22-Jul-2025
Food and drink are usually a great pleasure in Indonesia. Well, in Southeast Asia, generally, to be honest. And Singkawang has definitely been no exception.
Firstly, now's a good time for another shout-out for the Swiss-Belinn. It has been an all-round very comfortable place to stay, but the breakfast buffet really stands out. Nothing short of superb every single day... No complaints here about unhealthy choices, as there have been lots of low-carb, vegetable-heavy dishes every morning (and being terribly GOOD in general means you can have just a little go at their delectable section of kuih...).
They've also tried to present characteristic local foods each day:
Talam ebi, for example. Made of rice flour and coconut milk, with a savoury dried shrimp topping
And though I talked about choi pan yesterday, that wasn't our first experience. The hotel has offered them several mornings.
On the subject of choi pan, there used to be a famous outlet at Rumah Marga Tjhia. But...
Oh no, the dumplings have moved...
Never fear, we tracked them down to this rather grand building opposite the Taman Burung
A nice mixture. These were variously stuffed with jicama (see that previous post for an explanation if you need one); chives; bamboo shoots; and taro
It wasn't 1720. But who needs a clock to tell the right time when it's as gorgeous as this?
Singkawang is also famous for rujak. We tried the mango one, which comes with belinjo crackers on top. A very pleasant combo...
Rujak Thai Phui Jie
Then there's something called bubur gunting. This is a sweetish, pandan-infused porridge made of mungbeans, which is served with chopped up breadsticks on top (called youtiao or cakwe, depending on where you are). Again, it's that nice sweet/savoury combo. Bubur gunting is definitely a relative of the lek tau suan we buy on Upper China Street at home. And many internet sources say it's the same thing. But the vendor maintained it is slightly different, and certainly his porridge was a little stickier than the lek tau suan we're familiar with. So who knows? Delicious, either way.
Bubur gunting
We went a couple of times to Kopi Tiam Rusen, right in the middle of town. Despite its venerable appearance and fortuitous setting, the prices seem pretty normal:
Go upstairs for great views of the temple, and for interesting old photos
The fried bananas are different from the version we get at home (but just as tasty)
Singkawang is also running -- RUNNING, I tell you -- in coffee establishments. Possibly, the coffee doesn't come up to the incredibly high standard set by Kuching, but it's all very acceptable (definitely better than what you generally get in the UK...), and it's always served with a smile, and pretty inexpensive:
Tomoro (which is very new) was probably our favourite spot, in terms of the product and the ambiance
So new, in fact, that the banners were still up. And who can go wrong with a logo like that? Cat and coffee bean: Inspired...
But there were plenty of others, and they've all been very welcome pit-stops, given the hot, dry, windy weather we've been having here:
Lokale
CW Coffee. Again, spacious and pleasant; we went here a couple of times
Spirit Way. Perfect for people who live on Jalan Bukit Hantu...
Nordu
I'm going to miss it...