Before I returned back to Penang on the third day of Chinese New Year, my best friend Emel asked me out for a breakfast session somewhere in Kuching town as well as visiting our senior schoolmate, Anneta Lee's house at Central Park, Rock Road.
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| To the left is the open-air market foodcourt, the orange building on the right is the Electra House. |
On the third day of CNY, most of the Chinese coffee shops were closed however we sort of like trying our luck heading to one of our main "lepak" spots during our high school years .... the Kuching Open Air Market Foodcourt, opposite the Electra House (one of the first shopping malls in Kuching in the 80s). Back in the early 90s, most of my schoolmates were from rural areas in Sarawak and were not from well to do families. So, our main choice when it comes to weekend outings were eating places that offered cheap and nice food.
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| Our beloved Open Air Market Foodcourt still standing strong amidst developments and influx of fast-food restaurants. |
Sometimes, my schoolmates who were from Serian, Sri Aman or Saratok, will stopped here for a simple breakfast of a bowl of kolo mee flushed down with a glass of fresh soya bean milk before continuing their journey home using the Sarawak Transport Green Bus (the bus terminal was about 5 minutes walk ... now close). The place was (and still is) a main stop for many locals who were busy doing their shopping along India Street, Electra House, Haji Taha Road, Gambier Street or Market Street!
Those days, I would have a special mummy-daughter moments eating a nice plate of rice, vegetable soup, stir-fry kailan or sawi then complete the meal with a bowl of ABC (air batu campur) or Special (a dessert of mix fruits in evaporated milk and grated ice). Unlike now, my youngest sister will dragged my mum to the many fast food chains that are mushrooming in Kuching now ... tsk tsk.
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| Only one stall opened that day. I usually eat Kolo Mee and Tomato Mee here. Sometimes I had the Chicken Rice next door |
Suddenly I felt a bit emotional writing this entry. Many fond memories there flashed through my mind. Life was simple then ... to me the Kuching Open Air Market house among the best non-halal Kuching food ... from kolo mee, to rojak, tomato mee, laksa, siao mai, chicken rice, char siew rice or beef mee.Unfortunately most of the stalls were not open so I could not have my eating spree (... thank God hehehe).
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| The menu. |
Most of the stall owners here are possibly in their 60s or 70s. It was fun to see the 2nd and 3rd generations are taking over the business. Some of the stalls are husband-wife team. Just like the Hock Heng stall, the wife sell noodles whereas the husband's stall next door sells rice.
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| The Auntie and the son. Still very strong. |
Many people asked me what so special about Sarawak Kolo Mee.... it is too simple and it is like the Indo Mie Mee Goreng. Well, for those who love to eat all kinds of dry mee be it in the form of Kolo Mee, Kampua Mee, Wantan Mee or Hakka Mee from Penang to Sabah, Sarawak mee is springy and combine with Char Siew oil, fried onion, lard and mince meat, to form the Sarawak Kolo Mee it is simply delicious.
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| Kolo Mee with Char Siew oil. |
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| Without Char Siew oil. |
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| I always eating my Kolo Mee with a bowl of kiaw (wantan) soup. |
Normally in Kuching there are 2 kinds of Kolo Mee - with and without Char Siew oil. So if they asked you "mau merah atau tak mau merah" they meant "with or without Char Siew oil". I just wish I could stay longer in Kuching as I really miss Open Air Market foodcourt ABC Special. (Sigh!)
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