Shen Lee NgBetween Johor and Kuala Lumpur lies a foodie destination which often goes overlooked: Seremban. It’s not a city that comes to mind for many when thinking of food-centric places in Malaysia. But with its multicultural food scene, make sure you pin Seremban food on the map — especially on your next trip to KL.
Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered on the top must-try Seremban foods. This list is more than enough to guarantee a successful trip full of culinary delights!
Every must-try Seremban food
1. Speciality beef noodles
Image credit: King’s Beef Noodle Restaurant
Beef noodles are a dish ubiquitous throughout Asia, with each country adopting the dish as their own through unique twists on the recipe derived from regional ingredients or cooking methods.
Take Seremban’s adaptation of the meaty dish, for example. While most beef noodles stay true to its soupy origins, the version here is made with a thick, goopy-ish sauce. The consistency of the sauce coats the noodles perfectly, ensuring every bite you take is chock-full of beefy flavour.
Image credit: King’s Beef Noodle Restaurant
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the noodles would be the addition of peanuts, sesame seeds and chopped pickled greens, which adds an addictive textural contrast to the dish.
Where to get this Seremban food: King’s Beef Noodles, Yee Kee Beef Noodles, Quinn Seremban Beef Noodles
2. Giant curry bun
Image credit: Lucky King Bun
If there’s one food item in this list that is bound to take your breath away, it’s the giant curry buns from Lucky King Bun in Seremban. And by giant we mean massive. The fragrant buns are the size of a basketball and as heavy as an infant!
Image credit: Lucky King Bun
The bread encasing the curry is golden-brown and fragrant from the oven. But the true surprise lies inside when you split it open to reveal a tin parchment paper casing of creamy chicken curry. Make sure you grab a pic before you begin the tearing and dunking!
Aside from the classic chicken curry, Lucky King Bun also offers pork rib curry and “Yin Yong” – half-pork rib curry, half-dong po (red-braised) pork.
Where to get this Seremban food: Lucky King Bun
3. Baked pork puns (siew pao)
Image credit: raymondtan85
A childhood favourite for most Malaysian Chinese, school trips to the Seremban Siew Pao factory are a common memory for many in KL, and still remains a popular destination for kids to get hands-on with their food.
Siew Pao is a savoury baked bun synonymous with Seremban. One does not simply leave Seremban without stopping by to pick up a couple of boxes of just-out-the-oven Siew Pao to gift family and friends.
Image credit: brown colour
Crispy, fragrant and flaky, the amber-coloured dough encases a savoury filling of Char Siew (barbecued pork). And though they’re widely available from commercial bakeries elsewhere, the ones in Seremban still hold the throne!
Where to get this Seremban food: Empayar Seremban Siew Pao, Kedai Siew Pao Asia
4. Baked crabs
Image credit: williamnyk
Another dish which is sure to come to mind when Seremban is mentioned. Grilled/baked crabs aren’t available at most seafood establishments elsewhere so you’d be lucky to come across it in a menu in KL.
Image credit: williamnyk
The cooking method adds a lovely, sweet yet charred aroma to the crabs, which are usually stir-fried or steamed. Aside from the cooking method, you’ll notice Seremban baked crabs tend to have a luxurious coating of a dark, charred sauce all over the shells – caramelized soy sauce!
Where to get this Seremban food: Seremban Seafood Village
5. Diamond Chicken Rice
A controversial topic among local Malaysian foodies for sure, Diamond Chicken Rice is a restaurant that has been operating for over four decades now and has racked up a name for itself. Not only for being incredibly delicious but also for being on the pricier side.
Here, Teochew-style chicken rice is served – soft, silky and perfectly salty. The owners painstakingly source the best ingredients to ensure the quality of their chicken rice remains up to standard even after 40 years. Think free-range chicken, Bentong ginger and only the best chillies around.
The name of the restaurant isn’t actually Diamond, but Chai Hong. It came to be known as Diamond only after customers noticed the diamond ring and earrings worn by the owner’s wife.
Where to get this Seremban food: Restoran Chai Hong
6. Hakka mee
Image credit: Kok Chih & Sarah Gan
If noodles are more up your alley, Tow Kee’s Hakka Mee is another must-try Seremban food. If you don’t know what Hakka Mee is, imagine springy noodles, minced pork and fragrant spring onions glistening in fragrant fish sauce and garlic oil. Much like Singapore’s Bak Chor Mee or Mee Pok, though Bak Chor Mee usually consists of black vinegar, soy sauce and lard.
The noodles might look unassuming, but one look at the hole-in-the-wall setting and the owner’s grumpy face, and you can rest assure the Hakka Mee here will far exceed your expectations.
Where to get this Seremban food: Restaurant Tow Kee (not the stall in Pasar Besar Seremban, which is permanently closed)
Also read: These Are The Best Dishes to Try in Every Malaysian State
So, which Seremban food are you excited to try out first? Go ahead and tell us all about it in the comments!
