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You'd have to try pretty hard not to eat well in Kuching... Here, in no particular order, are some of our recent discoveries:

~{nilpost~=704~;text~=Last year~;target~ =plr~}, we had pork leg rice from an establishment half-way up Jalan Padungan. This time we tried the one nearest the cat (Chai Song Soon is the name over the door, but some descriptions I have read seem to indicate ownership is more complicated than that). It was a good feed. You are served a platter of pork and egg to share, plus you each get a plate of rice, a little dish of chilli, and two bowls of soup, one bak kut teh-like, one curry-like (I read somewhere that you should pour this latter one onto your rice -- I just drank it separately, which to me was just as good). Yum...

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Also worthy of mention on Jalan Padungan, along with the old favourites I talked about ~{purplepost~=786~;text~=last time~;target~=kuchingfood1~}, is ~{link~= https://www.igomakan.com/2015/09/abee-traditional-buns-kuching.html ~;text~=Abee Traditional Buns~;target~=abee~}. The eponymous buns are excellent.

We've tried a couple more of the upmarket cafes. Commons is in the Old Court House complex, so the environs are imposing. It's not the cheapest place, but my salad was good.

~{nilimage~=131802~;dir~=H~;alt~=commons~}
~{nilimage~=131803~;dir~=V~;alt~=salad~}
~{nilimage~=131804~;dir~=V~;alt~=toilets~;caption~=The august toilets of the Old Court House complex~}
The Museum Cafe on Jalan Main Bazaar does nice smoked duck panini.

And Hilltop House (whose striking, 1930s-reminiscent building had caught our eye on one of our walks) offers smart dining in the evening, and remarkably good-value lunches during the day. My hefty plate of stir-fried beef with Sarawak black pepper sauce came with rice, kerupuk, salad, and soup. Add on fresh orange juice and a cup of coffee to finish, and it was still less than MYR 30. Not bad for such a nice setting.

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We've also tried out some more of the simpler places. Borneo Delights, on Jalan Wayang, offers lots of things, including ~{link~= https://pansuh.com/delicious-dabai-black-olive/ ~;text~=dabai~;target~=dabai~} fried rice, which pairs nicely with ~{link~= https://www.houseofannie.com/stir-fried-cangkuk-manis/ ~;text~=cangkuk manis~;target~=cangkukmanis~} and egg.

And Kopi O Corner, out on Jalan Satok, has a great little stall that sells several different styles of chicken rice. We chose the "spicy" version, and were delivered a generous portion of chicken, laden with chilli; a mound of buttery chicken rice; a touch of acar (a slightly sour pickle/salad); and a bowl of very good soup.

Also of note in this category is ~{link~= http://www.sugarbun.com/ ~;text~=Sugar Bun~;target~=sugarbun~}. "That's Sarawak's answer to Kentucky Fried Chicken," a Grab driver told us one day. As their website puts it: "We serve Malaysian good food that is delicious and handmade, through a fast food restaurant system." We're not normally fast-food fanciers, but I have a soft spot for these local answers to the big chains (think Jollibee in the Philippines). So, one day we duly road-tested Sugar Bun. Ours wasn't one of the branches that offer Sarawak specialities, but I had a perfectly acceptable plate of savoury rice, crispy chicken, and acar. (Oddly enough, there was a branch of Sugar Bun near the place we latterly lived in KL, but we never noticed it...)

In a class all of its own is the Old Bazaar Cafe, on Jalan Wayang, where we saw in ~{purplepost~=791~;text~=the Year of the Pig~;target~=oldbazaar~}. This is a quirky and ultra-relaxed source of beer and snacks at fairly affordable prices. There's a very clear regulars' table, a cheerful unpredictability about the availability of items on the menu, a gaggle of cats, and a friendly atmosphere. Out the front a Muslim lady sells Japanese ice-cream (nice), and at the weekends (Friday to Sunday), a German/Sarawakian team serves very tasty Bratwurst, pork patties, etc.

~{nilimage~=131801~;dir~=H~;alt~=obc~;caption~=The Old Bazaar Cafe: the outside looks like a temple, and the internal stage is still used for performances, we understand~}
~{nilimage~=131899~;dir~=H~;alt~=bratty~;caption~=Tasty Bratwurst~}
~{nilimage~=131828~;dir~=H~;alt~=obcdog~;caption~=Waiting for the Old Bazaar to open...~}
Not to be missed from a Kuching food account is the ~{link~= https://blog.traveloka.com/en/travel-guides-and-tips/satok-weekend-market-guide-and-tips/ ~;text~=Kubah Ria weekend market~;target~=kubahria~}. We took a Grab there, and walked back. This is a cornucopia of fresh produce (plus, round the edges, cooked food), and if we get the chance to live in these parts, we'll be regulars here without a doubt.

~{nilimage~=131821~;dir~=H~;alt~=market~}
~{nilimage~=131822~;dir~=H~;alt~=pisangtanduk~;caption~=The amazing "pisang tanduk" (horn bananas) -- easily a foot long~}
Dear Kuching... So much still to try...