Laksa hunt: Choon Hui

What is a Coco Laksa blog without laksa hunt?

My favourite is definitely the Sarawak Laksa variety, one which is little known to the world before the late Anthony Bourdain made it famous back in 2015 with his Instagram post, calling it 'Breakfast of the Gods'.

Coming from that very land where Sarawak Laksa originated from, I grew up with this variety and always loosely associate the term laksa with essentially Sarawak Laksa. I have so much love towards it that I decided to call myself Coco Laksa, because why not?

Last weekend, I visited Choon Hui Cafe which houses the stall where Anthony Bourdain visited and gave his stamp of approval.

Located at Jalan Ban Hock in Kuching, it is not difficult to find. The locals usually have points of reference for the shop, calling it "the one opposite the (Hindu) temple" or "that one near that hotel -- what is the name of the hotel again? Oh yah, Grand Continental!" Although easy to locate, parking can be an issue, so most cars illegally park along the roadside before slipping in to slurp on their favourite morning dish.

The laksa stall is simple and basic. There is no fancy sign boards or logos. Just a board stating that they are open, and three different prices of laksa according to the sizes. Whether it is inflation or simply the boost of its reputation, a bowl of Sarawak Laksa ranges between RM7 and RM11. 

The seller or owner of this stall must be really efficient. Orders are promptly taken. The main 'cook' never stopped to rest. It was just continuous preparing of the orders. I waited quite a substantial amount of time for my order, but boy was it worth waiting for!

RM 9 (medium) Sarawak Laksa

The verdict?

Definitely did not disappoint! Its gravy was rich, the spiciness just at the right level. The rice vermicelli was adequately blanched. The ingredients all blended perfectly in that one bowl of goodness. Though one may say that it is slightly overpriced, or rather overrated, it is just fun to savour a bowl of goodness early morning for breakfast.