Meat, Grills & Lauk

How Many Calories in Umai?

Umai is a Sarawak Melanau dish of thin-sliced raw fish tossed in lime juice, shallots, chili and salt, eaten cold and fresh.

200kcal / 1 serving (hawker/restaurant portion)
One hawker serving of umai (about 160g) comes in at around 200 calories, with 25g protein and only 6g carbs. The bulk of those calories is from the raw fish itself, mostly ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel). The condiments, lime, shallots, chili, barely register. As raw fish dishes go, this is genuinely one of the leanest things you can order.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 serving (hawker/restaurant portion) (160g)AmountPer 100g
Calories200 kcal125 kcal
Protein25 g16 g
Carbs6 g4 g
Fat8 g5 g

Where the calories come from

Raw ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel), ~130g130g
181 kcal
Sliced shallots, ~30g30g
12 kcal
Red chili, ~15g15g
6 kcal
Calamansi/lime juice, ~20ml20g
5 kcal

The real talk

Umai is basically Sarawak's version of ceviche, bro. Melanau people have been eating raw fish this way for generations: thin slices of fresh tenggiri or terubok, dressed with calamansi, sliced shallots, chili, and salt. No cooking, no oil, no coconut milk. At 200 calories for a full serving, it is one of the rare hawker dishes where you can eat the whole plate and not regret it later. The 25g of protein is solid too, roughly the same as a medium chicken breast. Fair warning though, these numbers are a genuine ballpark estimate because there is almost no hard nutritional data published for umai specifically, so take the figures as a useful guide rather than gospel.

What actually moves the calorie count is the fish you pick. Tenggiri lands at about 200 calories a serving, which is your standard order. Swap to umai terubok (the shad-family fish, fattier and oilier) and you jump to around 260 calories for the same portion size. Go the other way with umai udang (prawns) and you drop all the way down to about 115 calories since prawns are much leaner than any fish. The condiments change almost nothing. One thing to watch: some stalls add a splash of chili oil or mix in a tiny bit of sugar to balance the acidity, which can quietly add 30 to 50 calories. Ask if you want to keep it clean.

Umai variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Umai udang (prawn)115 kcalPrawns are much leaner than fish; ~130g raw shrimp plus same condiments
Umai ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel)200 kcalStandard version; lean semi-fatty saltwater fish, most common hawker choice
Umai ikan terubok (toli shad)260 kcalTerubok is an oily shad-family fish, significantly fattier than tenggiri; higher calorie

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

How many calories in Umai?
A standard hawker serving of umai (about 160g) is around 200 calories with 25g protein and 6g carbs. Umai udang is much lower at about 115 calories, while umai terubok is higher at around 260 calories due to the fattier fish.
What exactly is umai and where does it come from?
Umai is a raw fish salad from Sarawak, traditionally made by the Melanau coastal community. Fresh fish is sliced thin and mixed with calamansi lime juice, sliced shallots, chili and salt. The acid from the lime cures the fish slightly, similar to ceviche. No cooking involved.
Is umai actually healthy or is there a catch?
Honestly, for a hawker dish it is as clean as it gets. High protein, low carbs, no added fat, no frying. The main thing to be aware of is that you are eating raw fish, so freshness matters a lot. At a legit stall that sources their fish daily, it is fine. The calorie count is also a ballpark estimate since data for this dish is limited.

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See all Meat, Grills & Lauk calories, ranked →

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

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