I believe that there is always at least one dish on everyone’s list of “comfort foods” that is incredibly sinful. There are multiple on mine, but today we’re looking at laksa. Specifically, Singapore’s best-rated laksa. Clocking in at a solid 4.6 stars with 547 reviews (at time of writing) on Google is Katong Laksa (George’s), also known as George’s Laksa.
We’ve covered George’s Laksa before, but now, we’re back to see if his laksa can hold onto its rating and be worthy of the “best-rated” title.
George’s Laksa is located along Changi Road, and when I arrived at 9.30am, it was quiet and peaceful. The eatery was empty except for one other customer, serenely enjoying his bowl of laksa. George himself was seated at the front of his stall, and the moment he saw me heading towards it, he got up and gave me a kind smile while I decided what to order.
What I tried at George’s Laksa
The only thing on the menu is Katong Laksa (S$5/S$6/S$7). Feeling a little more ambitious than usual, I ordered the S$6 portion and requested additional cockles. “Will be S$2, okay?” George said. I nodded – it’s a price I’m more than willing to pay for more of my favourite laksa topping.
Just a few short moments later, I was served my bowl of Katong Laksa, with laksa leaves and some sambal neatly placed on the sides. I immediately dived right in and mixed everything up.
If you don’t have the gravy right, the laksa falls apart. And this is some very, very good laksa gravy. Creamy from the coconut milk, yet not surfeiting. Full-bodied and brimming with umami from the generous amounts of dried shrimp bits. Everything felt balanced and it took a lot of restraint to not wolf the rest of the bowl down.
Katong-style laksa is usually served with noodles that have been cut into shorter strands, meaning you only need a spoon to eat it. At George’s, you get a pair of chopsticks and the noodles here are relatively long. Not an issue in my eyes, but if you’re wearing light colours, be careful as voracious slurping can cause the gravy to splatter on your clothes.
There was a generous amount of respectably sized cockles in my bowl. I did find the texture of some of them a bit more “gummy” and slimy than expected, but they were fresh-tasting and held their own in the gravy.
George didn’t skimp on the prawns, either. Despite not requesting extra, there were enough of these slightly sweet crustaceans to accompany every other spoonful of laksa.
Final thoughts
I usually don’t finish an entire bowl of laksa because, well, laksa is high in calories and I’m just not built for it nowadays. But at George’s Laksa, it’s so good that the calories don’t count. I polished off the whole bowl and almost regretted not getting the S$7 portion.
The one ingredient missing from this bowl that I’m used to having is tau pok, but upon reflection, it wouldn’t really have contributed anything meaningful to it – the laksa was already pretty much perfect as it was.
Sitting at a quiet eatery on a tranquil morning, listening to the sounds of cars passing while eating a bowl of really good laksa gave me a sense of peace. I would gladly return here to have more of this culinary treasure.
Expected damage: S$5 – S$7 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 4.5 / 5
Katong Laksa (George's)
307 Changi Road, Singapore 419785
Katong Laksa (George's)
307 Changi Road, Singapore 419785
