For Sarawakians though, things get a little more complicated as it is uncommon to find restaurants serving Sarawakian food.
However, there is actually a place that Sarawakians throng to when they happen to crave a taste of home.
Quite the well-kept secret and tucked away in the quiet neighbourhood of Mutiara Damansara, is a restaurant run by a Sarawakian couple who love nothing more than to serve customers a piping hot bowl of halal Sarawak laksa.
It is recommended that you drop by for their famous bowl of Sarawak laksa on a weekday, as the restaurant is filled to the brim with hungry customers on weekends.
Assuming you manage to get a seat, don’t be surprised at Salted’s limited menu, as they have a good reason for this.
Nur Sofiah, the restaurant’s founder and chef is a one-woman team, and there is only so much that she can cook and do at a single time.
While a limited menu makes it easier for customers to pick their meals, bear in mind that it does not make Salted’s offerings any less tantalising.
The pride of the restaurant is, of course, its Sarawak laksa, for which customers are willing to line up all the way outside the shop.
For West Malaysians who are more acquainted with Penang and curry laksa, the Sarawakian rendition may be a strange experience.
Sarawak laksa has no curry and instead uses a sambal belacan base with coconut and sour tamarind added to it.
And while some people like their laksa mild and others like it thick, the Sarawak laksa served at Salted hits the sweet spot with equal measures of both.
Those with a bigger appetite can also fork out extra to get a bowl of Sarawak laksa at a more generous portion served with not only egg and chicken, but also cuttlefish and sea prawns.
In the mood for something dryer but just as savoury? The Kolo Mee will certainly be up your alley.
Kolo Mee is something of a staple dish on the streets of Kuching, with the dish being consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Here at Salted, the Kolo Mee comes with an assortment of meaty toppings, including beef, chicken, mushroom, seafood and smoked duck.
Whatever protein you choose to go with, however, the egg noodles are incredibly springy and though they appear simple, are strangely savoury enough to be eaten on its own!
The next dish on the menu is truly one for those with an acquired taste, with Sofiah noting that you will either love it or hate it.
This contentious dish is none other than Beehoon Belacan, featuring noodles soaked in a belacan gravy topped with cucumber and cuttlefish.
The belacan gravy has a very strong taste (to put it lightly), and its spicy, sweet and tangy flavours go incredibly well with century egg.
Whether it is a hit or a miss for you, this dish is one that can hardly be found outside of Kuching, and thus, is worth trying out at least once.
Are you a fan of all things sweet and sour? If so, you will be falling in love with the Tomato Crispy Mee at first bite.
Featuring deep-fried noodles swimming in a lake of tomato gravy, this dish is somewhat similar to the Cantonese wat tan hor, with both having a thickened sauce poured over pre-fried noodles.
A popular dish back in Sarawak, the Tomato Crispy Mee also comes served with bits of seafood and topped off with prawns and squid.
Kacang Ma is one dish that most West Malaysians have no knowledge of, and that is quite a shame as this chicken dish is one to enjoy on cold rainy nights.
Considered to be a heaty yet hearty dish, Kacang Ma originally served as confinement food in the Hakka community and is cooked using heavy amounts of ginger and motherwort herb.
Though this dish is somewhat of an acquired taste due to its aromatic yet bitter flavour, it is enjoyed by both men and women nowadays.
The final offering on Salted’s menu is Mee Jawa Sarawak, which is served with both chicken and beef.
Similar to mee rebus, this noodle dish comes with a thick gravy, made from sweet potato and beef stock.
For maximum enjoyment, take your time slurping up gravy-coated noodles together with fried tofu and hard-boiled egg.
Salted has two cooling and refreshing drink options that will help you beat the heat, namely the Teh C Peng Special Apong and the Ribena-7Up.
The former is a three-layer tea that has apong (Sarawakian palm sugar), sitting at the bottom and when mixed together with the iced tea and condensed milk, brews a perfectly creamy and sweet concoction.
The latter is apparently called “Iced Valentine” in Sarawak and is a bubbly drink sweetened with Ribena syrup.
Speaking to FMT, Sofiah said that she is relieved to see long lines forming in her restaurant once more post-MCO.
“I like coming out of the kitchen once in a while to see plates of my cooking completely empty,” the Kuching-born chef said with a smile.
Given the restaurant is still full even as closing time approaches, she can certainly expect many more plates to be licked clean.
Salted
30-1, Jalan PJU 7/16A,
Mutiara Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Contact: 03-7493 5266/018-216 0266 (WhatsApp)
Operation hours: 10am to 2.30pm daily (closed on Mondays)