Quan Xing Mei Shi : old school Laksa

This stall has been in this food centre for decades, it used to run by an elderly couple but it left only the elderly Uncle with his son. There is only Laska on their menu for $3.00 per bowl. Most of their customers are the residents staying nearby and have been patronizing the stall for the longest time.

It usually sold out quite early and that is why I was quite surprised to see the light of the signboard was still on at 11 am and quickly, I joined in the queue. There are choices of thick bee hoon, thin bee hoon, and yellow noodles. I opted for the yellow noodles, it was topped with chopped laksa leaves and sambal chilli to serve. The portion of yellow noodles was quite substantial, serving with ingredients like slices of fishcake and pieces of tau pok with a handful of cockles and beansprouts. 

It tasted old school, no-frills and purely comforting. This simple Laksa is good enough, it does not need premium ingredients to make it tastier. 

QUAN XING MEI SHI

162 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 #01-26  Mayflower Food Centre SINGAPORE 560162

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 1.00 pm

Min Ji Laksa : homely food

This stall is one of those with a queue during lunch on a Sunday. The owner took over the stall from the original owner. There are only Laksa  ($3.50/$4.00/$5.00) and Mee Rebus ($2.50/$3.50) on the menu. Most of the customers ordered their Laksa and I decided to do that as well. I joined the queue and waited for about 5 minutes before ordering. 

I ordered the $3.50 portion, it was served with a good portion of thick bee hoon together with fresh-tasting ingredients a piece of half-boiled egg, cockles, slices of fish cake and tau pok with a handful of beansprouts. The gravy was light with a hint of dried shrimps and coconut milk. This homely taste is quite enjoyable. 

MIN JI LAKSA

Block 29 Bendemeer Road #01-31 Bendemeer Food Centre SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)

Quan Ji : Teochew noodle in Ang Mo Kio

Ivan and Chun Siang, both are 25 years old and they are the owners of this a month old noodle stall in Ang Mo Kio. They met at Singapore Polytechnic when doing a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Ivan, took a year off from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to start this noodle stall with Chun Siang, a fresh graduate from NTU. The recipe is based on the grandfather of Ivan's wife that started selling the noodles in 1965. The original stall is still located at Bedok Interchange. 

Their signature noodle ($3.50/$4.50) is Minced Meat Fishball Noodle, it consists of noodles with minced meat, sliced meat, meatball, fishball and slices of fishcake. Vinegar is not commonly used in Teochew style noodles and it was omitted. The Mee Pok and Mee Kia were sold out when I was there for lunch so I decided to have Mee Tai Mak. I also ordered Laksa. I was given a number and it will be shouted out when it is ready for collection. We waited for about 15 minutes before it was ready.

The dry Mee Tai Mak was for my dining companion. He took a mouthful and asked, "Did you request for extra amount of chilli to be added? It is quite spicy." I did not request for extra chilli to be added. The chilli was surprisingly nice but it might be a bit too spicy for those that have little tolerance towards spiciness. 

The Laksa tasted just like any of those available at any hawker stalls that are serving this dish. The gravy was light and kind of diluted with little coconut taste, it did not taste too spicy.

It was served with prawns to replace the cockles together with other ingredients like slices of fishcake and tau pok. 

Apparently, the 2 young owners are not doing the cooking. It was cooked by their helper, an elderly lady that is hired to do the cooking. It reminded me of Douglas Ng of Fishball Story. It used to be good when he started his first stall at Golden Mile Food Centre but the standard dropped quite a bit when he started to hire cooks to man the stall. He went about franchising to expand the business but all these franchised stalls were only around for a while before closing down.

QUAN JI TEOCHEW MEE

Block 260 Ang Mo Kio Street 21 SINGAPORE 560260

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Chong Wen Ge Cafe at Telok Ayer Street

This cafe is located in Chong Wen Ge building owned by Singapore Hokkien Huey Kuan right next to Thian Hock Keng Temple that was once a Chinese school founded by Tan Kim Seng in 1949. There is also a Peranakan Tiles Gallery next to the cafe and a Music Box Museum upstairs owned by a Japanese. The cafe is named after the school to pay tribute to its past opened in May 2016. The menu focuses on Peranakan dishes like Nonya Laksa, Mee Siam and different types of Nonya Kueh.

The cafe was still quite crowded at 2 pm. I ordered at the counter and decided to have the Nonya Laksa ($11.80) and Iced Coffee ($2.50). I was given a buzzer after paying. I also wanted some of those Nonya kueh on display and I said, "I want to order some of those." The bespectacled auntie at the counter, said, "It is self-service." I stood in front of the display counter, wondering whether should I lift or slide the glass door to access to those kueh? The helpful foreign lady behind the counter was telling me to lift it. She handed me a small plate. Next moment, I was looking for a tong which I could not find. I tried asking the same lady. She pointed to a box on top of the counter. The tong was inside that box. I picked 3 different types of Nonya Kueh and proceeded to the cashier for payment. It was $4.50 in total and $1.50 per piece. There was a glass of Iced Coffee at the counter and I asked the same bespectacled auntie, "That's my Iced Coffee?". She nodded. 

I collected the Iced Coffee and that plate of kueh, holding onto the buzzer and walked out of the cafe towards the seating area outside. The buzzer sounded in about 5 minutes. I picked it up and walked towards the cafe, left the buzzer at the end of the counter and collected my bowl of Laksa.

The Iced Coffee was a better choice on such a crazily hot day but the taste was not quite memorable. The only outstanding one amongst that plate of kueh was Seri Muka Durian, the Kuih Lapis and Kuih Pulut Init were just average. 

The nicely presented Laksa came with 3 pieces of relatively fresh large-sized prawns that were neatly butterflied and de-veined. It was served along with a hard-boiled egg and slices of fishcake together with a handful of bean sprouts and chopped laksa leaves. The subtle spiciness was balanced with thick coconut milk for a richer flavor. The addition of bean sprouts has given the dish a desired texture. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

This is an interesting cafe but there is room for improvement for the service.

CHONG WEN GE CAFE

168 Telok Ayar Street SINGAPORE 068619

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 5.30 pm (Daily)

Ang Mo Kio Lor Mee . Laksa : a part of my growing up memories

This stall has been a part of my growing up memories. When my mother was still around, she usually brought me here for the Laksa, she would just ordered a bowl to share with me but I was too young to really appreciate the taste. After she left, I did not get to visit this stall as often though I still followed my late Grandpa to this food centre and we usually eat at Chia Keng Kway Teow Mee. I visited again a few years ago but the taste was not quite memorable. This stall serves only Lor Mee and Laksa at $3.00 and $4.00. I was here with a friend on a Sunday, the queue was still long even though it has already past the lunch hour. We decided to order the small portion of Laksa and Lor Mee to share. 

I went for the Laksa first. It tasted quite simple with a slightly diluted gravy and ingredients like tau pok, fish cake, cockles and hard-boiled egg together with a handful of bean sprouts then garnished with laksa leaves and sambal chilli. Somehow, it seemed to taste much nicer when I had it with my mother. 

The Lor Mee served with a few slices of braised meat, fish cake, ngor hiang, hard-boiled egg and bean sprouts garnished with chopped coriander, minced garlic and sambal chilli to serve. They used to serve with fried wanton but they have stopped making it. The gravy was slightly too watery to my liking and I did not like it as much as there are other better choices for Lor Mee around. 

I could not quite understand the persistent long queue right in front of this stall, the Laksa and Lor Mee are not amongst the best ever tasted but I guess, it is the familiarity and comforts of the dishes that kept the customer to keep coming back. 

ANG MO KIO LOR MEE . LAKSA

Block 453A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-17 Chong Boon Food Centre SINGAPORE 560453
Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 2.30 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

Roxy Laksa : the best of Katong Laksa

It started in 1952 as a pull cart outside the then Roxy Theatre by the founder, Mr Lim Kok Seng. He was there with his son, Mr Lim Eng Hock for about 26 years until the closure of Roxy Theatre in 1978. They moved to East Coast Lagoon Food Village in 1979. Mike Lim, the current owner is the 3rd generation hawker and he started helping his father when he was done with National Service in 1981. He has eventually taken over the business and also inherited the family recipe. 

As none of his children is willing to take over the stall, he has decided to partner with chef Willin Low, an ex-lawyer that turned chef, which is also the owner cum chef of Wild Rocket. The heavily guarded family recipe has since passed on to chef Willin Low followed by the move to a stall in Timbre+ along Ayer Rajah Crescent. Chef Willin Low has been their regular customer and is a big fan of this legendary Laksa. He is planning to produce laksa paste based on this heritage recipe under the brand name.

The stall is currently run by Mike and Daisy, his wife and this is an assurance that the original taste is still maintained. The ingredients like coconuts, prawns and spices are sourced from his supplier or directly from the market. The coconuts are then freshly shredded and squeezed, he insisted on using only the freshly squeezed coconut milk. The spices are ground by Mike on a weekly basis in his own way. 

This is a bowl of a good Katong laksa and it is much better than the other one that is along East Coast Road. It is reasonably priced at $4.50 and it is $5.80 if you order with an otah which costs $1.50 if you order it separately. It consists of a good portion of thick bee hoon with ingredients like few slices of fishcake and 3 pieces of halved prawn, they do not serve with cockles. The smooth gravy is fragrant and rather light with a slight hint of dried shrimps. The sambal chilli though not really spicy but it has brought forth the flavour. 

With the step in of chef Willin Low, they are going to be around for a while longer.

ROXY LAKSA

73A Ayer Rajah Crescent #01-17 Timbre+ SINGAPORE 139957

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Food Anatomy : not so good food

I was there last Friday. I ordered the Nasi Lemak cube and also the Laksa Pasta cube as recommended by that friendly lady manning the counter at that time. She said that the Laksa Pasta cube is her favourite and is definitely worth trying. I decided to go with just 2 cubes for $5.00, it is priced as $2.50 each. She took it out from the display counter and sending them into the microwave. She then placed them on the plate and she seemed to have a hard time when placing the Laksa Pasta cube as the pasta kept falling out. When she handed it to me, the Laksa Pasta did not seem to look as pretty as it supposed to look, in fact, it was a little messy. 

While walking back to the table, I had already taken notice of the unpleasant smell and it was somewhat further confirmed when taking the pictures. I took a small bite of the prawn patty and I threw it out immediately as it tasted sour, which is a likely indication that it has turned bad. When collecting the salted egg chicken wings from Two Wings, located just next to it, I went to the counter and talked with the same lady. I pointed at the Laksa Pasta cube and said, "I think the otah of the Laksa Pasta has already turned bad as it tasted sourish." She looked a little puzzled at that moment. I only found out much later that layer is supposed to be a prawn patty. Even so, it actually tasted like a prawn otah. 

She did not quite believe it initially as she replied, "It is supposed to have a sourish taste." I walked away with my salted egg chicken wings but I returned a little while later with the remaining of the Laksa Pasta cube. The same lady was holding a plate with a piece of Laksa Pasta cube on it. It was good that she bothered to taste it herself. When I handed the plate to her, she asked, "Do you want to exchange it?" I replied, "No, it is alright. Please be careful as it might cause food poisoning." She did not confirm that the Laksa Pasta cube has turned bad but she said, "It might be due to the hot weather." 

The Nasi Lemak consists of a few different layers that are made up of coconut rice, egg omelette and otah then topped with sambal chilli. Even though it was microwaved before serving it but the coconut rice was hard and dry. I guess it must have left it for too long. Though it is pretty to look at but the taste is just not quite there yet. Apart from its creativity, it seemed to be more gimmicky and not quite economical as well. I would rather pay a little more for a packet of Nasi Lemak that consists of the same items and probably with a chicken wing for about $3. 

I do not think this concept is marketable and it probably would not be around for too long.

FOOD ANATOMY

73A Ayer Rajah Crescent #01-31 Timbre+ SINGAPORE 139957

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 11.00 pm (Closed on Sundays)

Jenny's Laksa : Nyonya laksa, cooked with love

I first came across this stall when a friend posted it on Facebook. He went to try and liked it enough to recommend it. They are located in the coffee shop that is directly opposite Teck Ghee Court Market along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, the same market that I used to visit with my late Grandpa. We used to go there for breakfast and for our usual coffee sessions then shopping at the wet market on a regular basis. I have not been going there that often ever since his passing about 4 years ago. This food centre and the market have always been bringing back a lot of fond memories. 

This stall started in October 2016 by a 28 years old next generation hawker using a recipe for Nyonya laksa that has been passed down from his grandmother to his mother. He even named this stall after his 63 years old mother. He started cooking at the tender age of 15 and eventually learned how to cook the laksa at 21 years old. This stall is a family business, he is doing the cooking, his mother is helping to prepare the ingredients and his elder sister is taking the orders as well as serving it. They usually sold about 60 to 80 bowls on weekdays and 140 to 170 bowls on weekends. And, to maintain the consistency of its standard, he is doing it by eating a bowl of his laksa each day. 

The taste is lighter though not as rich but it is flavorful enough. Coconut milk is added to actually make a difference, it is one of the main ingredients for a more authentic flavor. It tasted different as compared to the other laksa that is using condensed milk, a usual and cheaper alternative.  Everything is prepared from scratch including their rempah, which is also known as spice paste, and the sambal. It starts from the grinding, blending then followed by cooking all the ingredients and no MSG is added during this process. 

There are only 2 choices available and that is, with cockles or with shredded chicken, serving with other ingredients like quail eggs, tau pok and slices of fishcake. They run out of bean sprouts when I was there after 1 pm on a Sunday. Each bowl is reasonably priced at $3.50. 

They also do catering, their laksa set costs $45 for 10 pax and you have to order at least 3 days in advance. As for the coming Chinese New Year, they are providing their laksa base at $28.80 for 10 pax and the laksa set is at $48.80 for 10 pax, too. Delivery charges are applicable from $8 to $15 depending on the location and it is free if you order for 30 pax and above. The closing date for ordering is 22 January 2017, before 23:59 hrs. For more details, please visit their stall or check out the contact number on their Facebook page. 

It is heartening to see a family comes together to put in their efforts for a common interest. Though their laksa tasted quite simple but they cooked it with love and serve it with their hearts.

JENNY'S LAKSA

Block 338 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 SINGAPORE 560338

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 3.00 pm (Daily)

UPDATE: They have moved to Block 421 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 with effect from 15 March 2017.

Khoon's Katong Laksa & Seafood Soup : better than 326 Katong Laksa

I came for the Prawn Mee but it was closed. I remember asking the Auntie of that stall when is their off day and she said, 'It is quite random." then I said, "Most of the times when I was here, the stall is closed." She said, "We usually sold out before 1 pm." I walked around the food centre to look for an alternative. I wanted to have Bak Chor Mee but Uncle and Auntie were eating their lunch and I did not want to disturb them.

I decided to try the Katong Laksa for the first time at a nearby stall and there was a short queue. They do not just serve the laksa but also fish soup and seafood soup. There are 3 choices for the laksa, the smallest portion at $3 then followed by the $4 portion and the largest portion at $5. The lady boss was smiling and rather friendly when she asked for my order. I went with the $4 portion. She asked, "with cockles?". I nodded my head. Then she used a spoon to scoop the chopped laksa leaves together with sambal chili. She showed it to me and asked, "Enough?". Again, I nodded. 

The thick bee hoon was deliberately cut into shorter pieces so it is easier to eat with only a spoon, just like other Katong laksa. It is served with 2 pieces of halved prawns, strips of fish cake, cockles and a handful of bean sprouts then garnished with chopped laksa leaves and sambal chili. It has a slight hint of coconut milk with a well-balanced spiciness. This might not be as famous as other Katong laksa but it is tasty enough to serve as an alternative when I need.

Though not as famous but this is better than the famous 328 Katong Laksa which I tried but did not like it enough to finish it. I still remember that only a small packet of sambal chili is given with each bowl of laksa and if you need an extra packet of chili then you are expected to pay for it. And, their laksa is priced at $5 for a smaller bowl and $7 for a larger bowl, which is more expensive and not quite worth the value. 

KHOON'S KATONG LAKSA & SEAFOOD SOUP

590 Upper Thomson Road #01-26 Sembawang Hills Food Centre SINGAPORE 574419

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 7.30 pm (Closed on Mondays)

328 Katong Laksa : It is a pure disappointment

Now, when walking along the stretch of East Coast Road, you do not longer see the war of Katong Laksa going on, in fact, 328 Katong Laksa is the only surviving one right there though there is another one at Roxy Square, which is directly opposite.

The shop has already lost its rustic charm as it went through a renovation and is air-conditioned now though there are a few tables outdoor. When entering, i proceeded straight to the counter and ordered right there, just like in a Fast Food Restaurant, then paid and waited for the order there. There are 2 options for their Laksa, the smaller portion at $5.50 or the bigger portion at $7.50. I went for the bigger portion and ordered a Luo Han Drink at $1.95 to go along. A small packet of sambal chilli was given with it.

They are still serving it with just spoon and without the chopsticks. I stirred in the sambal chilli with the thick bee hoon, a few cockles and some small prawns together with a handful of beansprouts. After tasting it, i did not like it much as the the gravy was rather diluted with not much of coconut flavor. Honestly, it just did not make much sense to pay $7.50 for such a bowl of mediocre Laksa as there are many better and cheaper options out there.

And, i wonder how did they manage to beat Gordon Ramsay in the Hawker Heroes Challenge orangised by Singtel with such a standard? I remember it did not taste too bad then so perhaps there might be a drop in the standard? I have a feeling that most of their customers are the tourists and they are not likely to be able to tell a good bowl of laksa from a mediocre or even a bad one. 

It was so disappointing that i did not even finish it, i left about half of bowl unfinished and walked away, likely not returning anymore. 

KATONG LAKSA

51 East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428770

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Lik Ming Toa Payoh Laksa : Homely Laksa

This is one of those popular stalls in this Food Centre serving only a single item on their menu which is Laksa at $2.50, $3.00 and the largest portion at $4.00. The friendly Auntie spotted me when i was approaching the stall, she smiled and asked, 'Laksa ah?' And, i asked, 'How big is the $4 portion?'. The Uncle overheard and he said, 'The $3.00 is already enough as it is quite a lot". I said, "Most of the stalls are giving rather small portion for that price and it is not filling." Uncle replied, 'We do not do that here." Auntie then asked me to take a seat as it will be served to me. The Auntie and Uncle are already the second generation serving this old school Laksa. 

Auntie walked over to my table in less than 5 minutes, carrying my bowl of Laksa and a plastic container that stored their special dried shrimp chilli, commonly known as Hae Bee Hiam. She asked whether i want it to be added and i nodded my head, she then added a big spoon of it to the Laksa. It also came with a bit of chopped laksa leaves to enhance its flavor.

I stirred it slightly to mix the dried shrimp chilli and dried laksa leaves into the gravy before tasting it. It consists of a substantial portion of thick bee hoon with a few pieces of tau pok and a few slices of fishcake together with a handful of cockles and 2 pieces of halved prawns. The gravy was quite light with a hint of coconut milk and its level of spiciness was rather mild. It has a homely feel and comforting taste which i liked.

LIK MING TOA PAYOH LAKSA

Block 93 Toa Payoh Lorong 4 #01-48 SINGAPORE 310093

Operating Hours: 6.00 am to 3.00 pm (Daily)

Penang Signature : Assam Laksa

This stall is the newest kid on the block amongst the other stalls in this food centre. They have only been around for about 3 weeks and there is only one item on their menu, which is Assam Laksa for $3.50. You could smell the rather distinctive flavor of Assam Laksa from far. The stall is manned by a young chap all by himself. Though he is not too chatty but quite friendly, i was told that he is a local and his wife is from Ipoh, that is why he gotten the recipe of Assam Laksa from. He mentioned that he is using 2 types of fish, he acknowledged that one of them is Sardine but he refused to reveal the other type of fish listed in his recipe which is likely to be Mackerel or Kembung, he said it is their secret. Assam Laksa is also known as Penang Laksa over in Penang.

Their business seemed to be slow even though it was lunch time then with no queue. There was no customer when i went back after eating to talk with the young owner. I guess perhaps not too many locals are able to appreciate the special flavor of Assam Laksa which is distinctly different from the local laksa. It is not as spicy as expected but tangier, it could be quite a refreshing choice if you like it but you might hate if it is not your cup of tea. As compared to the other Assam Laksa i have tasted so far, this one somewhat reminded me of what i had when i was in Penang. This has to be one of the better ones that i have came across in Singapore.

Their choice of noodles is really close to those served in Penang. It looks a bit like thick bee hoon that normally use for our version of Laksa and also for those Fish Head Bee Hoon but the texture is different, it is more chewier and springer. I was told by the owner that they have it specially made to give their Assam Laksa a more authentic feel. The soup has a well-balanced sourish taste, with bits of shredded fish and chunks of pineapple also slices of tamarind, onion and cucumber, it was then topped with a thick sweet prawn paste to serve.

When i told the young owmer that his Assam Laksa is really nice and i could see his face brighten up. I wish him all the best and hopefully his stall is able to survive well and still around when i visit again.

PENANG SIGNATURE

116 Upper Bukit Timah Road #02-28 Bukit Timah Food Centre SINGAPORE 588172

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Ye Lai Xiang Laksa : A Simple Taste

This was one of the stalls opened for an early lunch when i was there on a weekday. The food centre was rather quiet at that time and there was just another customer in front of me at this stall at that time. The younger man was asking what i want and the elderly man cooked it, it was done in just a couple of minutes before he served it to me.

I requested for yellow noodles and it was served in rather rich and thick gravy which is better than most of the other Laksa out there. I could also taste an intense flavor of coconut milk added to bring forth its creaminess and further enhanced by the dried shrimps added for an aromatic flavor. It was served with slices of fishcake and tau pok together with a few cockles and a handful of bean sprouts. Though added with sambal chilli but its spiciness was still rather mild.

It might not be the best tasting Laksa that i have ever eaten but it is amongst one of the most satisfying ones. It is definitely worth a try if you happen to be here for breakfast or lunch.

Other than Laksa, they do serve Lor Mee, Prawn Mee and Fish Ball Mee too. The smaller portion for Laksa and Lor Mee is $3.00 and $3.50, the Lor Mee and Fish Ball Mee is $2.50 and $3.00.

YE LAI XIANG LAKSA

Block 4A Woodlands Centre Road #02-36 Woodlands Centre Road Food Centre

SINGAPORE 731005

Operating Hours: 3.00 am to 3.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)