Laksa Sarawak has been gaining a steady following in KL due to fashionable dining outlets that serves them on-menu as well as small noodles shops. And yet my Sarawakian mates still complain it ain't the same. For me who prefer assam laksa, it's the laksa I eat the least hence hardly gave it much thought. And then I tried it in Kuching and suddenly it all makes sense.

The bowl came to me, smaller than average but filled to the brim with briny broth. Sarawak laksa redux, broken down to essentials, coarse vermicelli, chicken slivers, pink prawns, beansprouts and what I've come to call a clever Sarawak bouillabaisse. Finally in Choon Hui, the real deal. First taste and I knew that what I’ve been having in KL is just a pale imitation. It’s brinier and darker here with hardly any santan. Flavours are explosive with a hit of pepper. Gosh it’s good.

Sarawak laksa is made by combining a spicy paste with chicken/ prawn stock. Now what goes into this paste is a point of speculation. Many Sarawakians say that the best is Swallow paste and no one can tell me exactly what goes into it. I wondered what came first, the laksa or the paste because if the paste came first, then whoever came up with Sarawak laksa was a genius. Captured market man. Trawling around Satok market I discovered a few more pastes, all with recipes at the back and with ingredients listing the usual aromatics like lemongrass, onions, galangal and candlenuts but always with a mysterious ‘rempah’ at the end. One day I will reverse engineer this paste. Yes, I will.

Choon Hui is a head above the pack because the lady who makes Sarawak laksa here does not use any of these pastes but actually makes her own everyday. This is why there’s a certain authenticity to her laksa and it tastes different from others. Many people who tried making Sarawak laksa at home (using the paste because that ‘rempah’ component is so darn mind-boggling) always have the same complaint. It just isn’t good enough or something is missing. So my guess is this, even with the paste, you have to adjust. There's no hard and fast rule, no real recipe for the paste because it's a business, a closely guarded secret.

"The real deal!"

So that’s the verdict from a Sarawak laksa newbie. This laksa is good and you only need a small bowl to feel satisfied because the flavours are so intense. There’s crunch from the beansprouts, texture from chicken slices and shredded omelette and all you need is just a hit of lime to cut through the pungency. That and of course some sambal belacan on the side. There’s a sprinkling of celery leaves on top instead of the usual parsley but it’s all good.

Also good here is the mee kolok and the kick-ass popiah. The girl here makes it fat and incredibly juicy. It's full of fresh vegetables stewed soft with nuts and meats. And yet again there’s the wonderful peppery finish. The coffeeshop itself is run by a friendly lady who inherited it from her father. It’s been going strong for over 50 years. I like to think that all these ladies are friends. Certainly those who come to this coffeeshop are regulars, most tables are full with families of several generations.

I like Sarawak. The people are proud of their food but not boastful. And if they keep feeding me with laksa like this, they’ll have me as a fan for life.

A bowl of laksa: RM4, RM5 gets you a bigger prawns and portion


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