Where to Get your Sarawak Laksa fix

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 27 November 2017

For Sarawak Laksa fans in the KL-PJ area, try one of these.

Sarawak Laksa enjoys a celebrity status among the many laksa varieties in the country. 

It’s available if you look hard enough – Alexi’s Bistro, MM Café, SRK Noodle House, Aloft Hotel, Antara and Kluang Station, among others, offer versions of Sarawak Laksa, besides independent stalls in some coffee shops.

Sarawak Laksa has always been street food, sold at small stalls and served for breakfast, in its native Kuching.  Among fans of Sarawak Laksa, these are the most highly-regarded versions in the KL-PJ area :

Aunty Christina has been operating a stall in a coffee shop in Lucky Gardens, Bangsar, for yonks.  Recently opened Aunty Christina Laksa in PJ is dedicated to Sarawak Laksa with a supporting panoply of East Malaysian dishes such as Kolo Mee, Kacang Ma and herbal soup noodles.   This is a basic coffee shop with tiled floor, plastic tables and chairs, and no air-conditioning. 

The star is Sarawak Laksa, upscaled and upgraded from the Bangsar days, with a King Prawn XL version at RM20, Regular at RM8, and the extra-noodles, extra-prawns Special at RM12.

The Special comes in a big bowl, with a half-calamansi and sambal accompaniment. Presentation-wise, this is the winner, with three big prawns atop a pile of coarse meehoon, fried egg strips, beansprouts and shredded chicken in a brown broth, and garnished with coriander.

 

The coarse meehoon, with generous portions of chicken breast meat, prawn and beansprouts give it substance. There’s not a lot of coconut milk in this version, and the broth is thick, dark and strong.

Aunty Christina Laksa,

26, Jalan 21/19, Sea Park,

46300 Petaling Jaya.

Email: auntychristinalaksa@gmail.com

Tel: 016-3153213/016-3788906

Business Hours:  8am to 2.30pm, occasionally closed on Wednesdays (Call to avoid disappointment)

7th Mile Kitchen is a ground-floor shop-lot in an apartment block, manned by Alex, from Kuching, which serves Sarawak Laksa, Kolo Mee, Tomato mee and Kiaw (dried wanton) at coffee shop prices.

At just RM6.50 for a large serving, the Laksa uses fine meehoon and modest quantities of ingredients – shredded chicken breast, fried egg strips, beansprouts, coriander and small prawns, with a half calamansi and sambal by the side. The broth is an angry orange and as thick as curry.  


The meehoon soaks up the broth, which is creamy with coconut milk. It’s intense, instantly gratifying with that unique flavor of Sarawak laksa, and packs a raw, spicy punch that lingers afterwards.

It makes for a light meal, given its modest proportions and ingredients, but it’s also truer to its coffee-stall, street food roots than the restaurant versions. 

7^th Mile Kitchen,

RG24, Pangsapuri Kelana Sentral,

Jalan Bahagian, SS6, 47301 Kelana Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 016-2283832

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7thMileKitchenQiLiXiang/

Business Hours:  7am-2.30pm, Tuesday-Friday, 7.30am-2.30pm Weekends, Closed on Mondays.

In the ambiance department, SALTed wins hands down, with a cosy, airconditioned restaurant and a cool, dim interior. The restaurant serves a selection of Sarawak street food. 

There’s an upscaled RM15 Special version, with the Original Sarawak Laksa costing RM9.  It’s served with coarse meehoon, three medium-sized peeled prawns, fried egg strips, shredded chicken breast meat, beansprouts and coriander for garnishing.  The broth is a light orange and it’s not as thick as the others.

Compared to the other two, it’s lighter, milder and more balanced, with the calamansi and sambal turbo-boosting the broth depending on personal tastes.  The ingredients are fresh and generous, although the broth is carefully apportioned out.

SALTed (Sarawak’s Authentic Local Taste Extra Delicious)

30-1, Jalan PJU 7/16A,

Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-77334566, Whatsapp: 018-2160266,

Email: saltedswk@gmail.com

FB/Insta/Twt: SALTedswk

Business Hours: 10am – 3.30pm daily.

Among Sarawak Laksa fans, all three versions have their advocates.  All provide very good Sarawak Laksa with slight but significant variations to be argued over by fans.  Even in Kuching, different stalls with their own versions attract proponents and detractors.  If you’re looking for good Sarawak Laksa, start with one of these and decide for yourself.