Choon Hui Cafe (Sarawak Laksa)

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)

Address: 34, Jalan Ban Hock, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (Located within Choon Hui Cafe)
Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/L2abZCFLEwvd7uJQ8
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

Sarawak Laksa (Small) = RM8.00

"Breakfast of the Gods".

This was how the Late Anthony Bourdain described Sarawak Laksa in his Instagram Post. 🍜🤔 And Choon Hui was the exact place where he said this. Sarawak Laksa is very unlike the Conventional Reddish looking Laksa that we're accustomed to. 🤔 Its more Brown in Colour, and for the ones I had in Singapore, I thought it tasted like a Very Earthy and Mildly Spicy Chicken Soup. 🐔🤔

Choon Hui is actually a Kopitiam and Sarawak Laksa is just one of the stalls within. It's run by what looks like a Mother and Daughter team. 👩‍💼💁 The stall starts at 7.00am and seeing them set up the stall and prep is certainly not easy. 🤔 Despite being famous, the Elder Lady don't hire any extra help when she cooks and prepares the Laksa Gravy in the Morning. 🍲 Watching them work was Fascinating. 👍


Credits to Banijay Documentaries Youtube Channel for this Video.
You can see this Kopitiam featured at the 11:05 mark where Anthony Bourdain features it.




No joke, this place fills up very fast. If you did not pre-order from them by 6.30am, you would already be in quite a long waiting list by 7.00am. 😳 On a Weekday when I was there, there was a queue, although it is still acceptable. i'd say about 10-15 people deep. 🤔

Simple but Beautifully presented, the Main Carb in this is a Slightly Thicker version of Beehoon and is QQ but not Super QQ here. 🍜🤔 Portion given is acceptable. Protein is Chicken Breast Strips. 🐔 They're not Dry and I tasted some Salt Marination in them. 🧂🤔 The Main Veggie is Crunchy Taugeh with 2 Plump and Juicy Prawns 🦐 and finally topped off with a Sprig of Parsley Leaf. 🌿

The Soul of the Dish is definitely the Gravy. 🍲👍 Even though it does still have a familiar "Chicken Soup" Aroma, Compared to the Sarawak Laksa I had in Singapore, this Chicken Soup taste is very much more Subdued here. 🐔🤔 It is also very mildly spicy and I spotted bits of Pepper Flakes too. 🌶️ Perhaps Sarawak Pepper is used here?

In addition to this Subtle Chicken Soup taste, there is an Additional, very noticeable Coconut Milk taste undercurrent which I don't taste in the ones I had in Singapore. 🥥🤔 It is also not overpowering but very subtle and yet it also gives the Gravy a much Richer Overall Taste. 🍲😋 The little swig of Chilli on the side has a Very Sharp yet subdued Haebee taste. 🦐😋 Haebee is not overly strong but you can absolutely feel it's presence. Mixing it to the Laksa completes the Transformation giving it an Additional Subtle Sourish taste. 👍


After tasting this, I now understand why Anthony calls it "Breakfast of the Gods". 🍜👍 He is probably complementing on how both Simultaneously Simple and Complex this dish is. 👍 The ingredients are simple, yet the Dish tastes Complex and Every ingredient within does not clash and works with each other in sync and in Harmony. 👍 I'm not trying to Brown Nose here, but I agree with Anthony. 👍 This is a Well Made Bowl of Sarawak Laksa. 🍜 The Keyword throughout is "Subtle". Nothing in here tries to upstage each other.

After finishing the Meal, I walked over to the Friendly Stall Owners and gave them a Big Thumbs Up. 👍 They appreciated the gesture. Looking at how old this Stall is, this is probably Decades of Experience distilled into a Bowl. Truly Excellent! 👍