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When we talk about ‘kings’ in the context of Singaporean food, I’m sure your mind turns to King of Fried Rice. But what if I told you that there’s one for laksa too? Enter King of Laksa, located along Geylang Road, proclaiming themselves the monarch of the laksa business in Singapore. But who are they, and do they deserve such a lofty title?
King of Laksa is run by a husband-and-wife duo, Kotthika and Dr. Qian Yu. Before they became chefs, Kotthika and his wife ran a business helping people slim down and lose weight. During these classes, they’d often serve bowls of home-cooked laksa to their clients to prove that healthy meals can taste good too. These soulful bowls were so popular that the duo eventually decided to open a stall selling them.
But what’s so special about King of Laksa? According to Kotthika, they pride themselves on serving laksa that’s free of salt, sugar, MSG, and preservatives.
What I tried at King of Laksa
Of course, the only thing on King of Laksa’s menu is their laksa (S$7/8), with the daring option of a humful version full of cockles at S$10. Being somewhat of a cockle connoisseur, I took the additional S$2 shot to my wallet.
As the bowl of piping hot laksa arrived, it was once again reiterated to me that it contained no salt, MSG, sugar, or preservatives. The blood red cockles made a nice visual contrast against the milky orange of the laksa, enticing me even more. They were a bit slippery, but tasted fresh while absorbing the laksa gravy.
The gravy’s scent also helped mask the typical odour that drives people away from cockles, which was a nice touch.
The bowl of laksa also came with a spoonful of dark red, fragrant chili that tasted of dried shrimp and onions. Tossing it into the laksa gave it that final umami-filled kick it needed to complete the dish.
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As I was giving the laksa a good mix, I realised that the noodles were cut into small strands, making them much easier to scoop. I was tempted to ditch my pair of chopsticks and devour the laksa with just my spoon, but societal expectations and decorum prevented me from eating like a gremlin.
Something that immediately stood out was also the complete lack of that oily surface layer that’s common to most bowls of laksa. Kotthika told me this was intentional, and was an indicator that the dish is all-around healthier.
The gravy itself wasn’t as deep as I expected it to be, with most of the bowl’s real estate taken up by the noodles and tau geh. It was, however, quite thick, with a balance of milky richness and umami goodness from the dried shrimps that make every slurp go down with wholesome warmth.
I also want to praise how King of Laksa prepares their prawns, as these were the easiest prawns to consume, ever. There’s no need to de-shell them, with only the head being attached. Even then, it slid off the prawn so gracefully, even with my weak grip of the chopsticks.
As I was gleefully slurping my laksa, the owner checked in on me and asked how the food was. With a mouthful of noodles, I told him the laksa was very unique and flavourful. He then handed me a small plastic saucer of chili, stating with a grin that it’s something I’ve “never tried before.”
At first, I assumed it was just another serving of his chili. But the owner explained that this version is crispier.
Sure enough, this variant of chili added yet more texture to the already packed laksa. Apparently, this is also the owner’s favourite recipe of chili.
Final thoughts
I think this might be my favourite laksa place in all of Singapore. King of Laksa has managed to put together a compelling bowl of laksa without all the sinful and guilty elements commonly associated with the dish. It’s a much-needed break from all the oily fast food chains and salty instant noodles many of us consume every day.
Have we just crowned Singapore’s official king of laksa? In my opinion, yes.
Expected damage: S$7 – S$10 per pax
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