Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Discovering Kolo Mee in Kuching - Part 1

Over the weekend I visited Kuching which was my first time in East Malaysia. Why had I waited so long to discover its wonderful culture and natural landscapes? And one of its foremost contributions to the mighty Malaysian food fabric: kolo mee.




What about Sarawak Laksa I hear laksa fans scream? Sadly the only version I managed was at the Hilton's breakfast buffet. I was in Kuching for friend M's wedding (which was fantastic!) and as laksa is a breakfast dish here (stalls close at 10am) I didn't quite make it out in time amidst wedding activities. So I can't really comment though it leaves something to be desired for next time...

Kuchingites are no different to us on the Peninsula in their pride for their hometown food. Kolo Mee sounds similar to Konlo Mee ("Dry" Noodles) which is what I grew up on in KL. What I know are egg noodles bathed in dark and light soy sauce and onion oil, tousled amongst prawn wantons. Char Siew (Barbequed Pork) is normally a side to this. Quite different to its East Malaysian cousin.



After seeing the charming old buildings of Kuching town, we settled under a huge steel covering where simple stalls sat in front of the impressive traditional Wayang Street Chinese Temple. M tells me it's still used as a Chinese Opera stage and during performances stalls are pushed aside for viewers to sit and observe. Directly opposite is a splendid old Chinese temple, it's vibrant deities, carvings and colours well preserved.


The first thing I notice about Kolo Mee is the egg noodle is quite different. Resembling a frizzy perm, this noodle has way more bite and chew giving the dish real body.


Our Kolo Mee auntie grabs a handful of fresh noodles and sloshes them in hot water briefly to loosen them up. In general, the Chinese do this with fresh noodles to get them to a perfect al dente texture. In split second assembly she puts garlic oil and pork fat into the bowl first, then lays on the noodles and finally tops with char siew.


Before diving in, the noodles need to be given a good toss so the divine flavours beneath can coat them thoroughly. The noodles being the way they are the perfect sponge for the glistening sauce. And speaking of marriages, this is one made in heaven and destined to last forever. Pure salty, porky and garlic brilliance, I was in love from the first bite.

I'll be eating more Kolo Mee and some other Sarawakian specialities in my next post - look out for them!


I'm not sure this stall had a name! It is in front of the Wayang Street Chinese Temple so you shouldn't miss it!


View Larger Map

12 comments:

Baby Sumo said...

The only Kolo mee I've tried is from Face to Face shop.. apparently their great grandfather was the main noodles supplier of Mee Kolok in Sarawak.

http://goodyfoodies.blogspot.com/2011/01/face-to-face-noodle-house-taman-segar.html

Sean said...

i've been to sarawak a few times, but only for work, and i've never managed to eat kolo mee IN sarawak. but the versions i've tried in KL in nondescript places have never left an impression, so i figure they're definitely not the real deal! the one you had looks splendid :D

Hungry Female said...

Hey Guys - I'm going to have to try a version in KL (the other place I've heard of is a stall in Bangsar Lucky Garden) to compare. I suspect we are missing out on something here though:) Kuching's Kolo Mee rocks!

AugustDiners said...

i've ashame to say i've never been to kuching till now, and my first exposure to kolo mee was like few weeks ago! haha i liked it though, the simplicity of taste and somehow it just looks more healthy haha

The one i had was in Bandar Manjalara- Restoran Tanjong Dua i think, amongst the stretch of hawker centers, pretty good.

Hungry Female said...

Well its still more than many in KL have had!

Anonymous said...

Hey Shu, the locals call the Temple Theatre "Lau Ya Keng". Shame the fishball and wonton stall had closed for the day.

Hungry Female said...

Aha thanks for that! Who's that?;)

Jason said...

Besides kolo mee, laksa is also a must try dish when visiting Kuching. Anyone want to know where to look for good laksa may take a look at this post. http://jedrzejmajewski.wordpress.com/best-laksa-in-kuching/

The Travelling Trini said...

Hi Hungry Female, thanks for the tip. Going to Kuching for the first time in January. Looking forward to feeding the endless hole in my stomach!!!

Anonymous said...

Lau Ya Keng is a temple at one end of Carpenter Street, near the decorative arch and the neoclassical cololnial General Post Office. Try the Mee Pok (thin noodles) with prawns and char siew and some wantan soup. Stall is at the back, near the stage, open till 2-3pm every day. There's some good pork satay on sale from 1-2pm too...Xavier

Hungry Female said...

Ooh thank you for the tip! Pork Satay would be a bonus!

Nate @ House of Annie said...

I hear the kolo mee at that place is pretty good but actually you missed out on the best kolo mee from Sin Min Joo, also on Carpenter Street. Guess you'll just have to come back!