It is 8.30 am on a typical morning, in the many crowded food courts in Kuching, there is hardly an empty table as the place is swarming with people all facing a very happy dilemma: is it going to be the kolo mee or the laksa, or the char kuay teow or kueh chap? See, it’s so much food, so little time stomach. But for now, let’s just dwell on the magnificent Sarawak Laksa.

Indeed, the Sarawak laksa has more eulogies and paeans sung in its honour than any other food in Kuching. Even the ever popular kolo mee plays second fiddle to this almost cult-status dish in the passion that it stirs among the food-crazy denizens of this city. Many Kuchingites will recoil with mock horror on learning that a visitor has not tasted their beloved dish. For one cannot say to have visited Kuching and not tried the Sarawak laksa!

So, just what makes this concoction of beehoon (or rice vermicelli) dunked in a murky curry-like broth, garnished with a few rubbery prawns and topped with foul smelling tiny strands of grass (coriander actually) a dish all Sarawakians are so passionate about? Indeed, if the uninitiated were to say, “laksa is laksa, what is so special about Sarawak laksa“, a die-hard Sarawak laksa fan will response by launching into a lecture on the various types of laksas of Malaysia, of which there are no less than a dozen. This necessitates a little digression and enlightenment.

There is the famous Penang laksa (with equally vociferous supporters) the soup is actually curry, and the Assam laksa, (purportedly from Penang too), a nyonya version, the taste of which may cause an uninitiated to grimace at its extreme sourness. Kelantanese swear by their own version, while in Terengganu, they will only go for their Laksam. In Ipoh, another food haven, discerning diners ask for their own concoction, just as the Johorean will only settle for their own kind. See how laksa give parochialism a mighty push in Malaysia!

How to enjoy a bowl of Sarawak laksa like a pro.

When you place an order for a bowl of laksa, you need to tell the vendor your preference: small, medium or large. Some stalls give two options, normal and special. Don’t worry, that’s only referring to the quantity and size of the succulent prawn you’ll be getting, not extra flavour or spiciness or something else, for Sarawak laksa  comes in  only ONE version. It is only the ways different vendors prepare them that makes each stalls having its uniqueness, for example the thickness, spiciness and the strength of the flavour of the broth.
When the steaming bowl of laksa is placed before you, don’t eat yet!  First, squeeze the cut up lime for the juice to drip into the small saucer with the condiment of sambal belacan and stir the mixture till they blend, then pour the mixture into the laksa and stir it with the broth.  Some impatient souls, with saliva dripping, bypass this ritual and squeeze the juice, pips and all, directly into the laksa then unceremoniously throw the sambal in. This is only acceptable if you are eating with your peers, but a no-no with your boss, first date or prospective father-in-law. By the way, a true laksa eater always requests for a second dollop of sambal, you may do so if you want to impress but do watch out for the dripping sinus. Thus a pack of tissue papers is an absolute must for laksa eating.

Next, use the chopsticks to snare a clump of the vermicelli (bee hoon) up and do note that it should be steaming hot enough to scald your tongue. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized for nothing taste more horrid than a tepid bowl of laksa. Next note the broth or soup, it should be murky and rich in yellowish orange colour, with blobs of dark orange colour oils glistening at the edge. Do note that the aroma that wafts into your olfactory is that of laksa spices not curry, for there is a distinction. and the smell must be heavily laden with coconut milk. Scoop a spoonful of the soup-gravy and take a sip (careful, it scalds!) to confirm this.

An important garnishing is the coriander (wan sui). This tiny strand of grass-looking herb is absolutely crucial to round up the sublime taste of laksa, thus its absence on top of the dish should be immediately alerted to the vendor. No laksa vendor worths his salt should allow this ingredient to run out of stock.  If he does, you have every right to display disappointment to which he should apologize profusely. Because of the difficulty in getting this herb, some vendors have resort to planting it themselves!

Next hold up a piece of prawn by the tip of the tail in the shell (you may use your fingers as wielding chopsticks for this is quite tricky) and grip its body gently with your teeth or denture,  and slowly pull the shell away, this will detach the whole prawn from its shell, thus eliminating the waste of the flesh inside the shell if you were to bite it into halves. Note the rubbery succulency of the prawn, an indication of its freshness and its importance in complimenting the laksa. Only then do you scoop up the vermicelli and enjoy.

So now you know what this spicy concoction is that send us Sarawakians (esp Kuchingites) into culinary nirvana while wiping sweats off our brows and blowing our noses and now that I have divulged our dirty little secrets on the fine art of appreciating Sarawak laksa, it is sincerely hope that you will return my favour by paying us a visit to savour it. Bon appetit!

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