Butter Coffee in Kuching Sarawak

One of the awesome caffeine kicks I’ve had in recent years is trying the well-known Butter Coffee in Kuching, Sarawak. Let me share this experience, as I have always been fascinated by how they can mix them both.

Butter coffee is not something new in Malaysia, as several local coffee shops continue to sell this unique blend. And not everyone can come to terms with this mixture, but I quite like it.

Kuching Sin Ban Chong Coffee Shop — Sin Ban Chong in Kuching.

Over in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, there is a coffee shop called Sin Ban Chong Cafe, located in the city area near the Kuching waterfront. There is some backstory on why these coffee shops are called cafes, but I will leave that for another post.

I’ve heard good things from my Sarawakian friends who have always asked me to try the butter coffee at Sin Ban Chong Cafe, but I never had the chance, and when I did, it was closed. So, this time around, I finally went to sample it.

The cafe or coffee shop is also known for its Kolo Mee, a type of local Sarawakina-style noodles similar to the Won Ton dry noodles, which I also tried. I aimed to try the famous butter coffee here, which was the first order.

Kuching Butter Coffee — The piece of butter was added to the local black coffee, which is the star of this article.

The kolo mee, however, has its own individual taste, which is not too bad for me, and if you ask any Sarawakian about which is good, everyone has their own recommended place. Some say here, some say there, and some say out of Kuching city, so there is no best Kolo Mee in Kuching.

Now, the butter coffee in Kuching is served at only two known places: Sin Ban Chong and another smaller coffee shop called Hiap Yak Tea Shop, located at Kai Joo Lane. This is a much smaller local shop selling some local hawker food like Kolo Mee. Anyhow, if you are exploring Kuching for food and drinks, I suggest you try both if you can.

If you dislike butter in any way, then this is clearly not for you. The taste will put you off, but if you love the buttery feeling on toast or plain bread, this will surely stimulate your palate.

Famous coffee shop in Kuching — View of the coffee shop from the entrance.

Kuching Kolo Mee Shirley — Shirley Kolo Mee at the cafe.

Sin Ban Chong Kolo Mee — The Kolo Mee I ordered.

Kedai Kopi Sin Ban Chong — Inside the coffee shop.

Kuching Sin Ban Chong Cafe — The main entrance of the cafe/coffee shop in Kuching.

Coffee Culture in Kuching — Local coffee culture offers a mix of the best.

History of Butter Coffee

From what I learned, it is said that the concept of butter coffee came from opium smokers who would consume pats of butter and thick coffee to soothe their dry throats. This was way back in the 1920s when coffee shops were mushrooming nationwide.

Since then, butter has been added to coffee as an all-in-one concept drink for these people. Nowadays, it’s just a coffee culture thing that is unique in this part of the world. Imagine telling your friends that you had butter coffee in Borneo. Doesn’t that sound exotic?

Sin Ban Chong Cafe

Address: G No, 9, Lebuh Temple, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak
Hours: Daily, 5.30 AM to 2.00 PM.
Special: Butter Coffee, Kolo Mee

Sin Ban Chong Location

To get here, just click the map above and open it in Google Maps or use the name and put it into Waze, and it will direct you either by foot or car. If you stay in the Kuching Waterfront area, then it’s just a short walk from there.

Conclusion

If you are visiting this part of Malaysia and love a coffee challenge, I highly recommend you try the butter coffee in Kuching, as it has a unique taste. This should be a must-try for visitors and shared with your friends back home. Thanks for reading this, and happy coffee exploring.