Lau Hong Ser Rojak: Homemade sauce at 50-year-old stall open till 1am

Widely acclaimed as serving one of the best rojak ever, Lau Hong Ser Rojak in Dunman Food Centre has built quite the reputation over the past 50 years. Virtually everyone in Katong knows of this rojak stall, that’s for sure.

Despite the hype about all the new joints like Two Men Bagel House and ToMo Cafe in the Katong area, residents often crave classic comfort foods. For some, that’s rojak, which this Dunman Food Centre stall excels at.

Started in 1974, Lau Hong Ser Rojak has to be one of the oldest stalls out there that has stayed in the same space all the way. OG founder Mr Lim started here helping out his dad when he was still in secondary school and has now taken over with his wife. His 2 children can be seen helping out occasionally, and I saw one of his sons there during my visit.

Thanks to their famously long waiting time, the stall has invested in beepers to let customers know when to pick up their food.

Normally, waiting time can be up to 30 minutes. However, due to a slight misunderstanding, I waited about an hour. As Uncle was extremely apologetic, I did not mind it all that much.

What I tried at Lau Hong Ser Rojak

Uniquely enough, this stall has 2 renditions of rojak. One is the classic rojak we all know and love, while the other has a special twist with intriguing additions such as century egg and cuttlefish. Of course, I had to try out their original Rojak (S$3) to see what all the hype is about.

Coming in 5 different sizes (S$3/S$4/S$5/S$6/S$8), it is just as good if you want your rojak as a snack or light meal.

At first glance, I will say that the variety within is on the scarce side. Poking around, I could find more ingredients from the fruit and vegetable family, including pineapples, cucumbers, turnips and a handful of bean sprouts.

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To my surprise, the freshness of the healthy goods was wholly satisfying! Extra crunchy cucumber and turnip paired very well with that nutty sauce, giving a lightness to the dish. On the other hand, I adored how sweet the pineapple wedges were, a testament to how fresh the pineapple was.

There were also a couple of pieces of you tiao, which had a slight crispiness when bitten into. I felt that it could be grilled longer as I can’t taste the smoky flavour everyone had been raving about. This could just be my personal taste, too, as I am quite a lover of heavier flavours.

My plate of rojak was lacking in the tau pok department, only having a single measly piece. However, it was understandable on my end. It is a S$3 portion, so a small amount is to be expected.

Even a rojak beginner like myself could tell that this sauce was special. Handmade right at the Lau Hong Ser Rojak stall, this rojak sauce uses shrimp paste from Penang. Mr Lim’s secret chilli paste and peanut powder is toasted and grinded here, too. True dedication, there’s no doubt!

And it shows in its taste. With an incredibly savoury flavour from the shrimp paste, the sauce went perfectly with the light powdering of peanuts. I thoroughly enjoyed the slight kick of heat, which made me want to eagerly gobble up more of the ingredients. It is on the sweeter side, which may put off some rojak fans who are not into that.

Final thoughts

Lau Hong Ser Rojak remains a must-try not just at Dunman Food Centre but Katong as a whole. Next time, I’ll be sure to add some cuttlefish for an extra punch of indulgence. Grab some satay or soya bean while waiting, you won’t regret it!

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