A mouthwatering and uplifting story about honouring tradition and finding your own way in life, set in family-run restaurants between Malaysia and Hong Kong

‘Deeply comforting and nourishing' SAMUEL BURR, author of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers

‘A delicious read with lots of heart' SHANNA TAN, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

A STRAITS TIMES BESTSELLER

Every morning before sunrise, Lim Ah Hock opens the shutters of his small kitchen on Carpenter Street, lights an incense stick and prepares the best laksa soup in all of Kuching. According to Lim family legend, the laksa’s secret ingredient – their ancestral broth – was gifted to them by a deity, who promised the family prosperity as long as the broth is passed down through the generations.

But Ah Hock is aging, and the broth’s quality is fading. His only son, Wei Ming, has no interest in the family business, having spent eight years in Hong Kong trying to prove himself as a chef. Now, he's struggling with gambling debts, embroiled in a love triangle, and the restaurant he's been left to run has lost its Global Restaurants Guild star.

Invited home to Malaysia for his father's 60th birthday, Wei Ming sees a chance to escape his troubles. But when old conflicts resurface and a local businessman threatens to destroy the family legacy, father and son are forced to ask themselves what truly matters.

Readers love Early Mornings at the Laksa Cafe

'A delicious read'
'Warm and emotionally honest...a very comforting book'
'A delightful read for anyone who loves food-centred narratives, stories about family dynamics’
‘Beautifully captures the idea that love doesn’t always need to be spoken – sometimes, it’s served in a bowl of food'
'This book truly stands out'
'Addictive, thoughtful, and beautifully written... It lingers long after the final page, much like the memory of a meal shared at dawn'