From Kuching to Qatar: A taste of Sarawak in every bowl

THOUSANDS of kilometres from Kuching, the familiar aroma of Laksa Sarawak simmering in a kitchen in Qatar can make the distance between home and a foreign land feel just a little shorter.

For Kuching-born Nur Syafiqa Rizal, preparing the dishes she grew up with has become more than simply putting food on the table.

It is her way of staying connected to Sarawak, honouring her family’s culinary heritage and introducing a taste of home to Malaysians living abroad.

Syafiqa has been living in Qatar for about a year, having moved there to join her husband, who works in Dukhan, an industrial city about 80 kilometres west of Doha.

Like many Sarawakians who find themselves building a life far from home, Syafiqa brought pieces of Sarawak with her.

In her case, some of the most important came in the form of family recipes.

Syafiqa (right), with her husband and daughter, poses for a photo.

Her family is behind Mom’s Laksa and King Laksa Restaurant in Sarawak, and settling in Qatar presented an opportunity to introduce those familiar flavours to a new audience.

What began as cooking and sharing food with friends and members of the Malaysian community in Dukhan gradually grew into something more.

As people began placing orders, Syafiqa ventured beyond her immediate community, eventually participating in Malaysian food bazaars in Doha.

For her, the experience has been about more than earning an income.

“For me, it’s not just about selling food. I’m carrying my family’s name as well as introducing our family’s traditional and generations-old recipes to people here in Qatar and hopefully throughout the Middle East,” she said.

A bowl that tastes like home

At the heart of Syafiqa’s menu is, naturally, Laksa Sarawak .

It is accompanied by other familiar favourites such as mee kolok and mee Jawa , while taufufa , karipap and pulut serunding kelapa have also found their way onto her menu.

Rather than simply preparing whatever might be easiest to sell, she focuses on dishes that reflect her roots and the food traditions she grew up with.

“I choose dishes that represent where I come from and that have a story behind them. Most importantly, I want to preserve the recipes that have been passed down through my family and share them with the Malaysian community here,” she explained.

Ask Syafiqa which dish instantly transports her back to Kuching, and there is little hesitation.

Laksa Sarawak

“ Laksa Sarawak is a dish that reminds me of my family and Kuching immediately. The recipe is part of our family heritage, so every time I prepare it here, I feel like I’m bringing a little piece of Sarawak to Qatar,” she said.

Recreating those familiar flavours, however, is not always straightforward.

Ingredients that are readily available in Kuching can be difficult to find in Qatar, requiring Syafiqa to search for suitable alternatives.

Even so, she remains particular about maintaining the taste that customers back home would recognise.

“I don’t want to lose the identity of the food just because I’m cooking it thousands of kilometres away from Sarawak,” she said.

Bringing Malaysians together through food

Perhaps the biggest reward for Syafiqa has been watching fellow Malaysians enjoy the dishes they have missed since moving abroad.

For those living far from home, food has a remarkable way of bringing back memories.

A familiar smell can remind someone of a kitchen back home.

A spoonful of laksa can suddenly make Kuching feel closer, while a plate of mee kolok can bring back memories of breakfast at a favourite coffee shop.

“The response from Malaysians has been really heartwarming. Many people tell me that the food reminds them of home, and that means a lot to me,” she said.

Among the compliments Syafiqa has received, one stands out.

“This tastes just like Sarawak.”

For Syafiqa, there could hardly be a better response.

“When someone says that, it makes me really happy because that is exactly what I want,” she said.

Beyond the food itself, Syafiqa’s involvement in community bazaars has also helped her settle into life in Qatar.

Pulut serunding kelapa

Through these gatherings, she has met Malaysians from different states, many of whom share the same longing for familiar food and the comfort of speaking to someone from home.

“Being away from home, it feels special when you meet someone who understands the feeling of missing Malaysian food. Food really has a way of bringing people together,” she said.

The experience has also introduced Syafiqa to customers of other nationalities, some of whom are tasting Sarawakian cuisine for the first time.

She particularly enjoys the curiosity that follows when someone unfamiliar with the dishes begins asking about their ingredients, flavours and origins.

“It gives me an opportunity to introduce Sarawak beyond its geographical location, through something as simple and relatable as food,” she said.

The work behind every serving

While customers may only see the finished dishes arranged at a bazaar, Syafiqa said considerable effort goes into preparing for each sale.

There are menus to plan, ingredients to source, sambals and fillings to prepare, followed by hours of cooking and carefully packing the food.

There is also the responsibility of representing a business name that has become closely associated with her family’s cooking.

“It can be tiring, especially when doing everything myself, but seeing people enjoy the food makes it worthwhile. However, I remind myself that I’m representing Mom’s Laksa and King Laksa Restaurant, so I feel responsible for maintaining the quality and taste associated with my family,” she said.

Despite the demanding preparation, the encouragement Syafiqa receives from customers has given her the motivation to continue.

Each successful sale is not only an opportunity to share her cooking but also a small step towards a bigger ambition.

“I hope that this can eventually become a bridge between Sarawak and the Middle East, allowing more people to discover my state’s distinctive food culture,” she said.

Taufufa

Carrying Sarawak wherever she goes

For Syafiqa, living abroad has given her a different appreciation of the food she once enjoyed so readily at home.

Dishes that were part of everyday life in Kuching now carry a deeper meaning, particularly when she prepares them for people who have been away from Malaysia for years.

“I’m not only sharing food; I’m sharing a part of my family’s history. These recipes have been passed down through generations, and being able to continue that tradition here in Qatar makes me very proud,” she said.

And if there were only one dish she could serve someone in Qatar to introduce them to Sarawak, her answer would still be Laksa Sarawak .

“It represents Kuching and Sarawak so well, and for me, it also represents my family. I would love for people in the Middle East to experience our authentic Sarawakian flavours and understand that behind every bowl is a story, a family and generations of tradition,” she said.

For Syafiqa, home may be thousands of kilometres away, but it is never entirely out of reach.

Sometimes, it is found in the familiar aroma rising from a pot of laksa , in a recipe lovingly prepared or in the simple words of a fellow Sarawakian after taking that first bite.

“This tastes like home.”

And from Kuching to Qatar, she hopes to keep that connection alive, one bowl at a time.

Karipap