By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, July 31: Craving delicious, springy kolo mee at BDC Commercial Centre? Head over to Liew Kolomee & Handmade Mee stall at the newly renovated Ting Cafe.
The mouth-watering noodles are made by 50-year-old Liew Juk Hian, fondly known as ‘Ah Hian’, a familiar figure in the commercial centre who took over the stall after his father, Liew Shan Hap, passed away seven years ago.
Speaking to DayakDaily, Liew shared that his family has been operating the stall since 1994, marking over three decades in the business.
He added that they relocated after his father moved the cafe from Jalan Tabuan.
“My late father was a self-taught culinary connoisseur for 50 years. He began his culinary venture in Tondong Bazaar before coming to Kuching.
“My late father was skilled in cooking a variety of noodle dishes and other local Chinese cuisines, but he focused on kolo mee after we moved to Kuching.
“Thanks to my late father, I have perfected the skills in making kolo mee. I am surprised that I’ve been doing it for the last two decades,” he said in an interview recently.
Liew admitted that he was not initially interested in the family business, but after leaving his job in Singapore, he decided to dedicate himself to making the dish.
“I kept honing my skills while my father wasn’t working, and then I took over from him. That’s how I taught myself,” he elaborated.
He also revealed that two other siblings are continuing their father’s legacy.
“I am proud to say that they represent the second generation of kolo mee makers in the family,” he added.
Liew expressed his gratitude to his 55-year-old sister, Liew Lee Phin, for assisting him at their stall.
He is also happy to be operating under Ting Cafe, which manages the eatery and recently gave the cafe a new look.
Liew hopes that he and his two siblings can continue the family’s culinary legacy.
“We are six siblings, and I am optimistic that one of us will continue what my father started in the culinary world. I have three daughters; they are still young, but I’ll let them decide,” he chuckled.
At his stall, Liew serves 11 menu items, with prices ranging from RM6 to RM15.
“Our menu is hopefully suited to local palates, and we hope our customers are satisfied and that the taste of our dishes is what my late father prepared.
“These are now our ‘bread and butter’ ever since our late father started making the dishes to keep the family tradition going,” he stated.
Liew Kolomee & Handmade Mee is located at Ting Cafe, BDC Commercial Centre, and operates daily from 6am to 5pm, except on Mondays. For more information, contact 016-577 7966.
– DayakDaily
