Since we were staying in the area, I decided that exploring the places to eat in Kuala Belait would be a good idea. It certainly appealed to the foodie in me and as time passed, I started putting together this list. I’m was not sure how long or short it is going to be but it turned out to be super long. No surprises there. Lol!
Before I start talking about all the great places to eat in Kuala Belait, I want to mention how difficult it is to choose a spot. Don’t get me wrong. I love being spoiled for choice but Kuala Belait takes the love for food to a whole new level. With different cuisines to choose from and multiple restaurant options within each cuisine, you really don’t want to order in.
In order to help you navigate through the guide better I thought it would be wise to divide it a bit. You can use the links below to access the sections you are looking for.
Cafes
The café culture in Brunei is huge. From local coffee shops selling teh and kopi to the more famous brands that offer espressos, cappuccinos and more, Brunei has it all. It therefore should not come as a surprise that Kuala Belait has its own selection of cafes. So if you are looking for a good place to catch a cup of coffee or tea or just relax this is where you need to look.
Marilyn Café
Marilyn Cafe is one of the popular places to eat in Kuala Belait.
Address: Shop No. 12 Jalan Pretty, Kuala Belait KA119, Brunei
Bang in the heart of Kuala Belait is Marilyn café. In fact to be more accurate, it is on Jalan Pretty. Thi popular café has a laid back ambiance, plenty of dishes to choose from and coffee. How could I forget that.
To be honest, I wasn’t too impressed with the food. The Nasi Lemak was good but the western dishes were definitely subpar. The baked goods looked much better and I tried the Portuguese tart which was good. The bread pudding however failed to impress me. I guess the café is largely popular because of its ambiance and its location. Plus free wifi and air-conditioning.
Starbucks
Starbucks is one of the popular cafes in Kuala Belait.
Address: Lot 5354, Spg 194 Jln Maulana, Kuala Belait, Brunei
Starbucks is Starbucks but if you want a cup of coffee, fast internet and are looking to chill a bit then you may want to consider it. Located on Jalan Maulana, it is one of those places to eat in Kuala Belait that requires a short drive out of the main city. The coffee is good as usual and I really loved their chocolate eclairs!
Coffee Bean
Address: H6RC+M32, Kuala Belait, Brunei
There are Coffee Bean outleta at both Seaview apartments and at the Supasave building. The second one does not technically under the category of places to eat in Kuala Belait. I just thought that I would add it to the list since it is the more popular one. I haven’t eaten or grabbed a coffee here but Shawn has and he had no complains.
Sunny Bee
Address: H5JR+JH2, Kampung Lubok Palam, Kuala Belait, Brunei
Sunny Bee is both a bakery and cake shop but I would consider it a café too. This is one of the places to eat in Kuala Belait where you can sit inside a nice air conditioned room and sip on a hot Kopi or Teh of your choice. Plus they have a variety of food and breakfast options. Located on Jalan Maulana, this was very close to us and we found ourselves heading to it for some of their delicious lemon cheesecake. They also have outlets in Kuala Belait and Seria.
The Beanery
The Beanery is another one of the popular places to eat in Kuala Belait.
Address: No 81 A/1, Ground floor, Jalan Bunga Rambai, Kuala Belait KA1131, Brunei
Located in the heart of the city, the Beanery is a popular place to eat in Kuala Belait. I read that the milkshakes were really good and so finally after putting if off for a long while, Shawn and I finally made it to the café. Not being hungry we just ordered the milkshakes which truly did look like some kind of art. Definitely refreshing on a hot day. The ambiance of the Beanery is particularly nice and homely. While we did not order any food, we noticed that the portions that were being served to other customers was definitely good.
Local Food Markets
There are three main local markets which I consider great places to eat in Kuala Belait. I can’t say that I have eaten at every stall in the markets but one thing that I can assure you is that you will be spoiled for choice. If you love cheap eats and don’t mind the buzz, do head out here. It is plenty of fun and the smells will have you drooling instantly.
Food Court On The Kuala Waterfront
There is a small food court with a couple of food stalls on waterfront. We found them late one evening while we were exploring the city. We however did not stop to eat here so I can’t tell you what we think about the food. If we do head back, I will make sure to update this section.
Food Court On Jalan Bunga Rambai
Two other food courts are located between Jalan Bunga Rambai and Jalan Bunga Simpur. I personally love the stalls in the one close to Jalan Bunga Rambai and I have to be honest, I haven’t explored the other one yet. Stalls that I loved are as below.
The Satay Stall
Beef satay at the local food market in Kuala Belait.
Okay, forgive me. I don’t know the name of the stall but the satay stall is rather hard to miss. On the extreme corner of food court next to the road, you can spot him grilling different types of satays in the evening. I got three beef satays for B$ 1 and they were soft and delicious. Though I think I would ask him for a spicy sauce the next time around. He also has chicken satays and I highly recommend visiting his stall.
Bernard Kitchen /Rasa Indonesia
The nasi goreng that we ordered.
Another stall that you will spot as soon as you enter. This stall however was closed on the weekend but we managed to catch it open one evening during the week. The stall has a mix of Indonesian food and some western items. I ordered a Nasi Goreng and really liked it. A lot of people ordered the BBQ Lamb with chips so I guess that is probably what is famous. Definitely going to check it out the next time I am in the area.
The Chinese Shop
Again, I don’t know the name of the shop but right at the back of the food court, you will find a small restaurant. I don’t think I could call it a stall even though it is part of the food court. It has indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating has air-conditioning. The food here was nice. I especially liked the siew mai! It wasn’t expensive either.
Desserts Brunei Style
Another stall that isn’t open is one that sells the local desserts which are made of shaved ice. We managed to catch a bite to eat here on a Sunday. They even made the ABC without sugar for me which was great! Shawn had the Laksa here which was also good. Again, I don’t know the name of it but it is on your right when you are facing the Bernard Kitchen stall.
Restaurants In And Around Kuala Belait
There are a couple of restaurants that are famous and there is decent variety of good places to eat in Kuala Belait. We have found ourselves exploring each one of them a little at a time though somehow invariably we are drawn to a particular few. Here are the ones that we explored and enjoyed.
WYWY Restaurant
The local coconut curry that caught my fancy at this place to eat in Kuala Belait.
Address: Simpang 93-44-2-4, Kuala Belait, Brunei
The WYWY restaurant has many branches and we visited the Pandan branch on different occasions. I honestly cannot make up mind on whether I love the restaurant or not. I think this is largely due to the different experiences that I have had. One of the first things that you will realize when you enter is that their menu resembles a Phd Thesis as it is huge and makes ordering really tough. On one occasion we had the local coconut prawn curry which was scrumptious and different. We also tried their dim sums which were nice. Among the other things that we tried and liked were the fried rice and the stone rice bowls. Not sure if I got the latter right.
The restaurant basically serves Chinese and Thai cuisine. That should give you an idea of what you are heading in for.
Indah Damai Restaurant
Address: H6RC+PMQ, Kuala Belait, Brunei
I finally found myself in Indah Damai restaurant when we arrived back late from Bali one night. Coincidently, the restaurant was also celebrating completing 8 years so they were running a 30 percent discount on their food. We tried a variety of things, from their set menu (lamb in shrimp paste) to their Penang curry noodles but what we all loved the most was the Beef with potato curry that we bought. It definitely put the restaurant on our list of top places to eat in Kuala Belait.
One thing that I should warn you is that the dishes that come in small, medium and large quantities come in enormous portions. We ordered a small beef curry and it was enough for two of us if we had ordered nothing else. Even their rice quantities are large so order accordingly.
The Food RV
The Food RV was a lucky find.
Address: Simpang 27 4, Kuala Belait, Brunei
We were headed to the Red Rooster café since I head read about it online and sadly found it closed down. On the way back we passed by a restaurant called The Food RV. From the looks of things it was recently opened and a couple of items on their menu are marked as coming soon. It is however bustling with a lot of locals and for good reason. The food is simple, tasty and cheap. We loved the Nasi Goreng Special here and they even spiced it up for us. Definitely a place we would revisit.
Nepali Cuisine
I haven’t been to many Nepali restaurants and I was pleasantly surprised to note that there were some Nepali places to eat in Kuala Belait. If you have not eaten Nepali food, then you should know that it is very similar to Indian food. To me it represented a familiar food palate.
Just Momos
Just Momos is the best Nepali restaurant in Kuala Belait.
Address: H5MR+3 Kuala Belait, Brunei
Just Momos is a small Nepali restaurant that has become famous in the city as one of the best places to eat in Kuala Belait. It was one of the first places that we tried because I found myself craving for parathas. The inside of the café is tastefully done and isn’t over decorated. The owner himself comes up and speaks to you and talks about how they like to keep the food tasting as close to homemade food as possible following the flavours of Nepal.
The menu was surprisingly simple and easy to pick from. We had the parathas, lamb curry and the momos. Each one of the dishes was better than the last. The restaurant is vegetarian friendly too!
Indian Food
Being an Indian means that we often got a craving for Indian food. Doesn’t come as a surprise right? Though we did not head out for it as much as we should have, we found a couple of restaurants that were certainly good enough to tempt us to visit them again.
Taj
On the main road, you will find that the Taj is one of the places to eat in Kuala Belait where you will get cheap Indian food. Just because it is cheap however doesn’t mean that it isn’t good. From biryani to dosa, you will find it on their menu. They do have different names for them which makes me wonder if it is because they are a Malaysian adaptation to Indian food.
Serikandi
Address: Lot 4004 Simpang 36, Kuala Belait, Brunei
I’m surprised that despite the popularity of this restaurant, I actually landed up tasting the food only at a party. They had quite a number of Indian dishes that were served. While not all of them tasted authentic to the more proven Indian palate, they were tasty and if you are looking for something as close to Indian food as you can get, this is one of the places to eat in Kuala Belait that you want to be at.
Italian
Italian food is also popular. I noticed that Pizza hut in Kuala Belait which is located in the Pandan area. The Bruneians however love two of their more local Italian restaurants namely Chef Mauri and Fratini’s restaurant.
Chef Mauri
I haven’t personally been to the actual Chef Mauri restaurant that is located in the Pandan area in Kuala Belait but I have tried their pizzas which were home delivered to a friends house. The thin crust pizzas are huge and they have a good variety of different toppings to try from. They do have offers that are available from time to time and if you are in a mood for a pizza you may want to check it out.
Fratini’s Restaurant
Address: Ground floor Unit 1, Lot 7191, Jalan Jaya Negara Kg, Pandan, Kuala Belait
We finally found our way to the local Italian favourite, namely Fratini’s restaurant. The deco in this restaurant is really pretty though I have to say that the prices can put a dent in your wallet. I would suggest going when they have their offers running which seems pretty often. Appetizers, pasta and pizza seem to be the main aspects of the menu. We tried the calzone and the special on the spaghetti. The calzone was disappointing. The spaghetti was nice but not mind blowing. What no one told us what that the specials were not included in the offer. So make sure you order just from the main menu if you want the discount. Would I go back? Maybe if I had a real bad craving for the pasta but not for the pizza.
Pastamania
Address: Unit No G5, Ground Floor KB Sentral Shopping Centre, Jalan Seri Maharaja, Kuala Belait
I honestly did not expect much from Pastamania because it looked more like a fast food chain from the outside. With a hankering for Italian food, I decided to give it a try and I have to say if you are looking for Italian places to eat in Kuala Belait, look no further. This is the one. We ordered a drink (non-alcoholic of course!), a pizza and a pasta. The drink was refreshing, the pasta was delicious and the pizza… The pizza was divine. Pastamania definitely does not skimp on the toppings and the pizza base was baked to perfection. Definitely heading back here!
Sushi
Sushi is very popular in Brunei. In fact you will find that there are three main sushi restaurants in Kuala Belait that cater to this craving. These are Kaizen. Escapade Sushi and Sushi Tei with Kaizen being the popular favourite.
Sushi Tei
Address: H6CC+QWH, Kuala Belait, Brunei
Shawn loves Sushi Tei which is located at Central mall. I remember visiting it in Kota Kinabalu and I loved it. From Shawn’s review, I get that the quality of sushi in Brunei is the same. That meant that I had to visit it too and the hype is true! We had one hell of a meal. Service is a tad slow but not too bad. If you visit during the week, you will find that they offer discounts. At least they did in the months that we were around.
For such a small town, there are so many places to eat in Kuala Belait. It never ceases to surprise me as we keep stumbling across them. So expect the list to grow bigger as we continue to add new spots that we find.
Have you been to Kuala Belait? Which are you favourite spots to catch a bite to eat? Let us know in the comments below.
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Pranita
Wednesday 8th of May 2019
Beautiful post.