Bangka has a distinctive cuisine shaped by centuries of Chinese immigration and abundant local seafood. The signature dish is mie bangka — a thick, satisfying noodle dish with a rich dark sauce, quite different from the thin broths you get elsewhere in Indonesia. Every town has a place that does it, and the better ones have queues at lunchtime. Another essential is lempah kuning, a bright yellow fish soup made with turmeric and local spices, sour and light. And otak-otak — spiced fish paste grilled in banana leaves — is the standard street snack.
Pangkalpinang has the widest choice of restaurants, concentrated around the city centre and the market area. For seafood, look for the places along the coast road where fishing boats unload directly. Prices are low by Indonesian standards, and the Chinese-Malay fusion cooking here is one of the more underrated regional cuisines in the country.