I was amazed when Daniel told me that he did not get to eat Sarawak laksa when he was in Kuching…and the kolo mee he had was not as nice as the kampua noodles that I took him to eat the day before? Gee!!! His friends never took him to eat the best in town? Maybe they were all busy with the wedding, I wouldn’t know…or they’re those that would eat anything, not overly particular when it comes to food.
Anyway, that was why when I went to pick them up at the hotel the next morning, I took them here for the laksa…
Of late, I’ve heard of another place that they say is very nice but I have not gone to try so I did not want to take the risk. This one here is like the real thing, as good as any of the best in the state capital but many prefer the one that I took my Singaporean friends to go and try as it is more lemak (more santan/coconut milk), something Sarawak laksa should not be…or it would be more like curry laksa then. The taste isn’t quite there either but no, I am not saying it is not nice. In fact, it is very very very nice but if it’s the authentic taste of Sarawak laksa that you are looking for, that one’s not really like the laksa you’d find in Kuching. They enjoyed this one, Lina especially – different from the curry laksa they have over there in Australia, they said. Of course, they’re different…and yes, they did think this was nicer!
I also ordered the kompia with minced meat filling…
…for them. They said they had that at the pasar malam (night market) the night before but those would be deep-fried ones (and I’ve tried one from a stall there but it was rather salty) whereas these were oven-toasted. Daniel did say the taste of the filling was not the same either.
We also had the sotong kangkong…
…which they had never tried before but they did not seem too thrilled by it. I am not a fan of the one here either – the sauce is way too thick, too much cornstarch but when you’re here for 2 days/1 night only, you would need to cram everything in as much as you can.
I had the nasi lemak…
…and the sambal was nice but it was the salty version, not the sweet one, with the ikan bilis in it, not with the peanuts…
…and they served it with a fried egg, not a hard-boiled one. The rice was ok, not really lemak enough but it was fine. All in all, I remember Daniel paying RM21.60 (around AUD8.00) for all that we had, inclusive of drinks.
After that, we headed to the Sibu Central Market and look!!! We’re in luck!!! Big, fat, juicy, wriggling…
…sago worms!!! The lady at this stall insisted on selling them by the basin, around 20 of them altogether, but we only wanted one…for our hero of the day!
Eventually, we found another stall where the lady was willing to part with one for RM1.00, specially for our Australian visitor…
*He looks kind of worried/scared, doesn’t he?*
…to try and he did!!!…
*faints*
He popped it into his mouth, bit off the head and threw that away…and ate the rest of it. Eyewwwww!!!!! LOL!!! The ladies said it would be nicer if it had been dry pan-fried first – I’ve tried that but no, thank you. Daniel said it was quite tasteless, like eating a piece of fat…but if you ask me, I would say that it tastes something like Parson’s nose/chicken butt. Some people love those, I know…but no, thank you very much.
They did not want to try the buah isu that my Singaporean friends tried the other day but I spotted some very nice buah pakan/pakon (wild durian)…
…and got one for RM8.00 and insisted that they should give it a go…
…and yes, they loved it! The one we had here was very good, not like the ones at the Durin Bridge that day.
They sure had an interesting tour of the market after which we adjourned to the Tua Pek Kong wharf to look at the floating grocery stores…and the park in the vicinity of the temple…
…and then I took them to a nearby longhouse in Aup…
The one here is definitely more authentic, unspoilt and not all spruced up for the benefit of tourists and visitors. It started raining cats and dogs when we got there so I let the two go up and look around on their own. They did meet a very nice man who spoke to them and shared some background information of this longhouse with them…and yes, Daniel said that there were skulls hanging from the ceiling!
After that, I dropped the two off in town to roam around on their own and that night, they took a bus to Miri…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
I got really hungry when I saw the photo of the kompia. Then I lost my appetite again when I read the bit about the your Australian friend spitting out the head of the worm and eating the rest!!
Muahahahahahaha!!!! Not surprised, not in the least. It was even featured in the popular food show, Bizarre Foods. You can click the link in my reply to Linda’s comment below and watch – starts at around 19.00.
Ewwwww…..I wouldn’t have tried the worms in any shape or form, raw or otherwise. LOL! 🙂
Yes, Daniel is very brave and adventurous…and very sporting.
Wah very brave of Daniel to eat the worm just like that.. I too prefer it to be fried first, hehe..
Even after frying, I did not really like it – to me, not something that would keep me going back for more. I don’t eat buntut ayam (chicken butt) either.
What an adventure they have in Sibu.
And eeewww. I would not dare to touch that worm. So no thank you.
Yes, I am like you, would chicken out of such things…everywhere I went.
The only time I ever taste a worm as in Bangkok last year. That was dead and fried. So not so bad. Haha. I would not go for a live one.
Neither would I. I’ve tried these, pan-fried, dry in a pan till the oil came out. To me, not really that great. May be nicer if cooked as a dish with added ingredients.
Worms? Raw ?! I had silk worms before… in Beijing, deep fried though, not too fond of it lol
Same here – had it dry pan-fried till the oil came out. Didn’t turn me on but I know many would crave for it like how they love chicken butt as well, not for me.
Daniel looks like a rather adventurous guy.
He sure is! Not me, thank you very much. 😀
Sarawak laksa!!! *droolssss*
i had the sago worms before, pan fried them and they tasted like prawn (?)!
When are you coming again, Annant? Don’t throw stones (buang batu), hop over sometime. Laksa and kampua and kompia and everything calling out for you! 😀 😀 😀
Like prawn? Ummmm…I certainly did not think so. LOL!!!
I could certainly do with a bowl of Sarawak laksa right now…for breakfast on a cool morning!
The rojak sauce look so dark and starchy :|. No like!
Wow! Daniel sure is adventurous and sporting. I wouldn’t dare to eat it, raw or fried! But I guess if it is deep fried without the head, it would just taste- crunchy! 😉. Like those fried bugs Thailand is famous for.
It’s cold here too – been raining and raining. 😦
Yup, too much cornflour…it’s not rojak sauce and it should not be rojak sauce – the sauce would be different, specially for sotong kangkong, but it should not be so thick like glue. But then again, we did not have time to hop around…so had to cash in on the time we had, have as much as we could at one stop – even the kompia isn’t much to shout about – much better elsewhere.
Ya, they eat everything there – scorpions, all kinds of bugs and insects. Everyone went for the snake’s blood when I was in Bangkok once – I had to go away…in case I threw up…from just looking. I’m not adventurous…not game for anything and everything, unfortunately.
Worms?? No, not me, not in a million years!
And nope, Daniel is not the blogger that I read that long time ago..
It’s like chicken, that’s what they say…chicken butt! 😀 😀 😀 No, he isn’t. Lina, the girlfriend, replied to your comment yesterday.
That’s a good looking laksa! and I wouldn’t mind trying that sago worm. 😀
Yes, it would be an experience to remember!
Love all the orders except the sago worms. Chicken out even see them wriggling in the basin. I like deep fried chicken butts but not this sago worms. Skulls hanging from the ceiling reminds me of the Sarawak museum.
They still have them there? It’s our heritage – our culture at one time, something to be preserved…like the Kayan ladies’ long ears…or the Chinese women’s foot binding. All gone, no more.
My last visit was years ago and the skulls were still hanging there. Now I am not sure.
Me too! My girl used to love going there when she was younger – would stay at the hotel next door and stroll over to walk around.
I couldn’t eat the sago worm! Your friend may have tried the aussie version before – the wichetty grub (google it).
Ohhhhh???? You have those there?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witchetty_grub
They sure do look the same – and yes, they’re larvae, not worms actually. They thrive in the trunks of the sago plants in the lower reaches of the Rejang River here.
Didn’t wash it? hahaha… I would be kind of worried too… I prefer it fried.. not eating it alive.. aiikksss.. Kudos to your friend.. he has passed Fear Factor!
Just brush off the sawdust-like bits from the sago palm…and eat. Yes, he’s a hero, really! I kowtow to him! Would never catch me doing that, no way. 😀
very cool pics of the sago worm eating! and yes, quite a brave dude for doing that! 😀 i must admit, i don’t like sotong kangkung either … my favourite kangkung is cooked plain! 🙂
Not a fan of kangkong…except blanched and eaten as an ulam. Not too fond of sotong kangkong either but will eat sometimes, something different for a change.
OMG! He ate the sago worm! I’ve seen people eating that on TV and it makes me shudder.
Hahahahaha!!!! It was fun actually…as long as it wasn’t me who was eating it! ROTFL!!!
OMG。。。。the sago worms so BIG….geli leh!!!
Not really, thumb size only. You eat chicken butt? Very popular street food in Penang, I know…and fried chicken skin (and fat) too. Not for me, thank you. I saw the hair…and pushed the whole plate of that aside. Ewekkk!!!!
OMG!!! I would be faint if somebody eat that worm infront of me…is really YIAK!!! >.<
You're so brave, still can take photo, haha~
Snapping the photos is not a problem – just don’t ask me to eat them alive. LOL!!!
P.S. Thanks for dropping by & commenting. Cheers!
The kompia at pasar malam was a little salty indeed but good for me as i like salty. :p The one at noodle house was not bad too but not as flavorful as the pasar malam ones. So Is there one ultimate kompia(with fillings)? Or all rather similar?
There are the plain ones – you had those…and then the one in sauce, the way we had them growing up:
https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/fireflies/
I did not take you here as the old lady’s not exactly the friendliest of persons.
Then there are the deep-fried ones…or oven-toasted ones with minced meat filling all over – there’s one very good one, we did not go there either – the favourite of my friend, Annie-Q in KL (3rd & 4th photo)…
https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2011/10/28/like-it-this-way/
…and there are those with pork belly at Noodle House and I dunno how the “trendy” ones are getting on at this place here:
https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/history-2/
Have not gone for a long long time. The one specially recruited to make the kompia had been kicked out…and the last I had some from there, they’re not so nice anymore.
Thanks! The one swimming in sauce looks interesting!
No problem, we can go for that when you come. They had the same, nicer…at another place but they’ve changed the concept of the place, no longer available there.
reading through all the comments, I am very proud girlfriend who has a brave boyfriend :). Daniel had fried spiders, crickets, and duck egg( small duck inside the egg) in Cambodia too. Thanks God I found the best Australian man. He is surely the Hero ❤
Yes, you should be proud of him – game to try anything. I saw that egg in the Philippines, but it was chicken….still in the egg, feathers and all – of course, I did not dare to try. Balut, they call it there.
Laksa I want for sure. HAhah…I remember I flew back to KL the next day when the others went to hunt for the sago worm and fried it at your house, right? ahahha**phew**
LOL!!! Lucky you!!! I must ask HB to take you to the market when you two are in town…and make you eat one alive. That would be hilarious!!! 😀 😀 😀
Your Australian visitor is handsome!!!
He is. The girlfriend’s pretty too, very sweet girl.
Thanks, Arthur 🙂
Most welcome. 😉
Hello Uncle Arthur! I’m back! 😀
Hi! What a pleasant surprise! Welcome back! Been such a long time…but of course, we do keep up with what tricks each of us has been up to on Facebook. 😉
erk!! sago worms! >< I dont think i would dare to try it.
Chicken! 😀
lol! similar to what they say about the frog dish.. “water chicken” eh
I don’t mind frogs’ legs, fried till nice and crispy…but I don’t eat. Pity the frogs, have this image of them going around on crutches./strong>
Haha! I love the sago worms too!
Yeah, even in Mukah, they won’t sell it individually, it’s all by the basket for RM 10, until we found a place that would. Good thing you also managed to find a vendor that’ll sell it for RM 1 per sago worm. I like the buttery taste too, I think it’s better raw, it doesn’t taste as good fried.
Not a fan of those, either way. I guess I’m squeamish. It sure is a culinary delight for a lot of people though – they seem to love it so much…just like how many people love chicken butt as well. No, thank you. 😀