By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Nov 27: For 50-year-old Nuning, life is a blend of worlds. At her quaint stall in the BDC Commercial Centre, she has spent the past four years, serving delightful, savoury Mee Jawa, now a crowd favourite for its distinctive fusion of Indonesian flavours, thoughtfully adapted to Sarawakian tastes.
The dish, much like Nuning herself, embodies a mixed heritage and a life shaped by stories that cross seas, cultures, and faiths.
Hailing from North Medan in Sumatra, Indonesia, Nuning comes from a family involved in the food industry. Married to an Iban Sarawakian, whom she first met 25 years ago while working in Johor, the couple returned to Sarawak and created a version Mee Jawa with rich, savoury gravy tailored to local palates.
“I’ve been around good food since I was young, as my father had an eatery in Medan. I didn’t really think about cooking as a career until I moved here in 2010.
“However, I still could not pursue it as I was too busy with my children. But then, about four years ago, after they got older, my dream came true.
“We opened a little stall in BDC Commercial Centre, close to where he works, and started serving Mee Jawa,” she told DayakDaily.
As a Muslim, Nuning shares that she has no reservations about serving her dishes in a non-halal kopitiam (cafe), crediting Sarawak’s warm, accepting community, where unity is lived daily, and people embrace one another regardless of race or religion.
“My family in Sumatra is also mixed, married into different races and religions, and my husband here is Iban. So, there’s never been an issue at this eatery. My customers come from all walks of life,” she said.
“It’s a blessing that my Mee Jawa has become well-known here for a while, and that my regulars keep coming back for it,” she chuckled with a warm smile.
Nuning said she finds comfort in serving her regular customers; everyone is friendly, and because she speaks the local language fluently, many are surprised to learn she is originally from Indonesia.
But don’t underestimate her. Beneath her playful smile and friendly manner, she runs the show.
“Saya watak utama di stall ini (I am the main person who runs the stall here),” she joked. Her daughters and a small team of helpers support her, but it is Nuning who sets the pace, the flavour and the rhythm of the stall.
“We are always busy during peak hours between 6am and 8am, and my husband helps before he goes to work,” she added.
To give her Mee Jawa a little more variety, Nuning offers both chicken and beef options, and her stall also serves goreng pisang (banana fritters), a favourite among regulars and new customers alike.
“Initially, the banana fritters were just an extra snack I served together with other ‘kuih,’ but they have become a hit in this cafe and are usually sold out by certain hours in the morning.
“I am happy that people enjoy my cooking, and I make sure to adapt all my food and dishes to the local palate, especially my Mee Jawa, where the gravy isn’t overly sweet, and the regulars here like it. I think the flavours of my recipes are well-received,” she added with a playful wink.
By her side, her husband, Muhamad Mubin, beams with pride at how well Nuning’s Mee Jawa has been received.
“I’m grateful to the cafe for giving us this opportunity, allowing my wife to share her culinary craft at this local eatery. It has also become a profession that supports our family, and we will continue to serve the best Mee Jawa in the area,” he said with smile.
Nuning’s Mee Jawa stall is located at A One Cafe in BDC Commercial Centre and is open daily from 6am to 1.30pm, except on public holidays. For more information, call 017-9560672. – DayakDaily
