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f you don’t want to get into a heated argument in the town
of Kuching, then there are a few conversations you’ll want to stay away from.
Religion, politics, sports and “best” food spots are to name a few. Because
this is a food article, let’s talk about the kinds of “best” food conversations
you should specifically stay away from. Those kinds are the ones that concern
Kolo Mee and Laksa.
Few kinds of food compare to how dearly Kuching-ites hold
these two close to their heart, especially if they reside in shops that they
have a special bond to. That bond is something shared and created in various
ways, from childhood favourites or a special discovery.
If we’re talking about
bonds, few shops though or Laksa stalls more specifically like the Laksa Stall
in Hoo Joo Coffee Shop, 3rd mile can say that they’re an expert in
making bonds. They’ve been in the bond making business for 40 years and making
it on a recipe that is now 90 years old. That’s a really long time to be making
bonds and really good Laksa for that matter.
If she’s been selling Laksa for that amount of time and the
recipe is that old, you’d be wise to ask me if I’m suggesting that this is a
place for the best Sarawak Laksa. I wouldn’t blame you for thinking so, but no.
I don’t believe there is a “best” place, as there are so many great kinds out
there! But what you can’t run away from, from a good bowl is a really really
good broth.
The Aunty that’s been making Laksa here is an expert at it
and has been providing consistent delicious tasting Laksa from the day she
opened this stall. She’ll be proud to tell you that this is possible due to her
making her own paste for her broth, which doesn’t make her subject to changes
in taste from paste providers which a lot of Laksa stalls in Kuching are using.
What you’ll taste here may be different from what you’re
used to, as the first thing you’ll notice is how balanced the flavours are.
There isn’t a natural kick of flavours that is common in most stalls, but a
very welcome balance of the sour and savoury while also maintaining a very
smooth creamy broth that you’ll have no qualms with finishing till the very
last drop.
Apart from the delicious broth, you’ll notice the most
simple of garnishes that top the noodles. It’s a welcome change from the
gimmick of large prawns and extravagant parts of the chicken. Everything in
this bowl is modest and well thought of. The prawns, though admittedly were a
bit overcooked on the day of taking these pictures were sized big enough to
finish in one bite while the chicken strips used were juicy and were able to
soak up the broth well due to the careful way it was stripped.
The thin rice vermicelli noodles are also worth noting as
they were both springy and had a nice bite to it. It’s always a welcome addition
when Laksa noodles are cooked beautifully as there is rarely anything worse
than badly cooked noodles that are either too hard to bite on or too soft and
slimy to enjoy.
I spoke earlier about bonds, and patrons I’ve spoken to who
frequent this stall speak of how these noodles remind them of childhood. It
isn’t the idea of Laksa that reminds of it, but rather the exact taste and
flavour of it. This is the product of consistency and it’s consistency from
being able to create what you serve from scratch and knowing exactly what you
put in your meals that builds a bond and trust based on flavours. Flavours that
you know you can turn to that remains like an old friend in an ever-changing
world.
Ho Joo Laksa is open daily from 6am - 11pm.
The original content of this article belongs to The Borneo Post SEED and can be found HERE. Head on there by clicking the picture below for more great content and happenings in and about with Sarawak.
Actual location:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com.my/maps/place/Ho+Joo+Cafe/@1.520863,110.334956,3a,25.1y,96.34h,87.93t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sUqjv1iJeRpslbwGFqeAx1A!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DUqjv1iJeRpslbwGFqeAx1A%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D100%26h%3D80%26yaw%3D12.228218%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m7!1m4!3m3!1s0x31fba76090fb06cd:0xd8f56ab368722f5!2sJalan+Everbright+Park,+Everbright+Park,+93250+Kuching,+Sarawak!3b1!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0xc8c66071ccd1e3ec!6m1!1e1?hl=en
or GPS: 1.520863,110.334956