Choon Hui Cafe — Restaurant in Borneo

Sarawak Laksa (Small) = RM8.00

"Breakfast of the Gods" This was how the Late Anthony Bourdain described Sarawak Laksa and Choon Hui was the Exact Place where he ate this. Sarawak Laksa is very unlike the Conventional Reddish looking Laksa that we're accustomed to. Its more Brown in Colour.

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 7am and seeing them set up 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 do Prep Work was Fascinating.

No joke, this place fills up very fast even on a Weekday. 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, I'd say about 15-20 people deep.

Simple but Beautifully presented, the Main Carb is a Slightly Thicker Beehoon and is QQ but not Super QQ. Portion given is Acceptable. Protein are Strips of Chicken Breasts with some Shredded Eggs. Chicken Meat is 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. It has a Distinct Smell and Taste that I'd describe as a "Chicken Soup". Compared to the Sarawak Laksa I had in Singapore, this Chicken Soup taste here is very much more Subdued. It is also Very Mildly Spicy and I spotted bits of Pepper Flakes too. Perhaps Sarawak Pepper is used too?

In addition to this Subtle Chicken Soup taste, I detected a Very Noticeable Undercurrent of Coconut Milk which I don't taste in the ones I had in Singapore. It is also Subtle and Not Overpowering and gives the Gravy a much Richer Overall Taste.

The Little Swig of Chilli on the side has a Very Sharp Haebee Taste. It is not overly strong but u can absolutely feel it's presence. Mixing it to the Laksa completes the Transformation giving it an additional Subtle Sourish taste.

I 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 Very Well Made Bowl of Sarawak Laksa. The Keyword throughout is "Subtle". Nothing in here tries to upstage each other. This is probably Decades of Experience distilled into a Bowl. Truly Excellent!

Red Kolo Mee = RM5.00 1 Cup of Kopi-O = RM1.50

While waiting for the Sarawak Laksa to open in Choon Hui at 7am, I also tried the Red Kolo Mee here. The Stall Lady is Very Friendly and Sweet. Compared to White Kolo Mee, Red Kolo Mee does have a Slightly Reddish Hue to it, but only Slightly.

It's called Red Kolo Mee because it uses Char Siew Sauce as its Sauce Base. Be it White or Red, Kolo Mee looks really Plain in Presentation and its the Sauce thats really the Soul.

The Char Siew Sauce has a Mildly Sweet and Savoury taste. Red Kolo Mee really feels like a Wanton Mee without Wantons. While the Char Siew is not the Fatty HK Roasted Type, it still has a Meaty Juicy Bite and accompanies the Noodles well. Adding what looks like Black Vinegar gives the Dish an Exciting Slightly Sourish Bite that can really perk up one's appetite.

Portion given is acceptable for the price and is quite filling for a Breakfast. Pairing this with a Nice Hot Cup of Kopi-O is Perfect. I think Red Kolo Mee is for people who prefer a more Sweetish Taste to their Kolo Mee. I can recommend trying this stall too if you are around the area.

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My favourite place to eat, in Kuching. Highly recommended by my brother and cousin. Yet, I was still blown away by the taste of the laksa. I'd describe it as the way Anton Ego felt when he had the ratatouille made by Remy (in Disney's 'Ratatouille'). That is, not only did it taste delicious, but the taste sense triggered a memory of the nostalgic and the good ol' days. The kolok mee at the kopitiam was good, too. I had only a sample as every time I go there, I'd only just have the laksa. It was quite fragrant, but the texture of the noodle was a little too tough for my liking. I know a lot of people like it that way (chewy, tough). It came with handmade fish balls. You know it's good when the pickiest eater among us asked the maker if she could buy the fish balls in bulk to take home. (The answer was 'no'.) The service is rated high because despite kopitiam looking busy (to the point of almost being chaotic), the vendors were very personable and patient (unlike a lot of places in Miri). And when we asked for the laksa to not include chicken meat, they gave extra prawns. (This generosity would be miraculous in Miri.) Also, apparently they have a popiah stall here, too. But it was their off day on our first visit. And on our second visit, the maker wasn't there yet, even though the ingredients were all ready at the stall. (We were there at 6:30am.) This place should be classified a...

Located in a stand alone shophouse building, this famed coffee shop is notably famous for their Sarawak laksa, though there are also other local fare served here. Made viral in those days when Anthony Bourdain featured in his travel & food show. It is without doubt that the Sarawak laksa here is good and wholesome, which in my opinion has leaning towards a more curry-ish hint in its aroma. It is definitely more of a tourist & visitors destination , cause when we were there , a van load of tourists alighted and started clicking away with their assortment of cameras, even right up to the Auntie preparing the laksa, who didn't even bat an eyelid, as she probably has gotten so used to the celebrity treatment already. Despite their acclaim and business, the operators and staff were still polite and composed. One thing that really stood out for me in this coffee shop was how clean to the point of being almost spotless and well maintained the mosaic flooring common in the 1960's era was. As for my opinion being a local, it is a hassle to get parking around here, the need to wait for empty tables and having to wolf down one's laksa as there are others hawking your table means only rare occasional visits here in particular when one has visitors in town. Otherwise, there are indeed equally good Sarawak laksa in town where one can savour in one's...