downs, our daughter happened to enjoy the chicken roulade with roast potatoes and gravy, which is always welcome. they had some ok dishes, though the ingredients (meat cuts, lamb) was not up to scratch. they do need to work on the matching, they had nasi minyak but only one dish to go with it. the rest was more a white rice dish..salads range was acceptable, and so was dessert. overall ok value for lunch. atmosphere is about eating, table/chairs have been optimised over the years of experience. would certainly come back to try their a la carte range pulak.

restoran best western

when in the mood for a good slab of meat or poultry, we like to head out to this place which is located on the ground floor of the hotel grand palace. this joint had a bit of a run in with their halal cert renewal, but am glad to say that they have sorted that out now, so we can head out there again without was-was. we very much like their steaks, whether the regular cut or their tournedos. the tournedos are especially really nice and succulent and tender when put into your mouth. they do actually give the steakhouses in kl a good run for their money, seriously. side dishes are good too, i am a sucker for mash, and they do this quite well here. the atmosphere is more towards fine dining, but they wont turn you away even if you turn up in a pair of shorts, just dont do the full ah pek look lah thats all with the pagoda t-shirt, though you never know and try it out yourself. back to the makan, they also do nice soups, whether mushroom, tomato or lobster bisque. salad is another area which is worth having a go with. it is sufficiently fresh and fairly well dressed and you can also decide to add chicken or fish to go with it. overall a worthwhile place to go whether it is with your family or for business.

restoran ala mak

this joint was recently opened couple months ago, and what a welcome sight it is. focusing mainly on johorean favourites (the owner is a johorean of course), it brings a new niche to this quite generic makan scene. when opened it offered only briyani gam, but now has expanded into mee bandung and mee rebus johor. the nasi briyani is light and fluffy as that is the malay interpretation of the northern indian dish. served with either beef, lamb or chicken it certainly is a very good shot at the real thing (as in nasi briyani batu pahat). you dont feel stuffed after having this briyani and so it lulls you into wanting to have more...
the mee bandung and mee rebus is also a must try as it doesnt cut any corners with the ingredients. have it with sirap bandung and youre ready to go. the place also does lots of different juices (incl pegaga), so you also get to enjoy the beverage with the makan.
located along the shop lots in piasau (opposite the shell station), with easy parking.

restoran bulatan

this is one of the places we sometime go for the basic goreng2, sup2 stuff. we happen to know the owner's spouse who works at the same place (half of this town works here), but thats not the reason why we come here. its a casual place, opens throughout the day and is quite consistent in terms of the quality of food served. most of the time its the basic nasi goreng, they do it without much fanfare and the taste is quite good, when you get that charred taste. also worth trying their hotplate, its good as well. there is a brader who does satay in the evenings, from 8 onwards, and usually is sold out by 10. price is reasonable and theres easy parking spots, except for the pasar malam nites on fridays and sats.
located along the row of shops facing the biggest roundabout (and now flyover) in miri, its quite accessible and is along the main thoroughfare of miri.

restoran selera melayu

as i am proud to say that i am from malaya, the availability of outlets that cater to the malaya's taste is something of a welcome sight to me. the fact is this: the taste buds in sarawak is a lot milder and if i may say blander than the heat and sheer flavours that the food that is normally taken by malayans. so when a colleague told me of this place, i had to give it a try. the first thing i was told about this place is the nasi lemak. and i mean nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaf and newspaper. so i had to give it a shot. turns out the taste is pretty ok by the standards here (even compared to our office nasi lemak). so tick. the next thing that was a hit at this place is its masak ikan asam pedas. now if you are a fan of this stuff then this place is really worth a visit for this dish. the akak, who is from perak has got it down to a t. of course we need good, fresh fish, etc, but she has got the chili thing going with the asamness just right. make sure you're not wearing white and get some extra tissues handy coz its gonna make you sweat baby. i mean with gastronomic pleasure. you gotta go early, coz that dish goes pretty fast. we have been disappointed once, but only once. other dishes are worth a go, like the curry, masak lemak, but the signature dish is what i have described above. so what are you waiting for, get going!
located along the row of restaurants along the bulatan (known as saberkas, where the pasar malam is)

fratini's

the company allowances one gets when arriving at a new location lets you venture a bit further than your average roadside fare. so we decided to try out one of the more expensive restaurants that this 'city' has to offer. its of course easier to choose this one as just coming back from europe our memory of what is supposed to be authentic italian food is still fresh in our tastebuds, so we can compare lah. we've tried this joint a few times, and they are generally quite good. their pizzas are good the dough is light and tasty with reasonable choice of toppings. they also do good soups and salad starters. they have some interesting drinks, if i recall the four seasons mocktail is pretty refreshing. all in all its worth a try. they regularly do promos for takeaways to lure you to the place as well. they also have a little brother restaurant going by the name of piccolo fratini near the centrepoint kopitiam.

restoran muara

we have only tried one thing at this place, its famous nasi lalapan. it means eight rice, and there are supposed to be eight different things that go with the rice on the place. actually most of it are good healthy ulam (local veges), plus either meat, chicken or fish and a dollop of their very powderful sambal belacan. this place gets quite busy, as there are quite a few indons working here in the local construction and oil/gas industry who frequent this place. u gotta be ready for some sweaty head and nose after a dose of nasi lalapan, it really gets the pores opened up, but worth it! cant really say about the other items in the menu at this place, but if you are up for some serious tastebud explosions, then this is a must try. i like the meat version, its just right for the dish, as the meat are cut into rectangle slabs and cooked to a balanced crisp and tender texture. its located at the miri waterfront business area, opposite the yee ha hai seafood restaurant at the roundabout.

fajaria

back to lutong again to share a little of this favourite haunt for the office folks for lunch. it has a wide range of lauk to choose from for the nasi campur and is not bad. one thing i figured is that miri is quite a fan of this dish called 'chicken mayonnaise'. its basically deep fried breaded chicken pieces and with a layer of mayo laced over it. nevertheless their nasi campur is worth a try. nasi ayam is also another favourite there and they do the roasted version. their waitresses have gotten used to me now for the standard tapau package of a goreng dish, be it rice, kuey teow or meehoon but without seafood or egg. must say i havent been there for a while so maybe its due. one thing about ordering food here in sarawak is that most things are served with a clear hot soup. like all things alien initially, one gets used to it, and it seems like i would demand for my hot soup now to accompany my makan. this place has a sister shop called cafenika in miri town, so menu is quite similar. fajaria is in lutong town opposite the shell station.

cafe bavaria

this is a popular one for oue family. our daughter loves their potatoes and we lurve their southern german offerings which are actually quite authentic. the owner is a german herself, married to a local dude and been here for a while. she usually chills out smoking at the restaurant when its not busy, but does the cooking herself. there is a good range on the menu to try out, with their schnitzels as the main choice, but also other things like the foot long hotdog, mash potatoes and farmers lunch. the potatoes of the day are made by parboiling them and then cooked with onions, its addictive! tucked at a corner in one of the blocks in the waterfront (after the row of maybank etc), it seems to be getting busier as time goes by. also worth trying their yummy bananarama drink. desserts are unfortunately a bit of a let down, a nice strudel would be nice, but you cant have them all i suppose.

ipoh kopitiam

my first visit to this place was when i met up with my uncle syed zul having confused him for my boss in a series of hilarious sms ping pong. this place has a simple, well, kopitiam atmosphere (and air con'd too) and serves up traditional fares like kaya toast and half boiled eggs on bread. pretty good, and the ipoh white coffee is also good. the place uses chicken from a halal source and openly declares their menu is pork free. for me thats good enough not to turn down the opportunity. other things on the menu that i plan to try out are nasi lemak, and their goreng stuff. good place to widen your options and they have wi-fi in keeping up with the times. its located at the new block of shop lots on the way to miri marriott (same row as the 'smaller' fratini's).

mee kolok pak wan

back to lutong again as we try out one of the popular joint in this part of town (cant bring myself to call this place a city somehow). they serve up a popular dish called mee kolok, its a simple breakfast made up of curly noodles with a beef broth and some 'erbs thrown in. its delicious, not too heavy and reasonable too (though people are complaining of increases in costs of living reflected by the increase in price of this stuff). pak wan is a chinese who converted to islam as i understand it, so he has the knowledge of the recipe for this dish. his place also serves up other goreng stuff, notables are his 'nasi goreng belacan semua (or all)'. its an interesting one which is worth a try. located opposite the shell station (near the car wash).

mee jawa hole # 9

we heard about this place even before we arrived here. our friends told us about the great mee jawa and fried chicken that they serve for breakfast. the name giveaway as to its location, tucked away next to the hole # 9 tee box at kgm (kelab golf miri). do come early as they are sold out by late morning. patience would come in handy too, so come along with your mates or have some papers handy to read. i quite enjoy dropping by after an early 9 hole round. the secret to the mee jawa (or any mee jawa) is the kuah, here you can ask for the tulang (i.e the meat on the bone - supposed to be juicier) or just the meat on its own. the fried chicken is made fresh, piping hot as it arrives on the table. down it with some nescafe tarik, and you are ready for the rest of the day ahead. apart from that, they also do mee/kuey teow goreng which also taste good.

restoran norhikmah

this is the place i would go to get my fix of roti telur for breakfast. am a big fan of this stuff, and this place serves up the closest thing there is to the popular mamak fare more commonly found in 'malaya' as the locals would say. tucked in the main part of lutong town (opposite the shell station), the proprietors of this place do look convincingly like indian muslims who should know a thing or two about making a nice kuah dahl with sambal to go with the roti telur. ask for roti telur bawang and extra garing for greater effect. goes down well with a nice teh or nescafe tarik, you pick. it also serves up a decent bit of nasi lemak with all the bits on the side, like sambal, egg(s), chicken, timun etc. etc. its open pretty much for all the main meals of the day. a satay stand opens up in the evening and it is also very good, though the kuah kacang can be a bit too oily (some would say thats why it tastes good). we had it at a friends place the other nite, and it was delish. anyway, have a go and try it for yourself.

prologue

food heaven is definitely not the first words that come to mind when trying to match with miri. having said that it does however offer some points of refuge for those who are in the search of good (and halal) makan spots, regardless of other facets like ambience, price, location and even ease of parking. i hope this site provides a small service to the people of this place we currently call home. have fun searching, if you know of good makan, then put your comments in and i will give it a go and maybe even write about it!