Laksa mai hum?
For those who love to indulge in a rich bowl of laksa without those pesky cockles, Laksa Labo is the place to be. Seriously.
Located along McNair Road, the relatively new stall represents an intersection between the old and the new.
It shares the same coffee shop as Wild Coco – a Nasi Lemak joint known for its resemblance to the famous The Coconut Club. The reason is no other than the fact that Laksa Labo has the same owner as Wild Coco.
The recipe behind the Laksa comes from a long-time laksa hawker, who took his trusted treasure and worked on it further with the much younger owner.
Even so, the heart and soul of every bowl of laksa, the rempah, has its old-school taste kept unchanged. The spice paste shines through in the laksa broth made fresh every day.
In the rustic setting of a kopitiam, order Laksa Labo’s Classic Laksa ($6.50) to start.
It comes served with a peeled tiger prawn, fish cake, tau pok, and yup without cockles. Those fond of the crustacean will definitely miss its presence, but the star is the broth.
This version has a heavier emphasis on coconut milk, probably because of the influence from the nasi lemak-toting owner.
It gave the broth a richer, creamier, and smoother taste, although it toned down the sharp edge from the spice paste.
To be honest, when I first took the first sip, I expected the gravy to be more flavourful, say with more of the shrimp taste. But it was mild.
The ‘trick’ is to mix in more of the sambal chilli, then it would be more pleasing to have, especially when soaked up by the tofu puffs.
I could also taste the freshness of the tiger prawn, which is freshly purchased every morning.
Other variations include the Premium Laksa ($9.50), which comes with more tiger prawn, more fish cake, and more tau pok.
The Seafood Laksa ($14.50) is the full lineup, with the addition of a scallop and pacific clams. There is also an Eggy Laksa ($6.50), which serves a sunny side-up instead of prawns.
If there is not enough, you can also order the signature Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah Leg ($11.80) with coconut rice, egg, ikan billis, peanuts, sambal and cucumber.
If you come during Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, there is the Chicken Curry ($14.80) special which promises a fiery and coconuty-rich punch.
Laksa Labo
122 McNair Road #01-45, Singapore 320122
Opening Hours: 10am – 8:15pm (Mon – Sat), 8:30am – 3pm (Sun)
Other Related Entries
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Heng Heng Cooked Food (Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre)
63 Laksa (Ghim Moh Food Centre)
Janggut Laksa (Queensway)
Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Laksa (Alexandra Village Food Centre)
* Written by Daniel Ang and Dean Ang. Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
