What to eat in Seremban? In this article, we will share our colorful three-day food adventure in Seremban, sampling everything from local street food, confectionery, and desserts to the famous Seremban Siew Pow. Please join us on this culinary hunt as we discover these delicious treats and give our genuine, unbiased feedback on each.
1. Pasar Besar Seremban:
Just like in many Malaysian towns, some of the best local foods are found at the market, where residents shop for daily essentials. The Pasar Besar of Seremban has two floors. The ground floor is the wet market, while the first floor is a large food court with many local hawker stalls.
We reached Seremban in the morning without having breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, hoping to sample as many local specialties as we could.
a, 新儒记牛腩粉 Seremban Beef Noodle
This beef noodles stall is so special that it’s simply called “Seremban Beef Noodle” in English. A true local icon, it has been serving beef noodles for around 80 years and is now run by the third generation of the family. It’s also by far the most famous stall in Seremban Market, making it the first target for us while exploring the food in this food court.
The beef noodles are served with lai fun (濑粉), a type of rice noodle, topped with generous slices of braised beef brisket. The beef is tender and flavorful, clearly braised for a long time.
What makes this dish stand out is the addition of groundnuts, sesame seeds, and salted vegetables (咸菜). The lai fun is tossed in a savory sauce, mainly soy-based, has a slight tang (probably from vinegar), and a touch of sweetness to balance the flavors.
What a distinctive version of beef noodles! It is quite different from those I’ve tried in Hong Kong (where I was born) and in Kampar (my wife’s hometown), and in Kuala Lumpur (where I live now).
We also ordered a bowl of beef tendon with beef balls served in beef broth. It was good, but I still prefer the dry tossed noodles with the beef brisket!
b. Mee Hoon Sotong 鱿鱼米粉
As we were eating our beef noodles, the Mee Hoon Sotong was brought over. This is another famous local dish recommended by our Seremban friend. We asked the owner, who told us that the stall has been around for about 60 years, and like the beef noodle stall, it’s a family-run business now operated by the third generation.
The noodles are coated in a thick, soy-based gravy with a generous amount of braised pork slices, along with strips of squid and some leafy vegetables.
The flavor leans more toward the pork, which makes sense since squid is more about texture than taste.
The mee hoon also has a light wok aroma, which we later discovered comes from being stir-fried before it’s mixed with the savory sauce, a creative trick that adds more depth to the flavor.
c. Ching Kee 泉记濑粉面食
Next, we moved to the other side of the food court and found seats at a drink stall that was close to the Ching Kee noodles and the Hakka Mee stores.
We ordered the Ching Kee Lai Fun, a dry-tossed version (干捞面) topped with minced pork and drizzled with dark soy sauce. Today’s bowl of noodles was a little disappointing. There wasn’t enough sauce to coat the amount of rice noodles, so after tossing everything together, the dish turned out quite bland.
That said, the stall was still doing brisk business with a steady flow of regular customers. Hopefully, it was just a one-off case where they unintentionally added too little sauce this time.
d. Tow Kee Hakka Mee 滔记客家面
The last of the “Four Heavenly Kings” (as the locals fondly call them, 四大天王, referring to the four most famous hawker stalls at this food court) is the Hakka noodles.
At first glance, the toppings look quite similar to those from Ching Kee, but the difference lies in the noodles. It is a type of springy and elastic noodles tossed in a light-colored, mildly diluted sauce that surprisingly carries a deep savory flavor, quite similar to Sarawak Kolo Mee.
The taste is excellent, with just the right amount of sauce and minced pork to coat every strand of noodle perfectly.
Among the four stores we tried today, my favorites are definitely the beef noodles and the Hakka Mee, as both are flavorful in their own distinctive ways.
Address: Lot 235A, 173, Jalan Dato Bandar Tunggal, Bandar Seremban, 70000 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
2. Maideen Cendol
After trying the four most famous street foods at the market, we headed back to the front entrance for a sweet ending, a bowl of cendol.
This is a simple setup operated from a van, but the taste really stands out. We can clearly taste the coconut milk, likely sourced directly from the market, as well as the freshly made cendol they use.
When we arrived, they were just getting ready for the day’s business. The setup was clean and tidy, and the price was reasonable at only RM2.50 per bowl. It is a delicious and affordable treat to wrap up our food adventure at Pasar Besar Seremban.
Location: In front of Pasar Besar Seremban.
3. Fah Kee 和记鱼丸粉
For lunch, we returned to a stall we tried during our last trip to Seremban called Fah Kee, which is famous for its special dried scallop noodles.
Fah Kee has been serving homemade fish balls for decades, but what makes this stall truly unique is its dried scallop noodles. The scallops are likely steamed or braised for hours, making them wonderfully soft and imparting an extra layer of rich flavor to the already umami-packed broth.
The only catch is, you need to be patient. The stall had a long queue of orders, and we waited for about an hour before our noodles were finally served. But trust me, it was worth the wait!
This is definitely something you should try when visiting Seremban, as dried scallop noodles are quite rare and not commonly found elsewhere.
Address: No.37, Medan Selera MPS Stall, 164, Jalan Lee Sam, Bandar Seremban, 70000 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
4. Wah Tung Biscuit Confectionery
My cousin brought us to a traditional Chinese bakery that offers a lovely variety of homemade-style cakes and biscuits. These sweet treats are simple and without any fancy decoration or packaging.
We bought a few cakes displayed at the front counter, along with their famous milk biscuits to try. The apple walnut cake and palm sugar shredded coconut cake were both quite decent, though not particularly outstanding. This is the classic old school butter cake–based treats,
The milk biscuits, however, truly stood out. These are cookies with a rich, milky flavor rarely found in modern bakeries these days. It is a nostalgic treat that instantly brings back memories of yesteryear's homemade snacks.
Address: 20, Jalan Dato Abdul Rahman Seremban, Bandar Seremban, 70000 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Phone: 06-760 7211
5. Asia Catering and Confectionery (Siew Pow Master)
Seremban is famous for its Siew Pow (烧包), so we certainly didn’t want to miss out on this well-known local pastry for our afternoon tea.
This was our second visit to the bakery, and it was still as busy as ever, with a long line of customers waiting patiently in front of the store. The shop only offers takeaway, and the inside area is strictly for staff. From the entrance, we could see them working non-stop, from applying egg wash to baking the Siew Pow.
Besides Siew Pow, there were also kaya puffs, walnut biscuits, chicken pies, and a variety of buns, all continuously baked fresh from the ovens to keep up with the constant flow of customers.
We bought some Siew Pow for our afternoon tea. The pastry is flaky, with meat fillings leaning more toward the savory side, compared to several of my favorites in Kuala Lumpur, which are comparatively sweeter. The pastry is delicate and crisp, though a richer butter or lard aroma would make it even better. Perhaps they rely more on shortening (just my guess).
The kaya puff is filled with smooth kaya without pandan, and the texture is less firm than a few versions I’ve tried in Kuala Lumpur that are more custard-like.
Overall, the quality is pretty good. Taste and sweetness are quite subjective, so it’s hard to say which is the best. But Seremban truly has the most famous Siew Pow in Malaysia, and I feel almost like a food pilgrimage to enjoy it whenever I visit this town. 😄
Address: 368, Jalan Seng Meng Lee, Taman Unian, 70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Phone: 06-763 2409
6. Kedai Kopi Hainan Seremban 森美兰海南美食馆
This food court is located on the ground floor of the Hainan Association building. Over the past five years, it has grown into a popular and bustling eatery. After our morning hike at Bukit Kepayang, we came here for a late breakfast, hoping to sample some of the best dishes the place has to offer.
a. Pork Brisket Noodles 海南猪腩粉
This unique noodle dish is made with pork brisket, but cooked in the same style as braised beef brisket. The owner must have realized that not everyone eats beef but still wants to enjoy the same taste of Seremban beef noodles. That’s why he developed this recipe, which has now become very popular. A few stalls are serving this in Seremban, but we chose the one here, which is highly recommended by the locals.
The noodles are tossed in a thick, dark soy–based gravy that’s rich in pork flavor. It also includes groundnuts, sesame seeds, and salted vegetables, just like the beef noodles we had yesterday.
The portion of pork brisket is quite generous, but the highlight is the addition of salted pork jerky (猪肉干) that adds a wonderful depth and savory that really elevates the entire dish. If I had to compare this with the famous beef noodles from the market, I’d give this pork version a slight edge, due to the distinct flavor of the pork jerky.
b. 2020 Yong Tau Fu 酿豆腐
Next, we tried the Yong Tau Fu from another stall in the same food court. We were told that all the items are handmade in-house. Among the varieties we ordered, my favorite was the one stuffed with fish paste and long beans, which added a nice contrast in flavor and texture to the soft fish paste.
The fish paste in the various types of Yong Tau Fu we ordered had a pleasantly springy texture. This, combined with the different outer wrappings such as beancurd skin, created a nice contrast in texture that was complementary and well-balanced in every bite.
c. The Local Kuih store
Just outside the food court entrance, there’s a stall selling a variety of local kuih. We sampled a few that had an outer layer made mainly from glutinous rice flour, which is sticky, elastic, and slightly translucent in texture. The fillings were a fragrant mix of shredded coconut, palm sugar, and groundnuts.
One of the most interesting versions uses 鸡屎藤 (Chinese Fever Vine) mixed into the dough. It gives the kuih a slightly bitter-sweet flavor. The owner mentioned that they actually grow the plant themselves, which makes it even more special.
d. Hainanese Chicken Chop 海南鸡扒
The fourth dish we shared among the three of us was the Hainanese chicken chop. The chicken is a boneless chicken thigh coated in egg and flour batter, fried to golden perfection, and served with a generous amount of rich Chinese brown sauce. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the sauce was not too heavy and free from ketchup, milk, or cream. A very authentic preparation indeed!
Overall Impression
Everything we tried at the Hainan Association Food Court was satisfying and met our expectations. It is a place not to be missed for anyone looking for good Seremban food. This spot answers most of your questions about what to eat in Seremban and serves as a one-stop food court for your cravings.
Address: 29-30-31, Jalan Dato' Abdul Malek, Taman Sim, 70000 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Phone: 016-201 2693
7. Yi Poh Coffee Shop 姨婆茶餐室
Our Seremban food hunt continued the following day. For lunch, we stopped by Yi Poh Coffee Shop. Since there are several outlets around Seremban, we chose the one that was most convenient to reach and had ample parking space.
Yi Poh is a well-known name in Seremban, especially famous for its Yi Poh Lou Shu Fun (姨婆老鼠粉). We ordered this signature noodle dish along with a mix of fish balls and meatballs.
The food was decent, though nothing particularly outstanding. While the portion of minced pork was more generous than other noodles we’ve tried over the past two days, the sauce lacked umami depth and was overpowered by dark soy sauce.
That said, if you’re looking for a modern-style coffee shop that’s air-conditioned and offers a variety of local dishes under one roof, Yi Poh is still a convenient and comfortable choice.
Address: 52, Jalan Seng Meng Lee, Seremban, 70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Phone: 06-761 3225
8. Haji Shariff Cendol
What to eat in Seremban after lunch? We went for another round of cendol at Haji Shariff Cendol. We’ve been here before, but this time we wanted to compare it directly with Maideen Cendol to see which one is our favorite.
Since both were still fresh in our minds, we could immediately taste the difference. The pandan aroma and rich palm sugar flavor were noticeably stronger in Maideen’s cendol.
That said, we also ordered the rojak at Haji Shariff, and it turned out to be really good! The sauce was flavorful, with the right balance of sweetness and tang, perfectly complementing the cendol.
Address: bangunan haji shariff cendol, no44, Jalan Yam Tuan, Bandar Seremban, 70100 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Phone: 06-762 8505
9. Pizza Italia
During our food trip, we took a slight detour from the typical Seremban food fare one evening when my cousin invited us for a change of taste at Pizza Italia.
Of course, an Italian restaurant isn’t exactly what we'd expect to find on a Seremban food hunt. But sometimes, a little change is nice, and this charming, beautifully decorated restaurant certainly fits the bill.
The restaurant offers both air-conditioned indoor seating and an open-air section, serving a variety of Italian favorites such as pizza, burgers, and steak. What I like most about this place is the relaxing ambiance, perfect for winding down after a day of food exploration. We also met the owner, Chan, who shared a bit about the restaurant’s history. It has been around since 2009.
Address: 268, Jalan S2 B12, Seremban 2, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Phone: 06-603 0814
10. RESTORAN SING TAI WAH 新大华茶餐室
The final eatery we visited was a very old coffee shop with a faded signboard, selling only two items: chicken rice and wonton mee.
We came specifically for the wonton mee, which is run by an elderly couple. According to my local friend, this stall has been around for about 70 years and has been her go-to wonton mee spot since her teenage days.
We’re not sure if the noodles are handmade, but the texture is firm yet springy, and the dark soy–based gravy is well-balanced, not overpowering.
If you’re searching for a truly old-school Malaysian-style dry tossed wonton mee, this is definitely one I’d recommend. Besides, the coffee and tea are served in boiling-hot cups, which helps them stay warm longer, and all drinks tasted exactly the way we like them.
Address: 33, Jalan Dr Krishnan, Bandar Seremban, 70000 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
Wrapping Up Our Seremban Food Adventure
Thanks to the recommendations of our local friends and relatives, we uncovered many hidden gems during this food trip. From flavorful beef noodles and Hakka mee to nostalgic milk biscuits and the famous Siew Pow, every dish reflects Seremban’s charm and rich food heritage.
🎞️ Watch our video:
If you are still unsure what to eat in Seremban, please watch our food trip video, shot in Seremban, by clicking 👇👇 on the image below.
