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Think you’ve seen all there is to eat around Petaling Street? A little detour down one of Chinatown’s quieter side roads might just change your mind. Laksa Tiam, which opened in June 2026, brought southern Thai-inspired laksa with freshly made rice noodles.
The menu features bowls ranging from turmeric-infused fish laksa to fragrant green curry chicken. Laksa Tiam is also under Old China Cafe, the long-standing Nyonya restaurant known for its traditional Peranakan fare.
What to order at Laksa Tiam
The menu is fairly simple, with 4 varieties of Thai-inspired laksa alongside cendol and drinks. Each bowl costs RM18, or RM22 when paired with a Lemongrass Lime drink. Naturally, we went for the combo.
We started with the Green Curry Chicken Laksa, which delivered the fragrant, herbaceous flavours you’d expect from a good green curry. The broth was flavourful and tasted fairly authentic, although it leaned a little salty for my liking.
Its freshly made rice noodles were on the softer side, breaking apart more easily than I would have preferred. Still, I enjoyed their silky texture, which soaked up the curry nicely.
There was plenty going on in the bowl, too, including chicken, eggplant, suan cai, bean sprouts, long beans, cucumber and egg. The assortment gave each mouthful a mix of textures, making this a hearty option for anyone who enjoys their laksa loaded with ingredients.
However, if you’re visiting for the first time, I’d actually recommend skipping the Signature Turmeric Fish Laksa in favour of the Prawn Peanut Laksa. The staff recommended this one to us, and spoiler alert: it was damn good.
For RM18, the prawns were generous in both quantity and size, and thankfully, they were already deveined. The bowl came with a similar assortment of vegetables and other ingredients as the Green Curry Chicken Laksa, with the prawns taking centre stage.
But honestly, the broth was what made this bowl memorable. It’s difficult to pin down exactly what went into it, but the closest comparison I could make was sambal udang, with a subtle hint of kerisik lending it an almost toasted, nutty depth. It was savoury, fragrant and deeply moreish, with a flavour unlike the usual laksa broths I’ve tried. I’d go as far as saying it was one of the most distinctive laksa broths I’ve tasted.
Look a little deeper into the bowl and you’ll find crushed peanuts, adding another layer of texture and nuttiness to the mix. Every spoonful had me going back for more, and this was easily my favourite of the two. If you’re someone who enjoys bold, savoury flavours, I’d say this is the bowl to order.
To wash everything down, we had the Lemongrass Lime drink. It was refreshing, although the lemongrass was more pronounced than the lime. I appreciated that the sugar syrup came separately, allowing us to adjust the sweetness to our liking rather than having it dictated to us.
Who is Laksa Tiam best for?
Laksa Tiam is worth a visit for anyone looking to switch up their usual Chinatown food crawl with something a little different. The cosy dining space suits casual meals with friends, although it can feel a little stuffy, especially when the restaurant gets busy.
Its location also makes it a convenient lunch option for office workers around the area, so expect more of a crowd during peak hours.
One thing to note is that the restaurant is located upstairs and has no lift, which may pose a challenge for wheelchair users and diners with mobility difficulties.
How to get there?
Laksa Tiam is a short walk from Pasar Seni MRT Station, making it relatively easy to reach by public transport. If you’re exploring Petaling Street on foot, it’s also worth adding to your itinerary when you need a break from the main thoroughfare.
Do we recommend Laksa Tiam?
Yes, particularly if you enjoy laksa but are keen to try something beyond the familiar local versions. The Green Curry Chicken Laksa makes for a satisfying bowl, but the Prawn Peanut Laksa is what truly won me over. Its distinctive, sambal udang-like broth with a hint of kerisik was so memorable that I’d happily return just to have it again.
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