By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Oct 7: Awang Saini Awang Yaiman has been making Mee Jawa at Kai Joo Lane for about 40 years and has no plans on stopping.
His Mee Jawa, popularly known as ‘Mee Jawa Pak Awang’ among Kuchingites, tastes slightly different than most due to the unique taste and colour of its sauce, and each dish is served with poached eggs.
Fondly known as ‘Pak Awang’, the 76-year-old told DayakDaily that his culinary journey began 50 years ago when he started selling fast food at the old Rex Cinema along Wayang Street in the city.
Deciding to sell Mee Jawa, Pak Awang passed his stall on to his brother and moved to Supersonic Cafe in the mid-1970s until 2000.
“I moved to this cafe at Kai Joo Lane 12 years ago. My Mee Jawa is made using the same recipe I used 40 years ago. I am glad that people still like my Mee Jawa.”
Hailing from Kampung Sejingkat Demak Laut, Pak Awang said he made the switch to Mee Jawa as it was easier than making fast food dishes and did not require many ingredients.
“All you need for Mee Jawa is yellow noodles, meat, egg, and savoury sauces, while for fast food, you have more preparations as there are more items on the menu.”
Pak Awang said his Mee Jawa is slightly different and not as sweet due to how he made the sauce.
“My sauce is not sweet, and this gave patrons more options. They could always add a little soya sauce for saltiness, and here at this eatery, customers would also order satay to go with it.”
In the 1970s and 1980s, Pak Awang said that his noodles were very popular, especially among young people.
“At that time, there were no fast food restaurants. Our local food was simple, and I am pleased that even over the years, many of my customers have come to love my Mee Jawa. They often return for more, which makes me proud and motivates me to continue serving them this dish.”
Pak Awang shared that although he likes food and knows how to cook well, he sticks to his discipline of not overindulging in high-calorie meals and ensuring he remains in good physical health.
On preparation, Pak Awang said that he wakes up at 2am to prepare his ingredients.
“I make 8kg worth of sauce for about 160 plates of Mee Jawa. For those who come late in the morning, they could miss out on my Mee Jawa. It is hard to know when the patrons come and go, but if you don’t want to miss out, then do come early.”
Pak Awang said he would continue to serve his customers despite his age and that he had no plans to retire.
“My children can continue the legacy, but for now, they have their own professions and couldn’t help me except for one,” he said.
Pak Awang Mee Jawa stall is located at La Tanza Cafe at Kai Joo Lane. It operates daily from 7.30am to 12.30pm except on Sundays. For more information, call 019 846 1998. — DayakDaily
