Early Mornings at the Laksa Cafe

Amid the bustle of Carpenter Street, Lim Ah Hock sells the the best laksa soup in all of Kuching, tirelessly keeping his ancestral broth simmering with his wife, Kim Choo. According to family legend, a deity gifted them the recipe, promising prosperity as long as it remains boiling. But Ah Hock is aging, and the broth's quality is fading. Compounding the problem, businessman Towkay Lau has opened a rival laksa café next door.

In Hong Kong, Ah Hock’s son, Wei Ming, has spent eight years trying to prove himself as a chef, hoping to show his father there's more to life than laksa. However, he's struggling with gambling debts, the woman he loves is in the arms of a gangster, and the sushiya he's been left to run has lost its Global Restaurants Guild star. Facing his mentor, the esteemed sushi master he calls Sensei, seems impossible.

Invited home for his father's 60th birthday, Wei Ming sees a chance to escape his troubles. But in Malaysia, Ah Hock remains entrenched in tradition. Determined to protect the family legacy, he strikes a deal with Towkay Lau, a showdown to determine the best laksa café on Carpenter Street -risking everything he holds dear.

As father and son reconnect, old differences resurface, forcing them to confront whether preserving a legacy is more important than embracing the future.

About Janet Tay

Janet Tay is a Tin House Winter Workshop 2023 alum who recently completed a mentorship with author Samuel Burr. Her short stories have appeared in various journals and collections including New Writing Dundee 4, Short Story America Anthology, Vol. 1 and Black and Whites and Other New Stories from Malaysia. She has also written journalistic pieces on literature, food and parenting for various magazines and websites. The first act of her full-length play, ‘Reunion’ was longlisted for 2017 The Windsor Fringe Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing. She lives in Kuala Lumpur with her husband and son.
Details
  • Imprint: Harvill Secker
  • ISBN: 9781787305298
  • Length: 352 pages
  • Price: £16.99
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