For Sarawak Laksa lovers who makes PJ their hunting ground, most of you would have tasted Aunty Lan’s Sarawak Laksa, who used to operate at NZX food court since 2017.
The stall has since moved out, and for many weeks many of us was at a loss on where she’s moved to.
Update 2/4/2019: The stall has since moved back to just opposite NZX food court at I-Tea House
Tin Ha kopitiam, Kampung Subang
Well, today is your lucky day, thanks to Uncle Meng, I was informed that Aunty Lan has moved to the new location just a few minutes away from Subang Airport, at Tin Ha Kopitiam.
Located at the light industrial area of Kampung Pinggiran Subang, this new kopitiam enjoys a very good location when it comes to parking on a weekends. Also, if you’re a fan of good prawn mee, Johnny’s Prawn Mee & Loh Mee is just a couple minutes away.
Aunty Lan’s sarawak laksa, now at Tin Ha kopitiam
Anyway, we’re here for the Sarawak Laksa, and I’m happy to say that they are just as good as I remember – with thick gravy that’s full of flavor, and generous ingredients of three prawns, those eggs, shredded chicken, and bean sprouts. It’s proper to me, and some of my more knowledgeable Sarawakian friends agree.
those prawns are proper
If spicy breakfast isn’t your thing, the kolo mee is a pretty worthy alternative around here. For the uninitiated, kolo mee isn’t just wantan mee without dark sauce or wantan, the noodle itself is very different from your usual wantan mee, with a lighter and springier texture to i, I find myself enjoying it quite a bit.
Sarawak kolo mee is pretty good too
Unfortunately the Koay Chap is sold out when I was there, I’ll make it my mission to have Aunty Lan’s koay chap again soon!
Happy food hunting!
Address: Tin Ha Kopitiam 39, Jalan Apollo U5/192, Bandar Pinggiran Subang, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor GPS: 3.156444, 101.548167 Tel: 03-5887 4905
While Penang and Ipoh hawker dishes have been a mainstay in Klang Valley for decades, Sarawakian cuisine seems to be just starting to make its mark here, a welcoming sign to those who loves hawker fare for sure. One of the latest to join the scene is Da Niu Sarawake Kuching Kolomee at PJ.
Restoran Tropikiri, Bukit Mayang Emas
Ah Niu sets up stall at the cheekily named Restoran Tropikiri at Bukit Mayang Emas, a stone’s throw away from the rather “atas” neighbourhood of Tropicana, while also easily accessible from Bandar Utama and PJ via Kampung Chempaka.
Plenty of parking space by the same row of shops, though you may have to walk a few steps.
Da Niu stall is operated by Da Niu himself and the wife Heidi since early Q2 2018, both hailed from the land of the hornbills.
Da Niu Sarawak Kolomee
The Sarawak kolomee is of Da Niu’s own recipe, and comes with the normal or “red” version with those yummy chasiu sauce (strongly recommend going with the latter).
In a bowl of kolomee you’ll also find chasiu, fried wantan, minced pork, and an accompanying small bowl of soup. The chasiu was one of the better ones for sure, soft, juicy, and full of flavor, do tell them if you like it fatty or lean and they are more than happy to accommodate.
very good chasiu & love those springy noodle
I also particularly enjoy the accompanying soup, which has a lot more going on than your typical wantan mee bland tasting soup that doesn’t do anything other than offering a way to wet your noodle.
With the springy, curly noodle and everything that goes on here, this is becoming one of my favorite kolomee now.
Other than kolomee, they also offer Sarawak Laksa. In fact, I had actually tried the laksa first before going again for the kolomee on second trip.
Sarawak laksa is quite legit too
The Sarawak laksa comes with the usual ingredients of bean sprout, sea prawns, eggs, cilantro, and shredded chicken. I thought it tasted pretty decent though with a bit of room for improvement.
According to Heidi, Kuching style laksa is usually a little less creamy, but that does not seem to resonate with the taste buds of those in Klang Valley, so it is something they’re still working on.
For now though, I’d certainly go back for that kolomee!
Address: Da Niu Sarawak Kuching Kolomee Restoran Tropikiri 2, Jalan BM 1/2, Taman Bukit Mayang Emas, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor GPS: 3.125287, 101.595897 FB: fb.com/pg/DaNiueKuchingKoloMeeinPJ
Sarawak Laksa seems like the flavor of the year, so before the end of 2017 I decided to give yet another highly recommended Sarawak Laksa place a try – SALTed at Mutiara Damansara.
SALTed, Mutiara Damansara
As it turns out SALTed does stand for something – Sarawak Authentic Local Taste Extra Delicious!
The restaurant is located quite deep within Mutiara Damansara, and while it is perhaps only 5 minutes away from IKEA and Curve, you can’t really get there by walking from the big furniture shop.
The Sarawak laksa comes in three different versions, basic (RM 6) comes with chicken stripes but no prawns, original (RM 9) comes with normal prawns, and special (RM 15) gets you some cuttlefish as well as three pretty large size sea caught “meng har” (明虾) prawns.
Special version of Sarawak Laksa with extra prawns & cuttlefish
I went for the “special” and happy to report that the dish definitely did not disappoint. The broth was thick and flavorful, and the seafood perfectly compliments the meehun and all other ingredients. I also enjoyed the pretty hot sambal as well. Will definitely put this in place in my list of recommendations (which I need to create, I think)
simple menu at SALTed
Other than laksa Sarawak, the restaurant also offers kolo mee, belacan meehun, and mee Jawa Sarawak. .My mission was only for the laksa, so no I did not try any of these dishes.
Address: SALTed 30-1 Jalan PJU 7/16a, Mutiara Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor GPS: 3.159828, 101.602412 Tel: 03-7733 4566 Hours: 10 am to 3:30 pm
One of the earliest food post that I wrote on this site was about a certain laksa Sarawak in Bangsar way back in 2006, introduced to me then by my friend Lorna who hailed from East Malaysia.
Well, Lorna is still from East Malaysia, but t he very same stall – Aunty Christina’s laksa Sarawak, has now moved to its very own shop lot in Seapark, Petaling Jaya. I had the chance to stop by and grab a bowl for lunch a some weeks ago.
Aunty Christina’s Laksa Sarawak, PJ Seapark
The restaurant is now located along the same row of shops with KFC in PJ Sea Park, which means parking during busy periods can be a bit of a challenge to those who are impatience. However, the restaurant itself is cleaner and much more comfortable than the kopitiam it came from.
The menu too has been bumped up a bit. There’s now laksa with 2 king size prawns that goes for RM 20, there’s Hakka abacus seeds, kacangma (some sort of wine chicken), kolo mee, and even black pepper pork/chicken soup.
For the die-hards though, you can always opt for the old regular Laksa Sarawak at RM 9, with a choice of meehun, mee, or both.
original laksa sarawak, just like how they are supposed to be
I’m happy to report that while there’s been an upgrade to the price and ambiance, Aunty Christina’s laksa still remains true to it’s origin and tastes exactly the same as it did when I first tried it over ten years ago. There’s still the prawn, strips of chicken, shredded egg, bean sprout, and some greens as garnish. Still lovely as ever.
For the faithful, this is where you should go.
For everyone else, there’s also quite a few other laksa Sarawak places especially in PJ area to check out these days. The more the merrier.
In my previous job, I had the opportunity to travel to East Malaysia on quite a few occasions, and one thing that stuck in my memory is that there are whole different sets of restaurants and popular dining areas in Borneo than what I’m used to in Peninsular Malaysia, and one of the more prominent one that I remember till today was the ubiquitous SugarBun.
SugarBun Borneo Asian Food at Menara Hup Seng
Well, now you can find SugarBun right here in KL at Menara Hup Seng (opposite Shangri-La KL & behind Mercedes) to get a taste of what Borneo’s most successful franchise restaurant has got to offer. They are also opening their second outlet in Klang Valley at Ara Damansara on 15/10/2016. So if you’re into some no-nonsense Borneo cuisine, keep reading.
Sabah Giant Garoupa Mee Hoon Soup
While started out as an ice-cream parlour back in 1979, over the years SugarBun has expanded its offering to include many dishes sought after by Sarawakians & Sabahans alike. On the outside it looks a little bit like fast food joint or even a food court, but what they offer is rather different from what you may expect.
I had the opportunity to try some of their dishes a couple weeks ago, and I gotta start with my favorite – Sabah Giant Garoupa Mee Hoon Soup (RM 28). Cooked with generous portion of Sabah giant garoupa slices, the deceptively simple dish carries a broth thick with seafood sweetness that will satisfy anyone who loves seafood. The fish slices too were perfectly cut and came with chunks of those springy garoupa skin that I really enjoy. At RM 28 it is certainly not a “fast food” friendly price, but this is not fast food and you definitely get a more than decent value from the quality of seafood offered.
You can also order this as a soup to go with rice.
Sabah Giant Garoupa Fried Rice
Another rendition that utilise the same awesome seafood is the Sabah Giant Garoupa Fried Rice (RM 20). Deep fried giant garoupa meat is served on top of pretty fragrant fried rice, very simple and satisfying. I think a few chili padi with soya sauce should come with this, but they do offer sambal, which compliments the dish quite well.
authentic Sarawak Laksa
Laksa Sarawak (RM 12) is arguable the most famous streetfood from Borneo, and at SugarBun Borneo Asian Food, they have a version that is authentic and true to its origin. You get the shredded chicken, prawns, strips of omelette, bean sprout, and of course, those thick meehun. Haze loves it, and she’s like the no. 1 fan of any type of laksa.
If you’re looking for a certified halal version of authentic laksa Sarawak, this will definitely fit the bill.
Fish Burger
For those who wants something on the go, SugarBun’s fish burger (RM 9.50) should fit the bill. The patty is made from pollock and together with their blend of sauce and slices of fresh cucumber, made for a pretty satisfying meal you can enjoy while being vertical. I also thought their bun was pretty soft and airy too, which is a plus.
the classic – Borneo Eco Fish Meal (tilapia)
Another notable fish related dish is the classic Borneo Eco Fish Meal (RM 20). Here you get a portion of rice, some acar, and a properly deep fried tilapia fish with some sambal and dark soya sauce on the side. This felt like something you get from a mom & pop restaurant than an air conditioned chain restaurant, in a good way, of course.
This was actually the first dish I had at SugarBun many years ago when they came to West Malaysia (at PJ SS2 if not mistaken), and I’ve always enjoyed it.
If comfort food is what you crave for, the Chicken Mushroom Claypot Meal (RM 14) should be on your short list. You get a side of rice with a clay pot full of chunks of chicken and black fungus in herbal soup, not entirely different from grandma’s kitchen.
To complete their almost-fast-food image, SugarBun offers broasted chicken (RM 12) with or without saucy kano (RM 15). I had to google a bit, but broasting is a cooking process that combines broiling and roasting, which is distinctly different from deep fried. The result is a lighter crust and less oily product. I thought they taste pretty good.
If you want to get a taste of what Borneo has got to offer right here in KL, this is definitely the place to go.
P/S: this post is brought to you by SugarBun
Address: SugarBun Borneo Asian Food Level 1, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur GPS: 3.152761, 101.707296
Tel: 03-2022 0003 Hours: Mon – Fri 7.30 am – 8 pm, Sat 10 am – 2 pm
