Singapore laksa! Bursting with flavors, this coconut milk-based dish is a champion of the noodle world. In fact, it might be my favorite noodle dish after Japanese ramen (which I eat every day).
Singapore Laksa – Some Background
Laksa is quite diverse, with tasty variations in Singapore, Malaysia and Singapore. Today we’re zooming in on the version from the island nation of Singapore.
Singapore style laksa features a soup that’s primarily coconut milk and dried shrimp. Furthermore, it’s red and spicy from sambal chili. Lastly, rice noodles (bee hoon) join toppings like prawns, fried tofu, and fish cake.
All together, it’s a heavenly creation.
Most of the places on this list serve small, medium and large sized bowls. Small sized bowls start as low as 3 Singapore Dollars, which is only about 2 US Dollars!
1. Janggut Katong Laksa
Simply put, Janngut is a laksa powerhouse. They have several branches, including in Queensway and Roxy Square (pictured). In terms of flavor, their laksa is more coconut milky than others.
Add cockles (cousins of clams) to your bowl for free and this adds a layer of brininess to that milky soup. The rest of the bowl is quality, from the juicy shrimp pieces to the deliberately short-cut noodles (use your spoon only).
Map Link (Roxy Square Branch)
2. Guang Fa Laksa
You’ll find Guang Fa at the Havelock Road Cooked Food Centre. Their laksa packs more heat and has less of a milky base. In addition, the soup is not as fishy – this is even after toppings it up with the free cockles.
Besides the cockles, you’ll be asked if you want rice (pictured) noodles or egg noodles. In summary, if you’re craving a bowl that’s more spicy than creamy, Guang Fa is for you.
3. Lau Jiang Fishball Noodle
Here, the laksa pendulum swings back towards milky. But the laksa at Lau Jiang is not quite as milky as entry no. 1. The chili in the soup makes sure of that. Among toppings, enjoy the generous amount of bean curd tofu (tau foo).
As per their shop’s name, they do a great fishball noodle soup. But they surprisingly serve equally delicious laksa. Lau Jiang is located in the newer Alexandra Village Food Centre.
4. 328 Katong Laksa
You can’t miss 328’s red neon sign. They have several branches in Singapore, and even 2 in Taiwan. Their laksa is just as balanced as the previous entry (Lau Jiang). But just like entry no. 1 (Janngut), you won’t find any chopsticks.
With those short, “Katong” style noodles, all you need is a spoon. Again, spice (chili sambal in the middle) and coconut milk richness beautifully collide here.
Map Link (East Coast Road Branch)
5. Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Laksa
This one’s piping hot! I’m not talking about spice, but soup temperature. It’s actually comes in a clay pot. This unique attribute even got them the attention of Michelin (Michelin’s Singapore guide).
That claypot adds a wholesome warmth to coincide with the deep layers of flavor. Just make sure to cool down those noodles before shoveling them into your mouth!
In conclusion, each of these does Singapore style laksa a little differently. With the smaller bowl sizes available, you might just want to eat at all 5!