Brunei Day 2: Trying Ambuyat and Exploring Gadong Night Market

After spending most of the day exploring Ulu Temburong National Park, I arrived back at Badi’ah Hotel at around 3:15 PM.

Missed the first half of Day 2? Read: My Day Trip to Ulu Temburong National Park →

I rested for a bit, changed into dry clothes and, thankfully, I had brought a pair of slippers with me. My shoes were still completely soaked from the rain, muddy trails and river activities in Temburong, so there was no way I was wearing those again that evening. Haha.

Slippers on, I headed back out.

Unlike my first day exploring Bandar Seri Begawan mostly on foot, the places I wanted to visit that evening were farther apart, so I used Dart, Brunei’s local ride-hailing app, to get from one place to another.

First mission of that late afternoon?

Trying Brunei’s national dish: ambuyat.

Trying Ambuyat at Soto Pabo

There are several places around Bandar Seri Begawan where you can find ambuyat, but I decided to visit Soto Pabo.

Aside from being known for serving ambuyat, the restaurant has a nice location overlooking the Brunei River and Kampong Ayer. I also arrived at a good time because the sun was slowly beginning to set.

But before the view, let’s talk about the food.

Ambuyat is made from sago starch extracted from the trunk of the sago palm, locally known as rumbia. Hot water is added to the starch until it becomes thick, translucent and incredibly sticky.

And when I say sticky…

I mean sticky.

The texture reminded me of a paste/glue I used during my childhood days. Haha.

Traditionally, you eat it using a bamboo utensil called a candas. You twirl the ambuyat around it, dip it into sauce, and swallow it rather than chewing it like regular food.

Definitely one of the more unusual dishes I’ve tried while travelling.

So, What Does Ambuyat Taste Like?

On its own, I found it very bland, naturally.

The flavour really comes from the sauces served with it. Mine came with three different sauces, and dipping the ambuyat into them made it much more interesting.

The first few bites were actually okay.

It was new, different and one of those foods that makes you think, I’ve definitely never eaten anything like this before.

But after a while…

Medyo luod na siya for me—or in English, the texture eventually became a little difficult for me to handle.

I tried, guys. I really did. Haha.

That extremely sticky texture eventually became too much for me, and I wasn’t able to finish the whole serving.

Would I order an entire serving again?

Probably not.

But am I glad I tried Brunei’s national dish?

Absolutely.

That’s one thing I enjoy about travelling. Not everything you try has to become your new favourite. Sometimes, being able to experience something completely different is already part of the fun.

At least I can finally say: I’ve tried ambuyat.

And What About the Soto?

Of course, I couldn’t visit a restaurant called Soto Pabo without trying its soto.

Soto is a popular Southeast Asian soup dish with different versions found around the region. Soto Pabo is particularly known for its own version, served with a flavourful beef broth, noodles and toppings.

For me, it was good, but the overall soup dish felt fairly familiar.

Maybe because we have so many comforting noodle and soup dishes around Southeast Asia, it didn’t feel as unusual as the ambuyat.

The ambuyat was definitely the experience here.

After eating, I stayed for a while and simply enjoyed the view of the river as the sun started going down.

After spending my morning hiking, getting soaked and kayaking through Temburong, sitting by the river and watching the sunset was a nice change of pace.

But I wasn’t done yet.

I opened Dart again because there was another very important mission waiting for me.

My Brunei Starbucks Tumbler Mission

I like collecting Starbucks mugs/ tumbler from some of the countries and cities I visit, so naturally, I wanted to add Brunei to my collection.

There is a Starbucks inside the transit area of Brunei International Airport, but here’s something worth keeping in mind if you’re planning to buy your mug there: don’t assume it will stay open late.

Published operating hours for the airport location can vary, with listings showing it closing around 8–9 PM. If getting a Brunei Starbucks mug is important to you, I wouldn’t leave it until the last minute before your flight.

Instead, I booked another Dart and headed to the Gadong area to get mine.

A little later…

Brunei mug secured.

Mission accomplished.

And since I was already in Gadong, there was one more place I wanted to visit before calling it a night.

Time for another Dart ride.

Next stop: Gadong Night Market.

Food Hunting at Gadong Night Market

If you’re travelling around Brunei on a budget and want to try a variety of local food without spending too much, Gadong Night Market is one place I would recommend checking out.

Come hungry because there are plenty of choices.

You’ll find stalls selling barbecue, grilled meats, rice meals, local snacks, desserts and all kinds of drinks.

And what surprised me was how affordable many of them were.

You can find simple chicken-and-rice meals with sambal starting at around BND1, and there were also plenty of drinks starting at around BND1.

For budget travellers, this is definitely one of the easiest places to explore Brunei through food.

Instead of sitting down for another big restaurant meal, I simply walked around, checked what each stall was selling and bought whatever looked interesting.

I ended up getting one of the affordable chicken-and-rice meals, a cendol drink, and a few local desserts.

There were honestly so many things I wanted to try.

And don’t worry about having to eat everything while standing around. There are tables and chairs available at the market, and there were quite a lot when I visited.

I found myself a free table, sat down and slowly worked my way through everything I bought.

Nothing fancy.

Just affordable local food, plenty of choices and a completely different experience from eating inside a restaurant.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat local while keeping your budget low, Gadong Night Market is definitely worth saving for one of your evenings in Brunei.

Calling Day 2 a Success

By the time I finished eating, I was finally ready to call it a night.

And looking back, Day 2 had been quite an adventure.

I started the morning heading deep into Ulu Temburong National Park, climbed more than 800 steps of wooden stairs through the rainforest, made it to the canopy walkway, got completely soaked and kayaked downstream.

A few hours later, I was wandering around Bandar Seri Begawan in my slippers, trying Brunei’s national dish, watching the sunset by the river, hunting down my Starbucks mug and ending the night eating my way through Gadong Night Market.

From rainforest adventure to food trip.

I’d call Day 2 a success.

One last Dart ride back to Badi’ah Hotel, and I was officially done for the day.

Till next adventure. Bye!

Catching Up on My Brunei Trip?

My DIY Proboscis Monkey Boat Ride in Brunei →

Brunei Day 2: A Day Trip to Ulu Temburong National Park →

Brunei Travel Journal Day 0: Touchdown in Bandar Seri Begawan →