About Me

I like ‘curry’ laksa, not Asam laksa. So I’m generally going to avoid reviewing them, even the best in Malaysia do not tickle my fancy and I would put that down to the sour & thin broth. I like it, but I don’t love it or dream about it like I should. 

As a benchmark, I will be reviewing chicken laksa and my chilli tolerance is pretty good. I'm half-Malaysian so if I say something is really hot then most people would think so too. If I say it’s mild and you are a wuss then you may still think it is really hot. But you a here and reading this, so I hope you can handle yourself when it comes to spicy food.

The best laksa I’ve ever eaten?

My all-time favourite laksa is at a place in Seremban, Malaysia where you get a bowl of chicken laksa for ~$1-$2 AUD (about half the size of Australian bowls) and they start serving from about 5:00 AM. It is my laksa mecca that I visit every time I am in Malaysia, so I will use that as the benchmark of a 10/10 laksa. For anyone else to get the perfect score, it really has to be up to that standard. For you Malaysians, I usually get it without the cockles (don’t judge me), I just don’t always trust them. I am not even sure if this place sells much laksa in the day/night, as we always seem to go between 6-9AM (notice the coffee).

My favourite Laksa in the WORLD - Seremban, Malaysia

 

The best laksa I’ve eaten in Australia?

...was at a place in Sydney CBD called “Michael’s”, which unfortunately closed many years ago (if anyone knows where the chef went to, please let me know). It was a tiny shop where “Deli Choice” is now, below street level near Elizabeth St in the city. The laksa was so good, that I could not bring myself to order any other dish for the two years that I frequented the place- I literally ate chicken laksa every single time.  In my books, it was an easy 9.5/10 and before anyone says it; no it was not the Malay-Chinese Takeaway!

What elements make a perfect Laksa?

1.    Soup: It needs to be flavoursome, spicy, rich & more-ish. One of the main things I note is the ratio of coconut milk to broth but it also has to have other flavours besides the stock and chilli.
2.    Noodles: I want to see not too little, not too much. Mix of vermicelli & egg noodles is ideal
3.    Chilli: If my nose doesn’t sweat a little, then this Laksa was made for noobs
4.    Chicken/Seafood/Vegetables: Should be fresh. This shouldn’t ‘make’ a Laksa, but if they mess up the ingredients, then it could break it. e.g. Frozen seafood or uncooked chicken.
5.    Tofu & Bean sprouts: The more tofu puffs, the better. Who’s with me?!
6.    Sambal: I have a personal preference for sambal that is more chilli than belachan, but that is just me. If you love really strong sambal, I will try and mention places that I think are particularly strong.