Home Cook Sarawak Noodles and Hakka Delights!
Two best friends put their talents in the heart of Kuching Noodle House with their recipes. Located at Garden Shoppe at One City, Kuching Noodle House serves up Sarawak street food and Hakka dishes fit for daily enjoyment. Opened from less than half a year, looks like words has gotten out as the café was packed for lunch when I visited during the weekend with my family.
My niece and my family visited one Sunday lunch since she lives very near this café. Although it was after 1pm, the café was packed and people kept walking in. The crowd can only mean one thing, good food with value for money. We check out its simple but sufficient menu which consists of Sarawak street food noodles, some rice meals and some side snacks. After our orders were taken, I was pretty happy to notice that there were plenty of staff and so service was very efficient.
The café is really pretty and comfortable at sight. Lots of space, and the mix of wood, white washed walls and ceilings and cement is further enhanced by its creative lights hide in rows of bubus. Bubu is an Asian traditional fish trap basket that is shaped like a long barrel and is made from bamboo and rattan. The kitchen is partially open and so diners can get some kitchen action if you are seated at the back area of the dining room. The ambience is bright and clean and I was particularly fond of the old school rattan and bamboo stools.
We took on the recommendation of the staff for our food and drinks since it was our first visit. Kuching Noodle House imports their coffee and other ingredients from Sarawak frequently. So we opted to try their Ice Sarawak Coffee White, Home Recipe Pineapple Drink and Cucumber Lime Juice. The Sarawak Coffee White is decent and sufficient for non-coffee drinkers like me. Maybe I should enjoyed it hot because it certainly tasted better with my partner’s hot Sarawak Coffee Black as it has more aroma and body to the coffee. For me, I really enjoyed the boiled Home Recipe Pineapple Drink and Cucumber Lime Juice simply for its freshness and fruity flavors.
We ordered some side snacks simply because we were starving. The two-piece Cai Kueh came with a side chili sauce. It’s delicious and even more so because that little side of chili sauce is super appetizing. The Cai Kueh has soft rice flour skin encasing cooked sweet jicama and carrot. It is very simple fare but that chili sauce rocks for sure because we asked for more…
Nyonya Lobak came next and this one fare decent as well. It came with the same yummy chili sauce and some pickled radish and cucumber. The lobak was more sweet than savory due to the vegetables in the roll. It was soft and not as firm as my mother’s recipe. The lobak still fared pleasant as its flavors matches well with the awesome chili sauce.
Hakka Stuffed Bittergourd fared better than the lobak as the stuffed bittergourd had all the authentic flavors in it. Two pieces of beautifully stuffed bittergourd is cooked till soft and remains juicy and savory. As my mother-in-law is Hakka, this dish is pretty close to her recipe when she makes it. Hakka clan uses more minced pork in their stuffed Yong Tau Foo rather that others who uses more fish paste for a bouncy textures. This one also had more minced meat hence it had a softer and sweeter texture and flavor to the dish.
I barely tasted Kuching Noodle House’s signature of Kolo Mee Char Siew. My little one loved it so much, he polished it off happily and in fact asked for more. With my one bite, the noodles are really delectable as it had a lovely bouncy texture and the minced meat and char siew was pretty flavorful. The fried shallots added an oniony aroma and some crispy lettuce accompanied the noodles. There are other variations with prawns and smoked duck if char siew if not your thing. There are two sizes for the noodles and these are priced between RM6.90 to RM8.90 depending on the variation and sizes.
I was told that Kuching Noodle House makes their noodles from scratch every day. When I had walked to the back of the café, I did spy a little enclosed room with some noodle machines. This is another good sign as it can only mean no preservatives in the noodles. I almost wanted to order this again but we decided to try other dishes.
The reason that had me walking into Kuching Noodle House was Sarawak Laksa. I have developed a crush on the unique Sarawak Laksa broth from my other food escapades and was craving for a bowl of piping hot and spicy Sarawak Laksa. The café’s Sarawak Laksa was pretty decent and satisfying. The laksa broth had sufficient spices, lending a full bodied taste of spices in a thin broth. The only difference here is that this is a healthier version as milk was used instead of coconut milk. For a healthier version, its definitely very enjoyable without the guilt. The laksa comes with chicken, prawns, egg omelette and coriander. Add the dried chili paste with a squeeze of lime on the side to add more oomph!
My other niece and other half enjoyed the Ginger Wine Chicken with Mee Suah. A traditional Hakka dish, this one uses the yellow ginger wine as its base for the broth. It’s a warming dish as the yellow ginger wine is not overwhelming here but sufficient enough to make its presence. The overall flavors are earthy, a little tang with lots of ginger essence. The soft mee sua noodle has chunks of chicken and shredded wood ear fungus with wolfberries. I think it’s perfect when you want some comfort food.
The Steamed 10 Grain Rice with Minced Meat and Salted Fish is very value for money. For RM9.90, one gets a big bowl of nutritious steamed 10 grain rice topped with blanched greens and fried shallots, a side of clear consommé and a scrumptious patty of steamed minced pork with salted fish. It’s a complete dish where you get your carb, veggie and protein. The steamed minced pork with salted fish is absolutely yummy, so much so we all ended up fighting for this dish. My little one also had some of this and love it’s too!
Kuching Noodle House appeals to those who misses home cook food and wishes for comfort dishes like these. Prices are very decent and those seeking value for money meals at any time of the day will find this café suitable. The owners were present that day and were very friendly and approachable. Both happen to be named Helen and they were seen scurrying around to assist their staff in ensuring diners is well taken care off. We talked to them a bit and found them to be very passionate about their recipes by making sure that everything is homemade as much as possible and as fresh as possible. If you looking for Sarawak Laksa and Kolo Mee, do head over and give Kuching Noodle House a try!
KUCHING NOODLE HOUSE
B-08-GF, Ground Floor, Garden Shoppe @ One City,
Jalan USJ 25/1A, Klang Valley
Jalan USJ 25/1A, Klang Valley
47650 Selangor
Tel: 019 378 6933
GPS: 3.0438738, 101.5817349
