Kolo Mee. If Kuching had a mascot in the form of food, this would be the dish that represents this city best – barring laksa of course, but that’s a story for another day. If you’re in the mood for a bowl but sick of the safe and boring, keep reading.
How often does one go to a coffee shop and NOT see a Kolo Mee stall? Rarely. How often does one find authentic Kolo Mee? Rarely. If one’s idea of
“Authentic” Kolo Mee is the common ensemble of dry noodles drizzled with meaty
lard, sweet red pork sauce and sprinkled with spring onions, fried garlic, an
unhealthy(but necessary) amount of MSG and Charsiew (Barbequed pork), I’d be
inclined to tell you that you are mistaken.
So what then is
Authentic Kolo Mee? Does it matter? Kolo Mee, has reinvented itself and come a
long way from its roots of a bowl of just dry noodles, some vege and minced
meat. Its evolution and transformation from what was deemed original and
authentic brings meaning to the phrase, “Good chefs follow and great chefs
reinvent”.
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| Why yes, in case you're wondering.. They do serve food at this corner |
Ergo, we now look to the famous Kolo Mee stall in front of Chong Lin Plaza, Green road for our next Urban Palatable Adventure. If you can imagine it, now walk behind that stall to find a coffee shop called Food Corner. Within their halls, you will find a humble stall currently without a name but owned by local, Francis Then that serves “Mushroom Chicken Noodles”.
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| Mushroom Chicken Noodles |
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| Don't let his look scare you, he's a really nice guy. He was just unprepared for this pic |
He serves two variations to its noodles, with or without chili oil and flakes. Let me save you the trouble of helping you pick the one with the chili because if you can handle a slight kick of heat, you will thank me for the recommendation as this variation is the one we’ll be talking about.
You will notice at first glance the similarity between the noodles served here and a normal bowl of Kolo Mee; the noodles and sprinkling of greens and minced meat.
If Mr Then were to speak to you about his noodles, he'd tell you, "I'm not saying my noodles are the best, or others aren't as good.. Just give mine a try and you decide".
If Mr Then were to speak to you about his noodles, he'd tell you, "I'm not saying my noodles are the best, or others aren't as good.. Just give mine a try and you decide".
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| Maestro |
At first bite, you’ll realize that what most overlook as the most essential part of the Kolo Mee, is the noodles. Too often one will have a bowl of noodles that is either too chewy from being undercooked, or too soft and mushy from being overcooked. What you taste from this bowl, are noodles boiled to just the right amount of time for the right amount of bite or texture, and quickly shocked by blanching in cold water to achieve springiness.
The mince, is flavoured with mushroom which brings an earthy and meaty body to the protein and is accompanied with the chili oil which as I’m told is homemade and cooked for hours to help the mince stick to the noodles and coat it with a roasted spicy profile. A dash of coriander that’s sprinkled over the noodles helps elevate the rich flavor of mushroom to add a fresh lemony dimension and also adds pretty colours if that’s what you’re into. Did I mention again that the mince is made of chicken? Because it’s made of chicken. Don’t judge me.
What you get from a bowl like this, is layer upon layer of elements disguised as just a simple bowl of Kolo Mee. The rush of flavours one experiences is what you get from scrupulous dedication to detail from someone whom you can tell from his food, loves what they make and would love for you to love it too. That being said though, what is authentic and does it even really matter? Have another bite of from Francis Then's Chicken Mushroom Noodles and answer me again.
He is open everyday 7:00am - 2:00pm and 6:00pm - 9:00pm
bro i think ur map is the wrong location hahaha it has the word victoria park in it
ReplyDeleteYou're right! All fixed :D
DeleteThank you and happy eating.
It's Chonglin Plaza not Chong Lin Park..
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, Ivanna! Thank you for spotting it out ;) All fixed.
Delete