BAU: From a humble Laksa Sarawak stall, ‘Lala Laksa’ has now evolved into a bustling and vibrant full-fledged kopitiam.
Located at Seringgok Commercial Centre here, the laksa stall, formerly known as Lala Laksa Gold at Café 98, has transformed into ‘Lala Laksa Kopitiam.’
Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep officiated the opening of Lala Laksa Kopitiam here Wednesday (June 5).
Nur Nabila Norazni, 34, who owns and operates the kopitiam with her husband said the idea to open Lala Laksa Kopitiam was inspired by her love for breakfast and local delicacies.
“I would often travel to Kuching to enjoy local delicacies such as Laksa Sarawak and Mee Kolok. Seeing our culture, we love having breakfast early in the morning.
“I wanted to bring that culture to Bau, especially to the local areas as sometimes people here find it difficult to go to Kuching to enjoy the local delicacies,” she told New Sarawak Tribune.
She added that the transition to a kopitiam was driven by the overwhelming support and praise from customers from Bau and as far as Miri.
Their signature dish, Laksa Sarawak with crispy chicken skin, was a serendipitous creation.
Nabila said the idea for the Laksa Chicken Skin came when she often ate Laksa with fried chicken.
“The combination brought a different texture: the laksa broth is creamy and savoury, and the fried chicken added a unique crunch. However, it could be too filling, so I decided to use chicken skin, which is crispier and tastier,” she explained.
Upon discovering the delightful combination, Nabila continued to conduct research and development to refine the dish, seeking feedback from friends.
“They liked it, and I decided to open a stall. The response was very encouraging. People from Kuching came and even took it overseas. Our crispy Chicken Skin remains crispy even after two-three days, making it perfect for travel,” she said.
On the topic of starting a business, Nabila offered insights on the importance of setting the right goals and having a deep interest in the business.
“A business, even a small stall, is very demanding. There will be times when sales are high and times when they are low. Without passion, it’s easy to get demotivated.
“We put love and passion into what we do. Even if sales are low, we would reflect and think about what we can improve,” she said.
As customer interest grew, Nabila and her team decided to expand, rebranding to Lala Laksa Kopitiam.
“We changed from Lala Laksa Gold to Lala Laksa Kopitiam to attract more people. As Muslim owners, we are happy to serve halal Laksa that everyone can enjoy with confidence,” she added.
Looking to the future, Nabila revealed that Lala Laksa Kopitiam intends to add more items to their menu. Currently, they offer local favourites such as Laksa Sarawak, Mee Kolok, Nasi Ayam Penyet, and Kaya Butter Toast.
“In the future, we might add more variety. Not too many, but enough for customers to enjoy kopitiam food,” she said.
Having been open for only a month, the response in Bau has been very encouraging. For now, their focus remains on Bau, but they are considering expanding to Miri due to regular customers who often take away large quantities for their friends in outside of Kuching.
“For now, as Bau and Kuching are not too far, people can still come and enjoy our Laksa.
“In the future, we are looking at expanding to Miri because we have regular customers. Sometimes, when they have friends coming to Kuching, they will take away tens of packs,” she added.
