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Brunei's cuisine embodies unique characteristics reflecting a fusion of culinary elements from Southeast Asia, particularly Malay and Islamic cultures. Let's explore some tantalizing signature dishes in Brunei with Mytour.
Discover the captivating essence of Brunei's culinary delights with these top 17 signature dishes.
1. Nasi Katok
This is a simple yet popular dish in Brunei's cuisine. Nasi Katok consists of white rice (nasi) accompanied by a piece of fried chicken (ayam goreng) and a banana leaf. Nasi means rice and katok literally means knock. The origin of this name stems from the past when people had to knock on the vendor's door to buy it. Gradually, this name was preserved and became one of the most beloved dishes.
This is a significant traditional dish in Brunei's cuisine. Ambuyat is a starchy substance made from sago palm starch, often served with various sauces such as sambal sauce (chili sauce), meat dishes, fried fish (ikan goreng), ferns or fern shoots (pak choi or biring), beef lungs (hati buyah), beef rendang (braised beef)… There is a special utensil for eating ambuyat called candas, made from bamboo. It is best to eat ambuyat when it is still hot as it becomes stickier when it cools down.
This is a variation of the popular rendang dish in many Southeast Asian countries. Brunei rendang is typically made with beef or lamb stewed in coconut milk and spices.
A traditional cake of Bruneian cuisine. Kueh Malaya is usually made from rice flour and sugar, then steamed. The cake is yellow and has a sweet flavor.
A traditional soup of Brunei with richly flavored broth, often made from chicken or beef. People usually eat the soup with rice and raw vegetables.
Wajik or wajid, also known as pulut manis, is a traditional sweet cake made from rice, sugar, and coconut milk. High sugar content acts as a natural preservative as it inhibits bacterial growth. Properly produced and packaged cakes can be preserved for up to two weeks. To enhance the aroma, pandan leaves, vanilla, or brown sugar and durian are often added.
Kueh Lenggang is a popular traditional dessert known by many names across Southeast Asia. Indonesians call it dadar gulung, Malaysians call it kuih ketayap, Sri Lankans call it surul appam, and Filipinos have a similar version called daral. It is a light crepe-like cake, green from pandan leaf juice, filled with grated coconut and sugar mixture, then rolled into a cylinder.
Kueh Pancut are cute little round cakes, chewy and coated with grated coconut. Made from glutinous rice flour mixed with pandan juice, the cakes have palm sugar filling that oozes out when you take a bite. Making Kueh Pancut requires skilled, delicate hands to ensure the sugar filling does not leak out during the cooking process.
While Malaysia and Indonesia versions use pandan leaves and gula melaka (palm sugar), in Brunei cuisine, gula anau made from coconut or palm tree sap is used as a sweetener for this cake. Hence, this kueh has a distinctive deep caramel color and a hint of nutty flavor.
This is a delicious and popular cake for festivals and important events. Penyaram is usually made from rice flour, or cornflour, sugar, coconut milk... The batter is mixed with coconut milk and then poured into hot oil and deep-fried until golden brown. When cooked, Penyaram is sweet, fragrant, and has a perfect crunch. This dish is often served as a dessert after main meals in Bruneian cuisine.
Similar to shrimp crackers in Vietnam, this is a light snack for both locals and tourists. Keropok Udang is made by mixing finely chopped shrimp, flour, garlic, salt, and pepper. Next, they are sun-dried before frying in hot oil to achieve the perfect crispiness. Keropok Udang typically has a golden white color. But in recent years, purple cakes made from sweet potatoes have become a popular alternative.
This is a beloved snack in Bruneian cuisine. It is made by rolling a mixture of Siamese rice with laru and sugar. Laru (or ragi) is a substance that kickstarts the fermentation process. This mixture is then wrapped in coconut leaves and left in a cool place for the fermentation process. Fermentation helps create a special flavor and provides nutrients for the dish. Tapai can be eaten immediately after fermentation, or it can be used to make other dishes.
Pulut Panggang is always a favorite among Bruneians when enjoyed with hot tea in a light meal or breakfast. It is a type of dessert made from glutinous rice and cooked or grilled to create a delicious aroma. Pulut Panggang, when cooked or grilled, has a sweet taste, the aroma of glutinous rice, and coconut milk, along with the crispiness of sesame seeds.
Manuk Pansuh or bamboo chicken is created by the Iban community in Brunei. This dish is a combination of aromatic spices, ginger, onions, a unique local herb called bunga kantan, and fragrant lemongrass. The chicken is seasoned and then wrapped in banana leaves to enhance the flavor. Then, the meat is stuffed into hollow bamboo logs and cooked over a fire for about 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and juicy.
Hati Buyah dish (beef lung stir-fry) is a unique delicacy in Bruneian cuisine. The ingredients and preparation method are quite simple: boiled beef lungs, cut into small pieces and marinated with spices including coriander, lemongrass, salt, and sugar. This dish is often served with ambuyat, soto soup, yellow noodles (mee kuning), or vermicelli paired with sunny-side-up or poached eggs.
Kuih Cincin is a type of flower-shaped pastry made from a mixture of wheat flour, rice flour, and red palm sugar. 'Kuih' means pastry, while 'Cincin' refers to a ring. There are two types of Kuih Cincin: the Iranun style is harder, while the Brunei-Malay style is sweeter, softer but still crispy. The dough is double-fried to achieve layers of crispy pastry with enticing flavors.
Belutak Daging is a beef sausage dish, consisting of 80% meat and 20% fat. The meat and fat are marinated with garlic, chili, onions, salt, and sugar, then stuffed into casings made from beef intestines. The sausages are then sun-dried for 3-4 days, imparting a distinct flavor to the Belutak Daging dish. Typically, the sausages are fried before serving, making it a tempting accompaniment in Bruneian cuisine.
According to Mytour
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
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