Your guide to laksa in Melbourne, from the crowd favourite to Penang’s pride
There are about a dozen varieties of laksa from Southeast Asia, but one style dominates menus locally. Why we love dark orange curry laksa, what styles we’re missing, and where you can find a good one.
Annie Hariharan
If someone walks into the city or Balwyn branch of Malaysian restaurant Kakilang and asks for laksa, restaurant co-owner Ping Ch’ng assumes they’re referring to curry laksa. Although there are about a dozen other varieties of laksa from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, curry laksa has become the go-to place in Australia (or at least in Melbourne) when noodle soup is mentioned.
“Curry laksa was only supposed to be on the menu for a limited time. But it gained popularity so quickly that we decided to remove it permanently.”[ly]Ch’ng says.
In Malaysia, the curry laksa recipe is a spice blend that usually includes turmeric, lemongrass, garlic and ginger, boiled with shrimp or chicken broth and finished with coconut milk. Yellow noodles, tofu puffs, prawns and egg strips are then added to the rich ‘curry’ to make a hearty meal.
But this is just one of the many soups that bear the name laksa. Other than that label, all they have in common is a soup base with a mix of spices, noodles, and sauces that vary depending on the region and the evolution of the dish.
Hisham Abdullah, chef and owner of another Malaysian restaurant called Kantan in Fitzroy, thinks curry laksa’s dominance over its cousins is due to the wide appeal of its flavours.
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“‘Everyday’ spices like cumin and ginger are used so most people know their taste.”
Trying to categorize or describe Southeast Asia’s various laksa dishes is like pinning jello to the wall: fun but pointless. As Hisham cheerfully says: “Laksa is like the English language: there are many exceptions as well as rules.”
Laks made with coconut milk vary from highly flavorful versions with an orange-brown hue (curry laksa, Sarawak laksa, Katong laksa, Bogor laksa) to milder-tasting, herbaceous “white” laksa (laksam). In the fish-forward category, there’s a tangy version (asam laksa) and even a famous laksa (laksa Johor) that uses spaghetti for noodles and is structured like a dry bolognese topped with fish sauce.
Among all these styles, Kakilang offers curry laksa and asam laksa, the second most well-known variety outside Malaysia.
Asam means sour in Malay, so the name gives away its flavor profile. Kakilang’s version uses fish bones and mackerel for the broth, adding belacan (fermented shrimp) and tamarind slices. The rest of the dish features thick, chewy rice noodles and freshness-inducing ingredients like pineapple chunks, cucumber, mint and torch ginger flowers.
“The sour, fishy taste may be an acquired taste,” says Ch’ng. “[But] “If people have traveled to Malaysia, especially Penang, they can order asam laksa.”
Having grown up in the island state, this pleases him because it is one of Penang’s famous dishes. But it’s definitely not as familiar to non-Malaysians as curry laksa.
Sarah Chan, executive chef of Melbourne CBD Waterside Hotelhas a different explanation for curry laksa’s dominance over other regional varieties.
“Curry laksa is mainly available in the center [peninsular] “Malaysia and Penang are much more well-traveled and known to many people,” he says. Not everyone, whether locals or visitors, ventures to the regional states, so they are less likely to experience the huge differences in laksa.
Chan speaks from experience. His hometown, Kuching Sarawak, is located on a separate island almost 1,000 kilometers from the Malaysian peninsula. Laksa, from which it takes its name, is his all-time favorite food, a fixture of his childhood.
“That was the first bite of spice I ever had as a kid, maybe six or seven years old,” he says. “Good laksa stalls are available from 7am to 11.30pm and if you go after [that]will run out.
He put the dish on the menu of Past/Port, Waterside’s restaurant, which draws inspiration from across Southeast Asia and reflects Chan’s Nyonya heritage and upbringing.
The broth is made from chicken broth and infused with shrimp shells; A strong spice mixture is made aromatic with galangal and red pepper. The laksa is then finished with coconut milk. The toppings – sliced chicken, egg strips and lemon – are inspired by Sarawak, but two large grilled king prawns from Queensland are an Australian touch and a way for Chan to showcase quality local ingredients. “It’s a little lighter than curry laksa because it uses noodles instead of thicker, yellow noodles,” he explains.
Different styles of Laksa
coconut milk versions
- Sarawak laksa
- katong laksa
- Bogor laksa
- curry laksa
- Laksam (“white” laksa)
Fish-based versions
While all laksa dishes have a strong meat or seafood component, Hisham has experimented enough to introduce a plant-based version of curry laksa.
“We started in Fitzroy and a lot of people on vegan diets were always asking us about options.”
Hisham’s curry laksa broth, which he developed over several months, uses granulated mushrooms and mushroom stock for savory notes, as well as a spice list that includes fennel seeds and coriander roots. Tofu, green beans, and roasted eggplant tie it all together.
Hisham thinks making a vegetarian version of this Malaysian classic has become much easier now that more vegan seasonings and ingredients are available. “There’s vegan fermented shrimp and vegan fish sauce, which is a soy by-product.
“Our customers love having a Malaysian restaurant that caters to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians [diners].”
Five places in Melbourne to try different laksas
For Asam laksa: Kakilang
This casual eatery in the city and in Melbourne’s east has curry laksa, a perennial favourite, but try the asam laksa. The soup is tangy and spicy and comes with plenty of mackerel chunks and cucumber strips for balance.
190 Bourke Street, Melbourne; 6/190 Belmore Road, Balwyn; kakilangckt.com
For curry laksa: Laksa King
One of the OG laksa restaurants in Melbourne, best known for its curry laksa. Whether it’s the fish head version with okra or the shredded roast duck version, each bowl is filling, delicious and generously proportioned.
6-12 Pin Oak Cres, Flemington; 3/39-51 Kingsway, Glen Waverley, laksaking.com.au
For vegan curry laksa: Kantan
At this cozy restaurant with houseplants, the curry laksa is plant-based but extremely rich and flavorful from its blend of spices. You can choose your own ingredients to create a meat-focused, vegetarian or vegan soup; This makes Kantan the perfect place for a group with different dietary requirements.
152 Kerr Street, Fitzroy, kantan.com.au
For Sarawak laksa: History/Port
This restaurant’s interior evokes the feeling of dining at a fancy Southeast Asian restaurant: green accent tiles, an intricate mural of good-luck koi fish, slow-spinning ceiling fans. Sarawak laksa is only available at lunch; The staff will thoughtfully give you an apron to protect your work clothes from soup splashes.
508 Flinders Street, watersidehotel.com.au/past-port
For vegan Sarawak laksa: Masak Masak
Southeast Asian hawker stall meets Melbourne café here. While the menu is seasonal, Sarawak laksa is a constant and is available in both meat and plant-based versions, so it’s a great choice for groups with different diets.
128 Roberts Street, Yarraville, masakmasak.carrd.co
