Breakfast Kuching style ( July 2017)

So we woke the Tuesday morning after the Weekend  of the Rainforest world music festival 2017 to a cloudy 26degrees. The "Sistas" were not all that happy about the forecast for the day, but for a person who had just arrived from mid winter artic blasts of Melbourne Australia, 26 was just fine.!

Now for us Aussies, breakfast and the idea of going out for Breakfast/ brunch very much entails a selection of Coffee / Tea, a "fry up "of bacon eggs, sausages, toast, beans  in any combination , or  the  some what ubiquitous "Avocado and fetta cheese on sour dough" served throughout Australia as pretty standard breakfast fare.

NOT in Kuching ! Breakfast is an affair to delight the Culinary senses.

A variety of soups, influenced from the Chinese immigrants to Borneo several hundred years ago , Laksa's, Colo Mee, or other varieties of rich broth with a selection of noodles, rice, egg, flat, thin, thick. with some fresh vegetables, chicken, seafood or a typical Malay breakfast of Nasi Goreng,( fried rice with an egg on top) Nasi Campur( a selection of small dishes around a serving of rice , and with a runny fried egg on top to tie it all together.

This was the selection offered up to us at our first stop. My friends were complaining that the prices had risen sharply over the past few months due to some internal politics over the introduction of the GST to goods and services, As you can see not one of the soups were priced over 7 Ringgit.( Local currency)

With the current Australian exchange rate for the ringgit being about 3.4 ringgit to one Aussie dollar , I felt rich, and for once in my life was able to say, " Breakfast is on Me ! " Something I'm not always able to do, considering my current financial circumstances.

Going out to eat in Malaysia is taken very seriously. A restaurant or eating stall is not judged on appearances. Flavour and reputation is everything, as some  of these little restaurant stalls have been making the one and only dish on their menu for up to 40 or 50 years. I kid you not.

This has given them due diligence to be able to perfect that recipe. The one family, grandfather, son and grand son often work side by side in the food outlet, proud to be able to say, "we  have the 'Best" so and so meal in that district, or that city, who by way of reputation are hunted out and found by the local populous. You can be sitting at one of these laminex table outdoor eating places, and look to the left and notice an Important politician, or famous celebrity sitting enjoying the same meal as you are. Food is the great leveller in Asia.

People are obsessed with food and where to get the "best" or " most flavoursome" or the most " healthy" meals. Chinese culture is based on healthy foods and combinations of such, as well as flavour and smell etc.

Just deciding on this place took us several phone conversations, text messages going back and forth, and even after we arrived at the location, a quick walk around other restaurants to see what they had on offer before sitting down and committing to this one.

The sisters left to right:      Angela, Sunita, Steph, and Anita.

This was my breakfast, A Laksa ( or spicy soup)  with Shredded Chicken, Prawns,  and shredded/ finely sliced  omelette heaped onto  a soup base made of chicken/ fish stock broth , bean sprouts, tofu ,lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, and a rich coconut milk

Eating is a serious business In Malaysia