Ever since I tasted Kolo Mee many years ago, there is just something addictive about it that keeps me on the look out for a good stall selling it in Singapore. Kolo Mee is a Malaysian dish of dry noodles tossed in a savoury pork and shallot mixture, topped off with fragrant fried onions.
It originates from the state of Sarawak in Malaysia and is characteristically light and tossed in a transparent sauce. The Kolo Mee is the second most common noodle dish in Sarawak. It is deep rooted in the hearts of many Chinese Sarawakians who can eat this noodle dish for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even supper.
So when a friend invited me out for dinner to try this stall in a Bedok coffeeshop, famous for its Sarawak street food, I jumped at the opportunity to test it out.
Sarawak Delicacy Laksa & Kolo Mee is the name of the stall and its sole outlet is in a Bedok coffee shop located in Blk 204, Bedok North Street 1. Long queues have been known to form in the morning and usually stays that way until the shop closes in the early evening.
This family-owned stall is runned by Madam Agnes Wong, who hails from Sarikei in Sarawak, together with her son Andy who dishes out each bowl of noodles with utmost care. Agnes had been in the food business ever since she helped out in her family-owned coffee shop in her hometown in Sarawak as a little girl.
At this stall, they cook the noodles a little softer but it still has that characteristic kolo mee springy crunch. The kolo mee are then tossed in a blend of lard, fried shallot oil, light soy sauce and char siew drippings which gave it that reddish colour. The savoury sweet flavours were well balanced, albeit slightly on the gentle side. Unfortunately by the time I had it in the evening, the Char Siu (roasted pork belly) was all sold out. I also requested for a dollop of their Sarawak belachan to go with the noodles and it really provides an umami punch to the noodles. For those who’s not tried Sarawak belachan, this humble-looking condiment packs an intense punch of crustacean flavours, less salty than the usual belachan, and is so good that you can even eat it on its own.
Like most reputable kolo mee stalls, only fresh noodles are used here. They come without any preservatives and are specially delivered from Johor Bahru and the noodles slightly springy texture & waviness to helps them to absorb up all of the tasty sauce.
This popular Sarawakian eatery at Bedok is a real hidden gem. It’s a shame that I did not get a chance to try their Sarawak laksa as it was all sold out. So a good excuse to visit the place again, and I most certainly will.
a. Blk 204 Bedok North St 1 #01-435 Singapore, Singapore 460204
w. http://order.tabsquare.ai/SarawakDelicacy
m. See menu
