Who in their right mind wouldn’t like the one and only Sarawak kolo mee? Thin, springy noodles glistening in savoury liquid gold and topped with crispy shallots… phew, just thinking about it is already making me drool — is what I would say, if I actually like it.
Yep, spoiler alert — I am one of those unfortunate foodies who has yet to develop a taste for the dish. To be fair, I’ve only had it once or twice, and both times it was pretty mediocre.
Hey, it’s 2024, maybe I should start addressing this issue by actually trying to find a spot with good Sarawak kolo mee!
Born and raised in KL, I naturally went on a search for the best-rated Sarawak kolo mee that I could find in the area. Lo and behold — SRK Borneo Noodle House which is located at Setapak came on top of the list, with a total of 4.7 stars out of 5 from 782 reviewers (at time of writing) on Google.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, my eyes immediately zeroed in on the RM9.90 set meal offer displayed right at the front. As a working-class girl still in my early 20s, that already earned an extra point from me.
The interior of the restaurant is air-conditioned and extremely cosy, decorated with mostly brown and beige tones. The tables and chairs have those classic dark brown wood surfaces, adding to the old school kopitiam vibes. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the plant pots match the colour scheme as well (another extra point, sue me).
What I tried at SRK Borneo Noodle House
Me and my 2 companions were positively deluged with the endless mouth-watering options on the menu, though we eventually settled on trying the signature Sarawak Kolo Mee meal set (RM9.90) first, as per the main objective of the food hunt.
The set comes with a hefty serving of kolo mee, a small bowl of pork meatball soup, and a drink of your choice (Honey Chrysanthemum Tea, Winter Lemon Tea, or Iced Cincau). We picked Honey Chrysanthemum Tea for a more refreshing fragrant taste.
From the first glance, I was impressed with the portion of the kolo mee. It didn’t take long for me however, to see that the amount of meat and noodles were a little disproportionate. Nevertheless, I believed that the taste would make up for it.
I took account of the components of the dish as my friend started mixing the noodles. In classic Sarawak kolo mee fashion, the texture of the noodles was pretty close to the authentic version — bouncy and not too mushy, thus making it easy to toss with the minced pork meat, char siew, and fried pork lard.
Deciding to take the first bite on its own, my friend nodded in slight approval afterwards. It was a satisfying mouthful — as the kolo mee was cooked just long enough for it to be soft yet chewy, paired with the sweet shallots and the crunchy fried lard.
The seemingly-insignificant chopped green onion on top of the dish ended up coming in a clutch to add a needed dash of flavour, since the oil mixture itself could use more seasoning.
Halfway through, my friend pointed out that the generous serving of kolo mee was relatively too large for the protein — making it a little difficult to lick the bowl clean. The soup on the side was also lacking in salt, so she opted to not add it to the dish and only finished the pork meatballs.
Visiting as a group of 3, we decided to try their other signature Sarawakian dish to fill our stomachs — Sarawak Kuching Laksa (RM15.90). The portion was as big as the previous kolo mee, making me wonder if it was similarly going to be filled to the brim with just noodles. We picked kam pua this time for a change — another Sarawakian must-try.
I sighed in both relief and delight when I saw the plentiful amount of fresh tau geh along with shredded chicken and fried egg, as my other friend began mixing it. In my opinion, the number of prawns was reasonable with the price. It also came with a humble piece of a half-cut lime for an extra zing.
The dish had an authentic Sarawak laksa taste, with a rich santan flavour and a teeny-tiny kick of spice (maybe a 2 from a scale of 1 to 10). Previously unsatiated by the kolo mee, the laksa finally managed to put a smile on her face.
Final thoughts
All in all, I would say that SRK Borneo Noodles House deserves its high rating, but not for their Sarawak kolo mee. Though, no matter how average the taste of the kolo mee is, it’s worth noting that the portion is unbelievably generous and a good value for money, especially looking at the current state of the economy.
If I live anywhere near the place, I would definitely drop by often just for the RM9.90 set meal. For the time being, it seems that my journey to fall in love with Sarawak kolo mee is still a long way to go.
Expected damage: RM9.90 – RM15.90 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 3.5 / 5
SRK Borneo Noodle House
15, Jalan 1/27b, Desa Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 53300
SRK Borneo Noodle House
15, Jalan 1/27b, Desa Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 53300
