Chong Choon : Here comes the Kuching Prawn Star

If you were to ask me,  "Would you travel for food?", few months ago, I would most probably say "NO". However things changed and this is very much to do with my foodie boyfriend. He is the reason why we landed on this land of Borneo, in quest of Chong Choon's Sarawak laksa.

Thick gravy, bold taste and pungent smell of spiced coconut milk would be my perception of how Laksa should be and I like it that way. However, Chong Choon's begs to differ. Infused with the local influence, it is distinctively different from any Laksa I have had.

Crowning on the bowl of steaming hot Sarawak laksa is the star of this dish. Demurely it poses itself on top of its crown made of rice vermicelli, accompanied by its faithful servants : Mr Shredded chicken, Mrs Bean sprouts and Ms Coriander.

Served with extra sambal belacan and lime, it definitely made my day.

Donned in brownish soup base, the Sarawak laksa does not look as intimidating as the usual laksa, mainly because the soup is curry-free. I dumped in the extra sambal belacan and squeezed the lime to the last drop.

My first contact with the laksa soup was well registered. The sourish character in the laksa soup lingered around my taste buds for the longest time. It was bold but not overpowering. Slowly the spiced flavor started to seep in. It was subtle yet complex.

Chewing every bite of rice vermicelli with the sourish spiced soup, paired with its sides, was heavenly. The crispiness of bean sprout, the bounciness of the prawn, the tenderness of shredded chicken, further accentuated by the note of coriander, kept me digging in more and more until the bowl was cleaned to the last drop.

Nope, it is not as spicy as you think.

My worry that rice vermicelli would soak up most of the laksa soup was proved unnecessary. The slightly ragged texture of rice vermicelli complemented the watery soup well. Though my boyfriend would very much prefer kolo mee in Sarawak laksa, I found this combination is perfect.

Waking up in late morning, served with a bowl of Chong Choon's Sarawak laksa by my lovingly cute boyfriend would be the ideal morning to me. Somehow it does not happen, at least not here, in Kuala Lumpur.

Location : 
Chong Choon Cafe
Jalan Abell, Kuching, Malaysia


Operating Hours :
Every single day from 6.30am to 12pm
(Note : It's better to be early than late!)