I didn’t need much convincing to pick up Early Mornings at the Laksa Cafe.
A book set around a family-run laksa stall in Kuching already sounded right up my alley. Written by Janet Tay, the novel draws on her Sarawakian childhood and explores how food, family and tradition become intertwined.
Born in Petaling Jaya, Tay spent close to a decade writing her debut novel. She has spoken about how, growing up, eating out was never just about the food. And that idea sits at the heart of this story, where a bowl of laksa carries far more than its ingredients.
Set along Carpenter Street in Kuching, Early Mornings at the Laksa Cafe follows Ah Hock, who hopes his son, Wei Ming, will eventually take over the family laksa stall he’s spent decades running.
