Finally! Let’s get into some serious “kopitiam” action aka local styled restaurants with various stalls of different types of food in one usually large shop with NO air-conditioning… but this is as Malaysian as we can get, other than outdoor hawker stalls at night, but that comes later.

My KL “driver” aka my cousin did not just drive us all the way to Bandar Baru Ampang from Bukit Bintang (approx. 30 minutes drive) for nothing. We were here to explore a recommendation from her friend and a so-called 90% authentic Sarawak Kolo Mee in KL! To those of you who may not be familiar, Sarawak is a state in East Malaysia where I come from. KL is in West Malaysia. Separated by the South China Sea but still part of the same country, Malaysia. Sarawak Kolo Me can only, I repeat ONLY be easily available in every single “kopitiam” in Sarawak mostly in Kuching the capital city (my hometown). It is a specialty local noodle dish only the Sarawakians have mastered and conquered and we are proud of this dish because of its uniqueness! 

However, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Due to its vast availability in Sarawak, the locals have mostly taken it for granted. Why eat Kolo Mee everyday, right? For people like ME who live overseas and even people like my cousin who live in another state in Malaysia away from Kuching… Kolo Mee soon emerges as a regular craving. Gotta have Kolo Mee!!!

So what’s my verdict on the so-called Sarawak Kolo Mee from Restoran Chuan Hupp in Bandar Baru Ampang? Are these people even Sarawakians, the people who prepared this bowl I’m about to devour? From first glance, I wasn’t that convinced… the noodles look slightly odd. I prefer the original more “curly” version of the noodles but apparently my dad has clarified that the “straighter” version of noodles is also available in Kuching. The bowl of Kolo Mee also came with a bowl of plain soup which is fairly standard. So first impression was just OK lar… (ohh here comes the Malaysian in me talking!)

Then I mixed it all up, loosened the noodles with my spoon and chopsticks – letting the flavors of the oil at the botton of the bowl absorb throughout the noodles and minced pork and “char siu” and fish cake and chopped spring onions. Mmmm… the noodles is starting to look nice and oily, just the right amount, and it was starting to smell reallyyy good.

Then the first bite. Second bite. Third, fourth and fifth bite… OH MY GOODNESS THIS KOLO MEE IS SUPER AWESOME!!! I couldn’t stop saying how AWESOME this bowl of Kolo Mee was. It tasted EXACTLY as how I remembered it to be in Kuching. The oiliness is just right, just perfect to create the right texture. The noodles were YUMMY! Everything was just right.

Then I did what I don’t think I ever did before… but since I was pregnant I figured I was eating for two, so I justified what I did next… I ORDERED A SECOND BOWL!! *faints* went into a satisfying food comma after I finished my second bowl but oh so worth it… I am salivating just thinking about it now and wish I had a bowl to dig into right now. SOOOO GOOD!!!!!!

Oh, and then there was the so-called Sarawak Laksa too. We ordered it to share, just to try it out. It was a bit of a failure so we just left it there as a message to the people cooking it to say NO we don’t approve! Hehehee.. but I hope they can tell from my TWO clean bowls of what used to have Kolo Mee that I highly approve and they did a great job there.

Aaahhhh… now all I need is Sarawak Kolo Mee in MELBOURNE. Please!!!