MakanApa
Sarawak Laksa

Sarawak Laksa

Kuching's legendary noodle soup built on a fiercely complex paste of 36 spices — including star anise, nutmeg, clove, and galangal — simmered with prawn shell stock and coconut milk. Introduced by Cantonese immigrant Goh Lik Teck in 1945, it was famously declared 'the breakfast of the gods' by Anthony Bourdain.

iconicsarawakbreakfastspicysarawakkuching

Difficulty

hard

Prep Time

2 hours

Ingredients

  • rice vermicelli
  • prawns
  • chicken
  • coconut milk
  • prawn shells
  • coriander
  • cumin
  • star anise
  • nutmeg
  • galangal
  • lemongrass
  • chili paste
  • soy sauce
  • egg

Variations

  • laksa Sarawak original
  • laksa Sarawak kering (dry)

Did You Know

The spice paste was mass-produced under the 'Swallow' brand by entrepreneur Tan Yong Him in the 1960s, allowing hawkers across Sarawak to serve consistent laksa at scale — one of the earliest examples of a standardized rempah.

1×
0.5×4×

Nutrition Facts

1 bowl (450g)

Calories
480kcal
24%
Protein
22g44%
Carbohydrates
55g18%
Fat
18g28%
Fiber
2g8%
Sodium
900mg39%

% Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.

More Like This

Nasi LemakHalal

Nasi Lemak

644kcal

Fragrant coconut rice where grains are simmered in a rich santan emulsion infused with pandan leaf, served with fiery sambal belacan, fried anchovies, roasted peanuts, boiled egg, and cucumber. The banana leaf wrapping acts as a steaming chamber, imparting a subtle herbaceous aroma. Malaysia's undisputed national dish, eaten from dawn to midnight.

breakfast · iconic · street-food

Nasi Goreng KampungHalal

Nasi Goreng Kampung

520kcal

Village-style fried rice made with anchovy, chili paste, and kangkung (water spinach), giving it a distinctly rustic flavor.

lunch · dinner · iconic

Nasi KandarHalal

Nasi Kandar

750kcal

Steamed rice 'flooded' with a chaotic mix of several curries ladled together — the defining banjir technique that creates an entirely new, complex flavour on every plate. Invented by Indian Muslim (Mamak) hawkers in 18th-century Penang who carried rice and curries on shoulder yokes (kandar) to feed colonial port workers at Weld Quay.

lunch · dinner · iconic

Nasi KerabuHalal

Nasi Kerabu

550kcal

Blue-colored rice from the east coast of Malaysia, tinted with butterfly pea flowers and served with fresh herbs, salted egg, keropok, and a spicy fish or chicken dish.

lunch · iconic · east-coast