…join them, they always say…and ever since the success of the instant Sibu kampua, there have been many others that have jumped on the bandwagon. Some are more expensive, others are more or less the same price and whether any of them are good or not, I wouldn’t know – I don’t think I would bother to go and try any of them unless someone tells me of one that is very much nicer.
Likewise, the Penang white curry instant noodles have taken the world by storm and is currently No. 1 in this blog, edging last year’s winners to No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. Of course, others have come out with their own of the same and I did hear of a brand that is better but no, I haven’t tried it yet. Correct me, if I am wrong, but one thing that I know about Penang curry mee is that it is usually served white like this…
…hence the name but once you’ve mixed the sambal (chili paste) with everything that’s in the bowl, it will be like any other curry mee in colour…
…but of course, the taste may differ from place to place and even in Penang itself, there may be some stalls or shops that are a lot better than others, exactly the same thing with our kampua noodles in Sibu.
However, as far as I know, there is Kuching laksa, named after its place of origin, which is also called Sarawak laksa…but never in my entire life have I ever heard of Sarawak white laksa…
– the Sarawak White Rajahs, yes…but not this and I really do not see how it should be thus called by mere virtue of the fact that now, they have included a sachet of santan (coconut milk) powder in each packet…
I used to buy this a long long time ago when they had bihun in the packets – which is actually what you would get if you order Kuching or Sarawak laksa anywhere in the city or the state but for reasons known only to them, they stopped producing that, only the ones with mee/noodles…and I stopped buying it since.
I would give them due credit for the fact that their laksa does have the fragrance and taste of the real thing and I do know of people like my cousins in Kuching who would put aside the mee for use for something else at a later date and use their own bihun instead…and of course, like me, they would add their own condiments and garnishing…
…to come out with something that is more or less like the real thing without having to drive out for a bowl at the shops.
No, I did not buy any to try though I did see it in the shop, not when the price has almost doubled…from RM3.50 for to RM6.90 for a pack of 5. I am sure that little sachet of santan powder does not merit such an astronomical jump and as a matter of fact, I still would not think it is really worth that much even if they had added a sachet of sambal belacan and one of calamansi lime juice as well which are things that you simply cannot do without if you’re having Sarawak laksa – it’s the whole complete package.
However, my missus came home with a pack one fine day so since I had it at hand, I thought I might as well cook it and eat…
Yes, the taste and fragrance are still there. Yes, it is very nice with all the stuff that I added. Yes, if you’re wondering what Sarawak laksa is like, this will give you a pretty good idea…but no, at that price, you can be sure that you will not catch me buying and eating it again, not unless they review the price and bring it down to something a lot more reasonable.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 