In the years to come, long after my nearest and dearest are gone, I imagine I’ll still make a pilgrimage to my little hometown in the Land Below the Wind—just to indulge in a plate of one of these lovelies: |  Tuaran Mee | Beaufort Mee | Sandakan Mee | They say noodles represent long life. I'm quite content to live the average human lifespan, but if things are going well, I wouldn’t mind lingering a little longer before taking my final leave. So if a plate of noodles holds the secret elixir to to an extra moment or two, I’ll gladly slurp up a bowl—especially if it’s one of the famed noodles named after these three towns: Tuaran, Beaufort, and Sandakan. There is nothing on this earth that tastes anything like them. Though knowing the many calorific ingredients that go into each of these noodles, indulging in them regularly probably won’t lead to the sought after longevity. But having tasted them all, I can say this—my life feels more complete.

No matter how few times we have blinked the years away, the majestic sight of crisp, paper-thin, sugar-encrusted  roti tisu —drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and towering over us—never ceases to amaze. | December 2017, 4 & 7 years old | July 2022, 8 & 11 years old | January 2025, 11 & 14 years old | What if we fast-forward a couple more years? Can the past be a reliable indicator of the future? Will Salim's roti tisu  still stand just as tall, still taste just as perfect? Or will we be simply reaching for the memory of what it tasted like before? Perhaps the taste is merely a vessel for a cherished moment with someone we love . Maybe that's what all comfort foods truly are. Who can say? One can always hope. One can always believe. Hope and believe in the masterful hands of the roti man  at Restoran Salim, in little Kota Kinabalu. Roti tisu . Then and now. Always and forever.