Two of my favorite delicacies are none other than Sarawak Kolo Mee and Sarawak Laksa, which I miss back home in Penang.
Some say visiting Kuching without having a bowl of its delicious Sarawak Kolo Mee is a sin.
A Sarawakian Chinese favorite, the Kolo Mee, differs from the wanton mee in Peninsular Malaysia.
The Hokkien loves everything covered in thick black sweet soya sauce in Penang.
Unique to Sarawak, the Kolo Mee has noodles, minced pork, and vegetables tossed in a clear sauce (read Pork Lard Oil).
I couldn’t agree more.
Noodles and Pork Lard Oil make the best combination of YUM.
My Sarawakian friend Wendy is the most significant source for locating Kolo Mee in the PJ area.
Some of the best I’ve had are at Toast n Road in SS2.
Savory, springy noodles with a bit of chew to them, Sarawak Kolo Mee is one of those dishes that keeps me coming back bite after bite.
Malaysians in the Peninsula often confuse Kolo Mee with Wantan Mee.
I assure you that both are different.
The Kolo Mee’s springy noodles with the minced pork and the red Char Siew make the best combination served in a bowl.
Some hawkers in the Peninsula try to pass one off as the other – for want of freshly made Kolo Mee noodles.
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My first taste of Kolo Mee – Oriental Park
I remember asking Edgar Ong for recommendations on what to eat in Kuching.
It was quite a comprehensive list. It was the best few hours spent searching the web for a Kolo Mee breakfast in the middle of the night.
But the following day, when I woke up, I decided to head for Sarawak Kolo Mee Oriental Park.
The coffee shop is best known for its fresh, springy noodles and the crunchy texture of the Char Siew and minced pork.
Don’t let the pale noodles fool you.
It’s power-packed with Pork Lard Oil, Minced Pork, and Red Char Siew (Honey BBQ Pork).
Is your mouth watering for this Sarawakians bowl of goodness yet?
After coming home to Penang, I will make this with the dried Kuching Mee Kolo I bought home.
Kuching Mee Kolo is what I use to make Kolo Mee at home.
Where to Eat Sarawak Kolo Mee In Penang?
I’ve tried two restaurants in Penang that serve Kolo Mee – D’Piazza Mall and Face To Face Noodle House 面对面.
Both these stalls are tasty and local favorites; time to try the noodles at Sajo Cafe.
Sarawak Kolo Mee Sarawak Laksa @ Sajo Cafe
Maybe it’s because the owner is from Miri and not Kuching, Sarawak – this is what the friendly and chatty Lady Boss tells me.
I went with my constant companion, and we took a little time to read from the extensive menu on display.
Nothing beats reading off a vast menu.
Since we appear clueless, Lady Boss recommended the 3 Flavour Kolo Mee.
I ordered Sarawak Laksa, and later we topped up with another order of Pork Dumplings.
Sajo Cafe’s Big Menu for the myopic few among us!
What is Sarawak Kolo Mee?
Kolo Mee is a Sarawak Malaysian Chinese-style noodle that is characteristically dry.
In fact, “kolo” comes from the Chinese Cantonese translation “gon lo” or literally “dry mix.”
An excellent Kolo Mee is served dry with enough sauce to coat the noodles.
Is there a difference between Sarawak Kolo Mee and Wantan Noodles?
Kolo Mee is distinguished from other Asian noodle dish recipes.
Sarawak Kolo Mee is different from the famous Wantan Noodles in that Kolo Mee is not drenched in dark soy sauce, and soup is not added to the noodles when served.
Basically Sarawak Kolo Mee is served “dry”.
The fresh noodles are also different.
Fresh homemade Kolo Mee noodles are thin, wiggly, and springy, whereas Wantan Noodles are straight.
If you bite into the Kolo Mee noodles without sauce, the noodles taste slightly sweet.
Kolo mee noodles are springier than Wantan Noodles, and they come with a generous filling of minced meat.
3 Flavour Kolo Mee
- Original (White) Salty Taste
- Black Sauce (Black) Salty Sweet Taste
- Red Sauce (Red) Sweet Taste
Original Sarawak Kolo Mee
The Original (White) Salty Taste of Kolo Mee is filled with Pork Lard’s aroma and fairly seasoned flavors, completed with Minced Pork, homemade Char Siew (Honey BBQ Pork), and Deep deep-fried shallot Oil.
The Lady Boss gave the fresh, springy, and bouncy noodles an even toss.
There was no light Soy Sauce in the Original (White) Salty Taste of Kolo Mee.
The Kolo Mee looked like it was tossed in a transparent sauce!
Black Sauce Sarawak Kolo Mee
The Black Sauce (Black) Salty Sweet Taste Kolo Mee has thick black soya sauce.
Sarawak Kolo Mee
Red Sauce Sarawak Kolo Mee
However, we both agree their Red Sauce Kolo Mee (Char Siew Sauce) is the most fragrant and tasty.
Red Sauce is made from the reduced Pork Char Siew marination drippings.
Their Sarawak Kolo Mee in the original sauce and Char Siew Sauce taste the nicest.
Sarawak Kolo Mee Red Char Siew
Sajo Café’s homemade Red Char Siew is lean and not fatty.
Sarawak Kolo Mee Minced Pork Topping
Some cooks use lean mince for the minced pork topping so that the dish isn’t massive in fat content.
Regular minced pork has a higher fat content for a richer flavor.
The Minced Pork has a simple marinade of fish sauce, light soya sauce, white pepper powder, and potato flour.
it is the frying in the Pork Lard Oil that makes the Minced Pork Topping so delicious,
Sajo Café’s Minced Pork Topping has a good flavor without being too fatty or oily.
How to eat Sarawak Kolo Mee?
To eat Kolo Mee, you need to eat that with their homemade Vinegared Red Chilies, which have a pleasant acidic taste to cut through the Pork Lard Oil’s richness.
Vinegared Red Chili
Sarawak Laksa is another signature dish of Sarawak.
Sarawak Laksa is a complex dish.
The flavorful chicken or shrimp-based broth is seasoned with over twenty different ingredients.
A trip to Sarawak is never complete without indulging in a bowl of this spicy and flavourful soupy noodle, which looks like Curry Mee to the Penangite.
Well, it is not the usual Penang Curry Mee or Curry Laksa.
The broth has chicken and prawn stock with sambal belacan, tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, and coconut milk.
The garnishing is
- omelet strips
- chicken strips
- prawns
- bean sprouts
- fried tofu puffs
- calamansi limes
- coriander leaves
- fresh mint leaves
- beansprouts
- cucumber, shredded
- shredded omelet
- cooked prawns
- shredded chicken.
I remember an invitation to eat at a Sarawakian friend’s home while working in KL.
We were all very excited as it was a festive-style dish.
No one will cook it as there’s so much work involved with toasting the dry ingredients and pounding it by hand!
Sarawak Laksa @ Sajo Cafe Penang
But it is the Laksa paste that is the most interesting; therein lies the home-cooked version sold commercially
- red chilies
- big onions
- garlic
- dried prawns
- shallots
- lemongrass
- dried chilies
- candlenuts
- cumin seeds
- coriander seeds
- star anise
- clove
- nutmeg
- cardamom
- sesame seeds
- peanuts
- curry powder
- chicken and prawn stock
- santan
The Sarawak Laksa with Vermicelli Noodles was creamy, rich, and packed with a spicy, peppery heat.
I enjoyed the dish with the addition of the Spicy Sambal and Lime Juice.
The broth has traces of seafood even though the prawns were not the freshest.
I thought it would taste detectable with more fresh lime to cut the broth’s creamy taste.
Although the Lady Boss encouraged me several times, I could not finish the rich Sarawak Laksa broth.
She asked me if I liked it.
I asked if she would make my favorite dish – the Sarawak Tomato Kueh Tiaw will finish to the last drop.
The Watan Hor in Tomatoey Gravy is very appealing to me for some strange reason.
I would not mind going back to Kuching just for this again.
Sarawak Kolo Mee bottled chili paste
Foo Chow Red Wine (Ang Chow) Mee Sua
There was not enough stomach space for this dish.
I remember having it in Sitiawan.
This was one of the foods that my friend’s mom made her after childbirth.
I was just lucky to be around to taste it.
Foochow Red Wine Chicken Noodle Soup – Chicken pieces are cooked in Foochow red wine, ginger, red yeast rice, and then served with mee sua noodles.
Foochow red wine is made by fermenting cooked white glutinous rice mixed with Chinese wine yeast and red yeast rice.
The result is a red-looking wine and one of the popular ingredients in a confinement diet.
The Ang Chow is an acquired taste, and the taste of the booze is pretty strong.
This one is for you if you like a sweet, greasy, robust boozy broth.
My untrained taste buds never got accustomed to red wine.
If you don’t like the soft and slouchy texture of mee sua, you won’t enjoy this meal.
The light mee sua, which I find palatable, is Putien Restaurant’s Easy One-Wok Heng Hwa mee sua with seafood.
Noteworthy Sarawak Noodles on the menu you need to try.
- Sarawak Kolo Mee
- Foo Chow Red Wine Mee Sua
- Sarawak Laksa
- 3 Layers of Tea
- 3 Tasted Coffee
The meaty Pork Dumpling is nice, juicy, and tasty.
Where is Sajo Cafe @ Air Itam, Penang?
Sajo Cafe is opposite the wet market and about two doors from the Police Station.
Review of Sajo Café:
The café is known for its authentic Sarawak delicacies (Miri version), as explained by the hospitable Lady Boss, who started the café by selling her favorite dishes.
Sajo Cafe is a place worth dropping by for a quick meal if you are nearby.
Sajo Cafe
Unnamed Road, Bandar Baru Ayer Itam, 11500 Ayer Itam, Penang
Telephone: 016-441 1100
Business Hours: 11 am to 10 pm (Closed on Sunday)
Landmark: 2 shops away from Police Station, Air Itam Wet Market
Parking: Depends on your luck.
