On our first day in Kuching, my cousin came early in the morning to pick up Melissa and drop her off at another hotel in the vicinity where she had to attend some official business so I was left on my own, alone.
Seeing that there was quite a crowd eating there, I decided to walk across the road to this coffee shop nearby…
…for breakfast.
I was here many many years ago when Melissa was small and we went over to Kuching on holiday and stayed at the then-called Somerset Gateway and that was when I lost my first mobile phone. I remember getting it for free when I opened an account with a local bank on condition that I used it for two years. That morning, we came here for breakfast and after we had left the place, I discovered that it had gone missing – I did not know whether I had lost it here…or at the TOTO shop a few doors away…or whether I had left it in the hotel room.
Well, things happened and I had no choice but to report the loss…and as soon as I got back to Sibu, I went to the phone service provider to ask if I could get a new phone and continue using the same number and account. A lady there said that I could just terminate the line and get a new number anytime when I had purchased a new phone and that was exactly what I did!
The next day at work, I told my colleagues and they told me that I should not have done that – so I went back to the office to confirm that it was all right, This time around, it was another officer and she said that I should not have done that as the moment the account was terminated, I would be charged by the bank for the phone. The lady the previous day was there but she kept very quiet and refused to look in my direction. When the bank statement came the following month, there it was – I was charged RM2,200 for a phone that I had used faithfully for almost two years. Thankfully, this time around, nothing of the sort happened.
I ordered the kolo mee (RM3.00) from this stall…
…as it seemed very popular. Everybody else was having that…and besides, there was this newspaper feature on it displayed at the stall so I thought it would be really nice.
Well, it was, at best, just all right – definitely not the best in town…
As you can see, it is different from the kampua noodles in Sibu – they use what is more like real char siew and they add minced meat and vegetables as well PLUS the taste is very much different…
They also give pickled sliced chili in vinegar…
…instead of the chili sauce you would get with your kampua mee.
The good ones can be very very nice but this, unfortunately, is not one of them. That is why I always say that when you visit a place, you need to know the people there who can take you to enjoy the best in town and nothing less…or you will end up eating some disappointing stuff here and there and leave town with the impression that the food there isn’t all that nice after all.
I also had the popiah (RM2.50)…
…from a stall further inside. This too was not all that great either…
…but it was all right just that I know there are a few places in town selling really good popiah and in fact, I find the one here in Sibu much nicer in comparison.
I was not alone too long as at around past noon, Melissa called to let me know that she was done and would like to come back to the hotel where we were staying…so I gave her the directions to walk a short distance from the hotel where she was to the Hills Shopping Centre at the Pullman and I would walk over to meet her there.
She had some fried mihun and chicken wings for their tea break so she was not really hungry and I had some more things to eat other than what I had for breakfast above and I was feeling quite full as well at that point in time. Nevertheless, we dropped by here…
…to have something light to eat.
I must say that I love the old-time kopitiam furniture here…
Melissa had her favourite chicken hor fun (RM7.90)…
…but she could barely finish half of it. I guess she was also feeling kind of tired after a long morning of whatever official business that they had in store.
I ordered the curry puffs (RM4.90)…
…and goodness gracious me!!! At that price, they should at least make sure that they looked presentable…and not like somebody had nibbled away the edges. Tsk! Tsk!
Tastewise, it was pretty good – spicy, all potatoes (I could hardly taste any meat if there was any) and they had an egg inside…
…but I only managed to eat one as I was way too full as well.
After that, we headed back to our hotel and had a brief rest before we were whisked off somewhere else again when my cousin came to pick us up at 2.00 p.m. that afternoon.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
oh yeah, i actually do get confused and mixed up over the differences between kampua mee and kolo mee. ermm, i’m probably wrong, but i think kampua mee is basically a foo chow recipe that’s also available in the peninsula, but kolo mee’s a strictly sarawak thing, rite 😀
Let’s just say – it’s complicated! LOL!!! Kampua is basically Foochow, that much you got correct – mostly in Central Sarawak and to the east while the regions to the west starting from around Kuching (where there used to be very few Foochows, mostly Hakkas), those would be the kolo mee areas. Those sold in the peninsula are all pale imitations (including what they call Sarawak dry mee: https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/all-the-way/ ) – nothing really like the real thing – like you have pale imitations of the kampua in Kuching and of the kolo mee in Sibu… Now are you even more confused? LOL!!!
Hmmmm I think the chicken hor fun didn’t taste too appetizing either. Ate it once and I thought it tasted like MSG, water and oil.
Never tried that. My daughter loved what she used to get in the Sg Petani outlets…but then again, when you have nothing nice to eat, anything will seem really great! One thing about these Malaysian franchises – quality control is poor. Seems like they’re more about making money, and other things are not so important.
popiah seems interesting tho i love that wrapper
fried haha i mean it was greater when crunchy, but then
i think it was better that way
Ya, my daughter loves it deep fried too.
As well as the curry puffs it was mouth watering to look at
They tasted all right but at around 2.45 each, they’re mighty expensive and can’t you see those edges – looking like somebody bit into it – twice!!!??? That really put me off!
first glance i thought it was wong cho lam cafe…haha… i don’t really like old town after they come out with the new menu. Standard drop a lot liaw
Never a fan of these franchise places – expensive, food at best is ok…never great or anything to die for.
The kolo and the kampua noodles look alike, right? I tried kolo before when I was in Kuching during the 1990s… by the way, the popiah is very expensive, over here it sells at RM1.80 and I am still complaining that it is a bit pricey for a popiah… 🙂
RM2.50 in Sibu also – if nice, ok. Your side, I think the filling is all stewed sengkuang – the ones here are different – more like nyonya style, lots of other stuff other than sengkuang inside and much nicer, I think.
Woah.. your schedule was so tight with makan-makan ho. Food ambassador. hehe
Lots more to come…and only two nights in Kuching, believe it or not. LOL!!! 😀
i still cannot differentiate kampua noodles and kolo noodles, haha.. but one thing you’ve mentioned, i can differentiate by the types of chili they are served with~~ :p
The condiments are different too – kampua no minced pork, no veg…and boiled pork, coloured red – trying to pass off as char siew. So obvious really!
Arthur, we just went Old Town too, hubby hvaing the same karipap like yours here…Taste wise too.
I hope his did not look like someone had taken two bites into them? Tsk! Tsk!
I actually like kolok mee more than kampua 😉
U went to Kuching rite….did you go try this noodle..requires minimum 1 hour waiting time…ppl said its worth waiting..
But I’ll just forget it…1 hour is too long lar…
This one is the best in Kuching: https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/time-stood-still/ …and no need to wait that long – only drawback is they do not serve the spare parts soup which I actually like a lot. For that, you probably have to go to one of the stalls along Carpenter Street…and at one of them, you may have to wait for an hour…and you cannot go and ask why it’s taking so long – the temperamental guy will scold you!!! LOL!!!
Ohh…yaya…I heard my fren told me that too…Cannot ask why took so long @_@
I will not want to go to such places to eat, no matter how good. Some in Sibu too. People should just boycott – let them close shop to teach them a lesson. Kurang ajar punya orang like that! Tsk! Tsk!
You didn’t walk further up, next to Grand Continental Hotel to have the famous laksa Sarawak at Choon Hui, the name of the shop if I am not wrong.. People are praising high to the sky about this shop, Been trying to drop there a few times after church service but each time the queue was so long and you have to stand there waiting for people to get up. In the end give up.
Yup. Ate there before when I used to stay at Grand Con. Laksa’s not bad, kolo mee also…and the popiah as well. Afternoon, I hear the loti-kiap is to die for…long queues – just to buy that, tapao!
The kolo mee looks delicious.The char siew is different from those in Sibu.
Popiah also looks great.
Looks can be deceiving. The kolo mee’s is at best just ok, but the popiah here https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/take-me-somewhere-nice/ in Sibu is nicer:
We should have gone to Oriental! Next time, ya?
Yup, next time… 😉
The kolo mee and popiah is so tempting…
So-so, not that great even though they looked good.
Old Town *faints*, everything overpriced with not-so-good food. Anyway, was the Kolo Mee oily? It looks a bit dry but i know they do mix the noodles with some pork lard….
Definitely not as oily as those fried mee mamak…or those wanton mee.
Adoi, mahal nyer the curry puff! Someone must have bitten off a bit from yours for quality control.. muahaha! Pakcik without fail would have a plate of kolo mee whenever he’s in Melbourne. He say not bad.
Yalor – daylight robbery…and not even big like those sold at some curry puff stalls in the peninsula! Tsk! Tsk! Ah!!! They have kolo mee there? He likes it better than our Sibu Rasa Sayang kampua? 😉
No lar.. where can beat Rasa Sayang’s kampua one! I think that one more shiok than all the wan tan mee put together frm KL & Melaka. Beggers can’t be choosers, mah.
Hear! Hear! You’re absolutely right…
The curry puff looks tiny and you are right, the presentation is not nice for such a price. Looks like you didn’t get good food that day. And funny the pickled chilli that came with your noodles is red and not the usual green ones.
I think they use green ones over at your side – they usually give a lot by the side when tapao Cantonese fried noodles. I think they use the green ones in Singapore too…but not here or not that I’ve noticed.
It is indeed a letdown when the taste is not what we expected. My late-Dad used to tapao 30packets of kolo mee from his fav eatery before he left Kuching each time. All he had to do was to pre-order and pick the kolo mee up on the way to the airport. I must say the taste still lingers in my mind after so long.
Oh? I wonder which stall he got his from. Some of the good ones are really very very nice…but it’s like kampua in Sibu. Stalls sprouting everywhere, every coffee shop, every food court…and some suck big time – not nice at all.
OMG! That lady staff in that phone shop was so bad. I would give her a good scolding if I were you .
We have Old Town here, but I have boycott that outlet long ago, because of their poor service.
No lah, what’s done is done, cannot be undone. She would just have to live on with the guilt on her conscience. Ya…same here – would not bother going to those Malaysian franchise places – expensive and food not really nice. They’re more for young people to sit and hang around all day – with free wifi and all.
Now I know why you’re not well!! Two days in Kuching and you are like me having food marathon!!! Hahahha..
If no kampua then I will go for kolo mee. Kampua still my first love. LOL!
No lah…so very hot, went in and out of aircon room to roam around, sweating like a waterfall!!!!
I’m still a Kampua person. Or I’ll order kolo kueh Tiaw. Never did get into the habit of ordering kolo mee.
I prefer kolo mee but it has to be the better/good ones…but I know many Foochows from Sibu and the surrounding places do not like kolo mee. Just has to be kampua, no negotiation.
For the first “rugi” on the phone, sometimes you cannot trust the staff also. Must read and double-check the fine prints our phone agreements. The very fine print of it to avoid penalties like you had before.
Did you make a dispute since you were wrongly advised about it? I would.
No lah… Older but wiser…no more freebies, thank you.
All alone… the things you get up to… hee… eating!
Hmmm…what did you expect me to be up to, eh? Wink! Wink!
Welcome to Kuching. next time if you go to Woo Lam cafe again, try the kolomee with black vinegar (orr chor mee) It is very nice. 🙂
Oh? Probably THAT was what the news article was about – it was Greek to me…and anyway, I did not go closer to have a look. No wonder there were so many people- that must be really good! Will try it next time, thanks.
Had similar looking popiah in Penang too…the sengkuang was white..Also nothing to shout about
The one in Sibu is nice!!! And there are others in Kuching that are very nice too – just that I went to this one… 😦
RM 2,200 for a phone! Must a Nokia at that time, since it was a really long time ago?
Yup! And that was more or less the going price when a new model hit the market at the time – same as the very much more sophisticated ones that we get today 😦
2.50 for one plate of popiah isn’t that cheap. Gee, you should’ve made a police report before terminating the line.
The taste of the drinks at Old Town actually varies with the franchisees.
That’s the problem with Malaysian franchises – no quality control! Try calling or emailing KFC US to complain about an outlet here and see what happens!!! They take such things more seriously than we people here. I guess as long as the money keeps rolling in, they just do not care.