Explore: Sarawak

Light, flaky pastry wrapped around a ball of sweet pandan paste stuffed with salty, savoury chicken floss.
Whoever invented this is a genius.

The Sarawak Laksa is the best kind of laksa if you ask me (just slightly above Penang laksa), but I may be a little biased.

To know if a bowl of Sarawak laksa is authentic, one must have had many bowls in a lifetime. I personally have not mastered this ability even through the years, but one thing I know, it boils down to the broth.

My initial taste test decided that this bowl had a hint of curry-like flavour, which shouldn't be there. I'm guessing that it was lacking a certain spice or ingredient. It wasn't that far off though - tasted almost as good as any other regular laksa once I put in some sambal belacan and squeezed in a little calamansi lime to cut the spiciness.

This version boasts uniquely shaped fish balls that are so fresh and firm, generously served over springy noodles tossed in lard and fried shallots to bring out its wonderful aroma. It's then garnished with some chopped scallions and served with a side of pickled chilies in case one needs a spicy, tangy add-on.

Choon Hui is the coffee shop famous for the Sarawak Laksa that Anthony Bourdain decided was the "breakfast of gods". Sadly I couldn't get it this time as they were all sold out.

I ordered Kolo Mee instead, requesting my favorite version in Hokkien like I always do - 'Q' mee (springy noodles) with 'cha sio yiu', which is basically rendered oil from cooking char siu. It's what gives the noodles a reddish hue.

It only took 10 minutes for this bowl of springy egg noodles to arrive at the table. It was tossed in the sweet, savoury 'red oil' as requested with a little bit of vinegar and topped with char siu and chopped scallions.

It was really good but the portion was too small for someone with a big appetite. So I ordered another bowl of Kolo Mee, but the regular one this time.

The Sarawak laksa paste is a guarded secret, made with over 20 herbs and spices, and there aren't many people who can make an authentic one these days. Some of the ingredients include sambal belacan (shrimp chili paste), tamarind, lemongrass and galangal.

The Internet is filled with varying recipes that are made from hearsay and tweaked by trial and error. No one really knows the true origins and recipe, or really, how it should taste. Contrary to popular belief and description, it really doesn't taste like curry. At least it's not supposed to.

The base of this dish is beehoon (rice vermicelli) and there are occasions where people request noodles instead. The laksa broth is made from dissolving the laksa paste and adding a wee bit of coconut milk. This dish is topped with shredded chicken, omelette strips, fresh prawn, bean sprouts, coriander, spring onion and served with sambal belacan and calamansi on the side.

For me, this bowl didn't need that extra sambal or calamansi. It had the ideal balance of salty, spicy (just slightly) and savory - just the perfect treat.

Gongpia, or how I like to spell it, Kong Piah, are these remarkably tasty 'snack buns' or bagels that are popular among the locals. Due to its Foochow origins, the best and most authentic ones in Sarawak can be found in Sibu.

There are different ways in which Gongpias are prepared - wet, dry and like the ones at Sing Ming Kee, deep-fried.

The 'pias' or bagels are sourced from a local wholesaler who also supplies to other gongpia businesses. The sesame seeds sprinkled on top of these bagels give out a nutty taste and since they're baked in a charcoal-fired oven, there's a smoky flavour as well.

The typical filling is minced-pork fried in a sweet-savoury black sauce. This filling is stuffed into the bagel and then deep fried. The result is a crispy, juicy, meat-filled savoury snack that is best eaten while it's hot.