Sarawak Laksa

Sarawak laksa has little in common with the sour Penang version or the thick curry laksas of the peninsula. The paste is a long list of ingredients, sambal, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, tamarind and a dozen more, fried hard and then let down with coconut milk and prawn stock into a broth that is rich without being heavy. It goes over rice vermicelli with poached prawns, shredded chicken, strips of omelette, beansprouts and coriander, with a lime wedge and a spoon of sambal belacan on the side. In Kuching it is breakfast, sold in coffee shops from early morning until the pot runs out, usually before midday, and every shop guards its own paste.

What you actually see

• The spice paste - the fried base of galangal, lemongrass and sambal that defines each shop.
• The garnish - prawns, shredded chicken, omelette strips and coriander over vermicelli.
• The sambal belacan - the fermented shrimp chilli paste served on the side.
• The coffee shop setting - marble tables and a single laksa stall inside a kopitiam.

When to go

Between about seven and ten in the morning, which is when it is cooked and eaten; most stalls stop when the pot is finished and few serve it in the afternoon. Coffee shops in the centre and in the suburbs all have a version. Order kopi or teh at the same time from the drinks counter, which is run as a separate business.

Honest expectations

If you arrive at eleven you will probably miss it, and visitors who plan a late start never eat it at all. The broth is rich and coconut heavy, which is a lot to take at seven in the morning. Quality varies by shop and the well-known ones are crowded and rushed. Shellfish and prawn stock rule it out for anyone avoiding either.

Nearby

The Kuching waterfront, Main Bazaar and the Borneo Cultures Museum are a short walk from most shops.