40 Years Of Serving Up Sarawak Laksa Down Under

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Nestled in the famed Adelaide Central Market, alongside organic vegetable sellers and German spice merchants, is a small eatery operated by a family hailing from Sarawak.
And for about 40 years, the stall called Asian Gourmet has become a culinary bridge between Malaysia and Australia, serving bowls of authentic Sarawak laksa.
“My aunt, my two uncles, and my father, you know, ran the business together for about 40 years now,” said Tricia Lo, 42, to Malaysiakini.
“We started here. Since then, my uncles have all retired, and my auntie. So, my dad is running it with my mom,” said the government employee, who helps her parents at the stall.
ADSAlso present was her mother, and Asian Gourmet co-owner, Doreen Chow, 71.
Apart from its signature dish, the stall also offers a variety of other Malaysian dishes, such as char kway teow and Nyonya curry chicken.
Lo pointed out that most of the dishes at the stall remained the same over the decades, with some additions along the way.
She expressed pride in serving what chef Anthony Bourdain once called “Breakfast of the Gods”.
“I think we were one of the only people in Adelaide, you know, having (Sarawak) laksa here.
“So, we’ve kind of introduced that to the community here in Adelaide,” she added.
Keeping meals authentic
Asked how her family ended up in the South Australian city, Lo said it was her father’s decision in the late 1980s, when she was just four years old.
Tricia Lo (left) and her mother Doreen Chow“Dad was a draftsman in the construction sector in Kuching. From what he told me, he said it was difficult to find work there.
“So, he joined my uncle and aunt who were already running a stall here… so, you kind of fall in,” she shared.
While Lo acknowledged that she tweaked some of their menu items to suit Australian taste buds, most of the dishes remain authentic to their original taste by sourcing goods straight from the Borneo motherland.
“We haven’t changed the core recipes. We make everything from scratch - our sambal, our spice mixes, with some ingredients coming from Sarawak.”
ADSThe Malaysian concoctions proved to hit the spot as Lo said the business attracts many hungry Australian diners, especially the rush of foot traffic during lunchtime.
“We open for lunch and dinner. On average, we sell about 200 bowls of laksa on Fridays alone,” she added.
Lo also mentioned that Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong, who was born in Sabah, is a stalwart customer of Asian Gourmet.
“She’s been coming here for many, many years.”
Juggling work
Lo, who is a graduate of the University of Adelaide in the field of environmental science, pointed out that she actually holds a full-time job as a biosecurity officer for the Department of Agriculture.
Asked on how she finds time to juggle between her job and running a business, Lo said the former offers her flexible working hours.
“Our jobs are flexible, so I just help out after hours.
“And when I used to do shift work, I could move around a little bit. So, I work here when I can,” she added.
Asked how frequently she travels back to Sarawak to meet relatives, Lo acknowledged she does not do that often due to work commitments.
“Last time… it was before Covid-19. Wow. Quite a while. We’ve only gone back for family reasons, but for holidays, it’s a bit hard.
“We try to, but it’s a bit hard because it’s a family business,” she added. - Mkini

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