At Lot 14112, Section 65, KTLD, Jalan Matang, here in Metrocity, Kuching, you just can’t miss the popular Makansari Food Street. It is bustling during the day and even busier at night.
Makansari offers a mix of Western and Eastern dishes. The main outlet, Charcoal & Grill, and stalls offer a variety of options such as Korean Fried Chicken, MMY Licious Kitchen (which serves Nasi Kukus Ayam Goreng, Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah, Nasi Kukus Corned Beef, Nasi Kukus Ayam Black pepper), Salted Egg Stations, and Gerobak 803 (which offers Sotong Goreng, Daging Goreng, Ayam Penyet, Kambing Madu, Ayam Balado, Ikan Talapia, and Keli Goreng).
New stalls have opened, including G&G Kitchen, offering Chicken cooked in various styles, Sotong or Cuttlefish, Beef, Fish such as Tilapia and Keli, Kambing (Mutton), and noodles cooked in several different styles.
There is also a burger stall known as The Burger, selling various burgers including Banjo (Egg), Chicken and Beef Burger, and Special Beef or Chicken Burger priced between RM8.00 and RM12.50.
Furthermore, there is a stall named Project 803, selling various rice and chicken mixtures, as well as rice and fish, priced between RM8.00 and RM15.00.
For fans of Indonesian cuisine, there is an INA Bakso Singkawang stall specializing in Indonesian dishes such as Bakso Biasa (RM7.00), Bakso Special (RM10), Bakso Ganda (RM17), Soto Ayam (RM8.00), and various chicken, fish, and rice mixtures priced between RM15 and RM20.
There is also a satay stall selling chicken, beef, and skin (kulit) satay at reasonable prices, along with a delicious satay sauce.
The flagship outlet, Charcoal & Grill, is the busiest, offering Crispy Fish Burger, Cheesy Chicken Burger, Grilled Chicken Burger, Garden Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, satay made from quality meat at reasonable prices, accompanied by a delicious satay sauce, Smoked Duck Salad, Mushroom Soup, French Fries, Cheese Wedges, Chicken Pop, Grill Sausage, Crispy Chicken Chop, Corn Flake Chicken Chop, Cheezy Chicken Chop, and more. They also provide drinks for the entire Makansari outlet.
One of the new stalls is Sambal Bakar Bandung, an Indonesian cuisine stall offering mixtures of Bakso dishes from Bandung, Indonesia. Visitors can sample the dishes offered at the stall to experience the best Indonesian cuisine.
The stall owners represent all segments of society, including Chinese, Malays (including Indonesian women married to locals), and Dayaks, making Makansari a platform for unity.
Patrons at Makansari come from various backgrounds such as family members, motorcycle enthusiasts, businessmen, teachers, students, silat members, office workers, and others who come to enjoy good food at reasonable prices. They come for the friendly atmosphere and, of course, the delicious food that has become a unifying factor.
When Sarawak Tribune spoke to the head of Makansari management, Linus Hoon, he expressed his desire to turn the place into an entertainment outlet as well. So far, he has successfully organized bands to perform in the evenings.
Currently, on Friday and Saturday evenings, there are live music performances featuring veteran solo guitarist Mat, who does his best to keep the crowds entertained.
Occasionally, he is joined by one or two other musicians. In a recent Saturday show, Mat was accompanied by a veteran female singer known as Cik Siti for a joint performance.
Cik Siti performed special numbers including ‘Bintang Malam’ (by Saloma), ‘Dalam Impian,’ ‘Seribu Tahun Menunggu,’ and ‘Madah Berhelah’ (all by Ziana Zain). Another performer sang an English song, ‘Help Me Make It Through The Night,’ accompanied by Mat on guitar.
Guitarist Mat entertained the crowd with ballads including popular numbers such as ‘Tiada Lagi,’ ‘Titik-Titik Noda,’ ‘Lamunan Terhenti,’ ‘Pergi Lah,’ ‘Biar Aku Menjadi Lilin,’ ‘Gerimis Mengundang,’ ‘Benci Tapi Rindu,’ ‘Kamelia,’ and more.
He also performed English songs such as ‘Soldier Of Fortune,’ ‘Wonderful Tonight,’ ‘Loving You,’ and others. Mat and the lady singer have powerful and melodious vocals, deserving applause from the patrons throughout the evening.
Before Mat’s performance, a band played popular songs, including the iconic Iban number, ‘Bekikis Bulu Betis.’
Across from Makansari is the popular Zainab Family Cafe, with the newly opened Domino’s Pizza in front of it. Patrons need not worry about parking as there are ample parking spaces in the area.
