When it comes to local comfort food, laksa remains a dish close to the hearts of many Singaporeans: cue the famous 328 Katong Laksa and OG Janggut Laksa, which has its roots dating back to the 1950s. One lesser-known gem is The Asian Makanstall at Chinatown Complex Food Centre, where you can buy a bowl of laksa for just $2.
My colleague and I started with the highly anticipated Katong Laksa ($2), which came in a small bowl generously filled with thick rice noodles, tau pok, fishcakes, and tau gay. We loved the attention to the presentation and felt that the vibrant colours of the chilli, chopped laksa leaves, and yellow laksa broth enhanced the dish.
Interestingly, a house-made, tangy belachan chilli was served instead of the typical sambal chilli.Â
The broth was extremely fragrant, and it only took a bite of this creamy-savoury dish to get our approval.Â
What truly blew us away was the broth, as the umami flavours of the rempah stood out with every sip, and the creaminess of the fresh coconut milk was not too cloying. We loved that the soup carried a kick of spice, and the belachan chilli zhnged it up with its tangy notes. If you can handle some heat, we recommend asking for more chilli for a punchier flavour.
While this was a small bowl of laksa, we were satisfied with the creamy soup and substantial portion of tang hoon. I reckon the serving would be just nice for small eaters.
Unfortunately, the Mee Hoon Goreng ($4) wasn’t available during our visit, so we tried the Chicken Laksa ($5.50) instead. It featured the same ingredients as the Katong Laksa but was served in a larger bowl with thick chicken thigh slices.
The chicken slices resembled those typically served in a chicken rice dish. Our only gripe was that the meat could have been more flavourful as it was a tad bland, though we appreciated the tender texture.
If you love cockles, the Traditional Cockles Laksa ($5), served in a medium-sized bowl, is for you. It has the same ingredients as the Chicken Laksa, but with chicken slices swapped out for fresh cockles instead.
It was a pity that there were only a handful of cockles and they were gone in no time. But this isn’t to say the meal wasn’t hearty; in fact, the substantial laksa noodles were enough to fill us up.
The Asian Makanstall is tucked away in a quiet corner of the Chinatown Complex Food Centre. We visited at 11am on a weekday and there wasn’t a crowd!
Check out our Instagram video for our review!
If you can’t get enough of this beloved local delight, read our guide to the best laksa in Singapore. Otherwise, if you’re in the area, check out Durian Haus for an extensive range of durian drinks and desserts.
Address: 355 Smith Street, #02-055, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 2pm
Website
The Asian Makanstall is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.