Malaysia
Singapore
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Finally! In our cheap vs expensive showdown series, I’ve reached laksa — one of my all-time favourite dishes that I… ahem… seldom eat because I’m getting older and more health-conscious these days.
I grew up with a Peranakan grandmother who would occasionally prepare this rich, luxurious treat for our family. Who can resist the harmony of Asian spices, tamarind, coconut milk, and dried shrimp, all perfectly paired with the aromatic notes of laksa leaves? I know I can’t!
Be it Penang assam laksa, laksa Johor, or the usual Singapore-style laksa — I love them all!
Contenders
The first is Sungei Road Laksa, one of the more widely-advertised food spots among foreign tourists on YouTube. I’ve visited or strolled past the kopitiam at 27 Jalan Berseh at least 5 times, and trust me, there’s a constant queue formed up in front of the stall EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.
Have I tried their laksa before? No. I’ve heard so many good things about it from friends and online netizens, yet I’ve never had the patience to queue for it. While waiting in line, I also learnt that they cook the laksa with charcoal — though I’m not sure if that makes a difference. Unlike BBQ food, laksa isn’t grilled over charcoal directly — tsk tsk.
The atas contender is Peppermint at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay. Believe me, I’ve always come here for their buffet, but it never occurred to me to try the à la carte menu.
The restaurant features an Urban Farm, where chefs harvest ingredients like laksa leaves, lemongrass, and chilli padi to use in their dishes.
Portion & Pricing
Sungei Road Laksa has just a singular S$4 option, with extra add-ons like Cockles (+S$1), Bean Sprouts (+$0.50), and Fishcake (+S$1).
My colleague, Dean and I agreed that the bowl reminded us of those typically used for desserts such as chendol — a little underwhelming in terms of portion size. But hey! At that price point, I shouldn’t complain?
My S$4 bowl had thick bee hoon with fishcake slices, 5 cockles, tau geh, a dollop of sambal, and slivers of daun kesum. Even after polishing off every single morsel and drop, I wasn’t full (and excuse me — I’m not a big eater). For a substantial meal, one would need to order 2 bowls to feel satisfied.
Peppermint’s Singapore Lobster Laksa (S$38++) may seem pricy to some, but as an ex-hotelier myself, it’s actually good value for money. 4 Seasons Hotel, for example, charges S$34 for their laksa which contains quail eggs, cockles, scallops and prawns.
Over here, you’ll just need to top up an additional S$4++ to get half a lobster together with an entire claw, and not forgetting the 2 plump scallops, prawns, fishcake, bean sprouts, and tau pok.
Noodles & Chilli
Both establishments use the run-of-the-mill thick rice noodles (chor bee hoon) for their laksa. I would say that both sides cooked them perfectly and didn’t leave me with a lacklustre, soggy noodle situation.
That being said, I felt that Peppermint’s noodles (top right in photo) were of better quality, with a slight chewiness in every bite.
Though the sambal at Sungei Road Laksa wasn’t as generously portioned as the one served at Peppermint, it made up for it with its robust flavour. Just imagine 1kg of dried shrimp crammed into that small lump. That’s exactly how it tasted — full of umami, shrimpy goodness!
On the other hand, Peppermint’s sambal was mildly sweet, similar to those used in nasi lemak. It wasn’t bad, but Sungei Road Laksa left a stronger impression.
Ingredients
Instinctively, I dived straight for the cockles at Sungei Road Laksa first. They were plump and tasted fresh, with no off-putting fishy notes.
For Peppermint’s Singapore Lobster Laksa, the scallop and prawns were cooked flawlessly — fresh, firm, and boasting a pearl-like colour. Even the lobster was naturally sweet and delicious. Score!
The tau pok was an excellent vessel for the laksa broth, squeezing out the liquid in every direction as I bit into it.
Gravy
Determining which establishment’s gravy was better was probably the most difficult part. Sungei Road Laksa’s broth might have looked a little on the watery side, but after taking a sip, I was blown away. It was actually well-balanced, flavourful but not overly rich. I could even finish drinking the broth.
On the other side of the spectrum, Peppermint’s gravy was viscous, possessed a rich depth of flavour, and was soooooo lemak! Even the bits of laksa leaves that hitched a ride on my spoon added to the experience. The only issue was that it could get a little too jelak halfway through.
Final thoughts
I’ll be real with you. This was probably the toughest showdown I’ve ever done, as both Sungei Road Laksa and Peppermint delivered excellent takes on the dish. Both had their hits and misses, with each rendition showcasing its own distinct style.
Ultimately, the winner for me is Sungei Road Laksa, based solely on how often I’d go back for it without feeling too overwhelmed. I loved how well-balanced it was— neither too rich nor too underwhelming. I didn’t even miss the prawns!
Xiao Di Fried Prawn Noodle ($6) vs Reverie ($32): Kopitiam stall or restaurant does it better?
