u/Wide_Comment3081

Hello everyone, it's Laksaturday

Friend sent me a really good Instagram post by a bloke who has had dozens of laksas in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore and Malaysia and did an excellent analysis and comparison. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link it here, basically it said Australia has a pretty homogeneous laksa culture which is wildly different to the Malaysian and singaporean offers. I'd love to travel there eventually to try some hawker food. Apparently there's a huge variety, whereas Australia tends to be mostly the curry laksa option.

Fortunately, that's is my favourite kind. Thick, rich, and spicy and oily broth heaping with seafood or chicken and various toppings. (crunchy bean sprout a must. Tendon and tripe at happy Chef!)

So, I chose a location I've heard mentioned several times. ALBEE'S delight in Campsie. I've been putting this off because I find parking in Campsie an absolute nightmare. However I was in the mood one day this week and felt it wouldn't be a super busy time.

Well it was still very busy in Campsie but I found some timed parking.

The seating is limited downstairs but there's more room upstairs. I was able to get the last table downstairs.

The menu is massive. Really big menu with lots of options, desserts, sides, I'd love to try more of this menu eventually. They even have what looks like a korean fried chicken menu with different flavours.

However today due to timed parking I hurriedly chose the seafood laksa, Hainese chicken laksa, and roti canai with beef rendang. I needed to recover from the desert dry chicken at Makan.

Was tempted to get one of the huge curry puff in the display case but resisted.

Food came out quickly, maybe around 10 minutes.

First the Hainese chicken - YESSSS this is what Hainese chicken is supposed to be like. Full of meat juices, moist, tender and plenty of the seasoned chicken skin. Pieces were on the smaller side but very delicious. Tofu sponges were also tasty and soft, and loved the plentiful crunchy bean sprouts.

The noodles were perfection. I thought it was just Vermicelli but there was Hokkien noodle hiding underneath. This is my favourite noodle texture so far. Perfect bouncy firmness and tons of it too (no up size option).

The broth LOOKS really good, but it's surprisingly a bit on the watery side. It's as if they made a really good broth but ran low of it so added a bit too much water to dilute it.

Personally I love intense salty and fatty flavour, for example I love Gumshara back fat broth. So for others this might be just fine.

Seafood laksa was also satisfying, really big fat prawns, squid tubes, fish bites, lots of it.

Roti was so so. I think i made a mistake having roti for the first time at uncle hungs because i didn't realise how good it was, not every other roti is a little disappointing. But again, I love intense rich buttery taste, so others might find this one fine.

The rendang was beautiful! Meats were tender and good portion. I also really liked their custom serving plate for the roti canai, with the bowl crafted into the plate.

Sauce station provided extra chilli and sauce options to add extra flavour to dishes.

The service is very old school Asian style. Get in order eat get out. In fact the food came out faster than the 'express' option at Ho jiak. To access the bathroom you walk right past the chefs preparing food through the kitchen.

If you're in Campsie, check them out! I will definitely return for some curry puffs and ckt.

🍜

Best overall : HAPPY CHEF Haymarket

Best broth: Malacca straits Campbelltown

Best noodle : ALBEE'S delight Campsie

Worst laksa but everything else on menu is great : DJ'S VIETNAMESE PHO

Best roti : UNCLE Hung MALAYSIAN RESTAURANT Padstow

Hello everyone it's Laksaturday

Wow it's summer now.

Still, laksa is good. All year round.

I have had a few weeks of less than ideal laksa so I decided to go to a Malaysian restaurant. Even the worst Malaysian restaurant surely will have decent laksa.

Makan is part of eat street at Ed Square in Edmondson Park. It was pretty busy in the area when I went during the week around midday. This particular restaurant was empty but filled up while I was there.

The interior decor is very nice, with high ceilings, colourful walls and retro posters of the food. The staff member was very friendly and let me sit wherever.

Alas, the lunch special was not available as it's only for Monday - Thursday.

I chose the laksa with Hainese chicken - I'll get to try two Malaysian specialties in one dish. And instead of ckt I got mee goreng, and also the roti canai dish, as I remembered how much I enjoyed the buttery roti at uncle hungs. Also extra Sambal for same reason.

The laksa gave me an option for extra spicy. I was very tempted but ultimately chickened out. Extra spicy can mean a very different thing to people.

And alas. No noodle variety.

Ordering can be done via Qr code or at the counter.

Food came out quickly, first the laksa.

Piping hot excellent. Lacking a bit of variety in toppings but that's okay. The tofu sponge was very good! Large pieces, soft, not rubbery at all and soak up that good broth. I realising I dont hate the tofu sponge. I just don't like some of them. Wish there were more bean sprouts, for crunch.

And the Hainese chicken. Oh no. It was so, so dry. This is the last thing Hainese chicken should be. And I feel like there's not enough skin? I feel like the rich, gelatinous skin is what makes Hainese chicken so good. What a bust. Should have chosen the seafood laksa.

The noodles were Vermicelli, cooked to my perfect firmness preference. Plenty of noodles.

Broth was great! Almost felt like a relief tasting creamy, salty rich laksa broth again. Definitely better than any non-Malaysian version, and certainly beats your cuppa soup. Why don't they make proper Malaysian laksa cuppa soup? I'd carry a thermos and drink it all day.

Overall, a nice bowl but very let down by the chicken.

Unfortunately the same dry chicken followed on the roti canai dish, AND the roti was not the buttery soft yet crispy delight I had had previously. It was.. Too hard? And not buttery.

Whats really great about Laksaturdays for me is that I'm learning to be quite discerning in laksa and related dishes. I'm learning my own preferences. I'm glad I got to eat less than ideal roti or less than ideal laksa because it feels even better when I get to have great laksa and great roti.

Sambal was also not as tasty as uncle hungs. I think uncle really knows what's up.

The mee goreng dish was my favourite! It was super delicious, wish plentiful seafood mixed in. I would come back for that.

Overall not the best laksa around but probably your second best option in the Campbelltown region. Malacca straits is the best. And also my top 3 overall so far.

🍜

Hello everyone it's Laksaturday.

Yes I know wtf am I doing going to a pho place for laksa. But that's the thing, I want to be pleasantly surprised by the common Vietnamese or Thai restaurant that does a smashing laksa. All the Malaysian ones have been outstanding. (happy Chef still my top no 1)

DJs is a bit of an instution and well known in Campbelltown area. They renovated recently to expand the restaurant and it's very nice and comfortable. I went around 1pm Weekday and it was about 70% full? Got a seat immediately no problem.

Auntie comes over to take your order on a tablet and food comes out very fast. I got the seafood laksa (it says VIETNAMESE laksa! Never heard of Vietname laksa. Is that a thing), pho dac biet, and the crispy crab rolls.

Also the laksa comes with noodle options : egg noodle, rice noodle, and vermicelli. I tried my luck asking auntie if I could do both egg noodle and vermicelli (mixed noods are almost a must for me now), but she looked at me sternly and said no. I chose egg noodle.

They have a little station where you can get bowls of home made chilli oil, fresh chilli, and various sauces. If you're here definitely get the chilli oil it's really good. They also sell jars of it for $7 at the counter.

First the laksa. Lots of toppings. Now I actually quite liked the tofu sponge here. Maybe the sponge is growing on me. Then raw onions! Lots of it. Unusual but I'm on onion lover so it's a plus for me. Some thick cut fish cake and squid, bean sprout, broccoli and carrot and lots of noodles. I also like broccoli but it's not typical in a laksa

Now the broth came out Piping hot which I love, but unfortunately this was the MOST watery and bland broth I've had ever in a laksa. Even my cuppa soup had more depth than this. I added some chilli oil for flavour which helped a bit.

The noodles were also a bit too firm and not quite right for this laksa bowl. Maybe vermicelli would have been a better choice.

Considering this is a Pho restaurant, it's not bad. This is like me going to a Pizzeria and getting mediocre steak. It's just not their thing. But. I want to believe there's one out there. A proud auntie or uncle who excels not only in their own cuisine but every bowl that leaves their counter. Maybe they have mixed ancestry.

Anyway it's a great meal anyway because I have the delicious pho, tons of beef and meat, the broth was a little less hot than I'd like but it's a lovely deep broth.

Then the crab crispy rolls, oh my god. I could eat 50 of those. Amazing.

Then there was a head on car collision outside the restaurant which was unfortunate but fortunately did not disrupt the diners.

Alas, my search will continue. But I will be eating some Malaysian laksa soon because I'm craving the good stuff.

If you've ever had surprisingly good laksa from a place you didn't expect good laksa, please tell me.

🍜

And a teaspoon sized wooden spoon. As per instructions.

Otherwise you end up with disillusionment about how much chicken there actually is. (frying pan is 32.5cm diameter)

Hello everyone it's Laksaturday

This week I opened Google maps to search for laksa, and I landed on Uncle Hung. Uncle Hung sounded trustworthy.

The restaurant is cute and cosy, and wasn't too busy at lunch time.

Quite a varied menu offering Malaysian dishes like mie Goreng, and roti and various noodle dishes. And sugar cane juice!

I chose the chicken & seafood laksa,$19

unfortunately no up size option available. But mixed noodle option available! I'm always going mixed nood now.

I also ordered the hor fun lunch special $13.95 and roti cheese with Dips $9.50, additional roti with egg and onion $10.

She asked if I want chilli. Of course I want chilli.

I sat along the wall bench, this bench is really high. It may be uncomfortable for tall people.

Laksa came out first. Regular sized bowl, toppings amount also medium. Just about average.

Again, the ever present tofu sponge. Not too bad here. Taste a bit like tofu, and not too rubbery. The broth is a bit thinner and watery than others I've had. Not a bad thing, some people prefer that. Taste is solid, not a strong flavour just good basic laksa. Definitely not fishy and 0 spice level.

Mixed noodles are great - the thin rice noodles here seem to be thinner than other places, it really gives a good chewing texture, together with the Hokkien and bean sprouts.

There was a cute little octopus and some squid pieces, I like those but there was not a lot of it. Only one prawn. But it is chicken and seafood mixed so if you like prawn go for just prawn option.

One downside was the broth wasnt piping hot, I want laksa to come out a little bit too hot.

Next the hor fun did come out very hot. It's surprisingly good value and big portion for $13.95 lunch special. The sauce is very delicious, and lots of meaty bits and veggies. This is a really good cheap meal.

Now you MUST ask for the extra chili sauce here!! They wouldn't tell me how to make it they said it's their own Thai/Vietnamese style chilli sauce. Omg it's so good. It's umami bomb. I seem to be building more of a spice tolerance lately, and I crave this kind of heat.

And last, the rotis - super buttery and filling, so so good. I loved the onions crunch, I think ill try the garlic butter option next time. I mopped that platter clean.

Excellent Eatery to check out if you're in the area.

If i had to rank the top three from my Laksaturdays so far, I'd have to say:

1.Happy Chef

2. Malay Malay

3. Malacca straits

But I do think it's a bit of a personal taste thing too. I'm realising that there's many styles and variations, thickness, creaminess, fishiness, toppings types and amount, noodle type, spiciness....

For me price and location /convenience factors in too.

I'm going to try some of the well known ones and more of the unknown ones in hopes of finding a hidden gem.

🍜

I don't think it's even really winter any more.

Hello it's Laksaturday.

I did it. I went to the one that gets mentioned at every laksa discussion. I went to Chinese Malay.

I went at 11am as soon as it opened and I'm glad I did, because the restaurant was full by 11.40.

I ordered the mid week special Har mee, and chicken+prawn laksa, and a char kway tweo.

Always, add chilli. I was a little afraid because I didn't know how powerful the chilli was going to be, but I'm glad I added chilli to all the dishes.

The decor is very nice here. Small, cosy, clean, open kitchen, hanging lanterns.

Wait time was short because I was the first order of the day - order #99

First, the chilli is like a Garlicky chilli crisp? Is it Sambal? Anyway it's not all that spicy but adds a ton of flavour to the dishes. I'm going to ask for extra extra chilli next time.

I started with the Har mee because for some reason clear broth before creamy broth makes sense to me.

Its a real nice flavour, not as tangy as malay Malay assam. Very delicious all round broth. Also realised they do the mixed noodles here as well, thin rice noodles +thicker yellow egg noodle. This is becoming my favourite noodle choice. Porquenolosdos.gif

Nice egg on top. If you've never tried clear broth laksa, I recommend trying this one before trying Malay Malay because it's a more all round neutrally delicious flavour profile.

The creamy laksa was a little saltier than other places, and I like that. Creamy scale 7/10. The best part was I asked for extra broth, they made me a custom little bowl of extra broth for $2. Toppings amount is generous, the king prawns are bigger than the prawns in the regular Assam. Chicken was Chunky and a tad dry. No problem, means it's healthy and good chicken.

Mixed noods as well, excellent firmness. Maybe would have liked a little more greenery but no problem. Garlic flavour is robust, I like this.

Then the char kway two, very good flavour, I dont know how they coat all the rice noodles so perfectly in the sauce. I can never get it so nice at home. I guess they're the wok professionals and I'm just an amateur. Really, really love the chilli on this dish.

People were standing with no seating left by 11.50 so I recommend getting in early for this.

This would probably be 3rd in ranking after happy Chef and Malay Malay.

🍜

Hello it's Laksaturday. Not even really winter any more it's been warm this week

This week I went to Malacca Straits in Campbelltown Mall. There's one in Ultimo as well, I dont know if it's the same owners.

Not to be confused with the Greek malaka meaning wanker : The Strait of Malacca is a busy, 900-kilometer (560-mile) water channel between Malaysia and Sumatra, Indonesia. It links the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Nearly a quarter of all global sea trade and 45% of the world's seaborne oil pass through this vital lane every year. [from Google]

Although this is a typical Chinese food court set up with your usual $14 for rice and two choices etc, they offer some distinctly Malaysian and Indo offerings, with the laksa prominently featured. They also offer roti and curry I might try that next time.

I ordered the chicken option for $16 and had to get some sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef and fried rice as well.

Firstly, this is the best food court laksa I've ever had. It 'exceeds expectations'.

Toppings : we start with the typical bland tofu sponge. Not a big fan of this one, just filler. But there were only a couple pieces. Chicken was extremely soft and white, almost like fish. I don't mind this kind of texture but I will probably choose beef or seafood next time.

The thin white rice noodles is the perfect consistency and soaked up the broth well. There was a LOT of noodles you certainly won't be hungry. Wish there was a bit more bean sprouts or variety but I don't really expect much more from a $16 food court option.

Most importantly the broth. This is a very balanced option. Definitely notice its less salty, certainly not spicy. A highly non-polarising, non-fishy, not too creamy, non-individual flair - just a very solid base of good ingredients and pleasing flavour. It will be happily eaten by anyone. The sustainable packaging biodegradable bowl is smaller than every other Laksaturday location, so there was less broth. Which is a shame. I might try to ask nicely for a bit extra next time.

The owner is very proud of the laksa. She told me they only use fresh ingredients and make it in house. There's sriracha and soy available at the counter.

As a bonus, they also have the best sweet sour pork I've ever had at a food court, maybe even better than traditional Chinese restaurants. Perfect sauce and batter, big plump juicy pieces. I'm gonna go back doe that.

🍜

Hello everyone

Its Laksaturday. Cold mornings but warmer days now.

This week I chose MALAY MALAY - not Chinese Malay, which I will eventually get to. Chinese Malay seems to be basically everyone's favourite so there's no doubt whether its good or not.

MALAY MALAY is a Malaysian restaurant run by Malaysian native chefs. They are located right next to the market city building.

I went around 2pm and it was easy to get a seat and order right away. I really like the decor and cosiness of the restaurant. And the bamboo tray for cutlery.

The reason I chose this place is because they appear to have a type of laksa called penang Asam laksa. This is different to the creamy rich broth I usually think of as laksa. But of course I also had to try their signature curry laksa. I chose Hainese Chicken as the topping. $40 for two bowls.

Firstly, they both came with a very impressive mountain of toppings. And interestingly, the curry laksa has two types of noodles - the yellow egg noodles on top and thin rice noodles at the bottom. The slight differences in texture actually works really well. Then the chicken - I haven't had Hainese chicken in ages and this was SO tasty. Super soft tender juicy flesh, and plenty of the meat too. Very generous with the topping amount. Really recommend the Hainese chicken here! The broth was also deeply flavoured and delicious, bit less creamy, perhaps a bit more fish flavour. Loved it.

Then actually one of the most interesting meals I've had for a while - the assam penang laksa - it also came with a mountain of toppings. I love mackerel, that was a big plus. Small fish should be way more common on menus. And it has onion, PINEAPPLE, and CUCUMBER. I thought Korean cold naengmyun is the only noodle dish with cucumber on it, but it works surprisingly well in this hot, tangy, sweet fishy broth. Pineapple pieces in hot broth - also just works like magic with this combination. Then you have slices of chilli as well. It's a real party of flavours all completed by the tamarind and fishy broth. White rice noodles were the perfect firmness.

I highly highly recommend trying the penang Assam laksa if you haven't, it so interesting and delicious. If you're not into those flavours, have the Hainese chicken on the curry laksa. The chicken + mixed noodle type adds a bit of something different to to a solid delicious laksa.

MALAY MALAY also seems to have quite a big menu including yum cha dishes, seafood crab etc. Im keen to try more next time.

🍜

Hello everyone, it's Laksaturday

This week I chose HAPPY CHEF which has been mentioned a lot on reddit. You enter the building from Chinatown or Sussex Street, up the escalators to the top floor and there's a cute cosy little food court.

I can't believe I didn't go to Sussex St food court more, it's so close to my work. There's cheap delicious looking options, I'll definitely be back here. Thanks for the recommendation reddit.

I went right at 11am and it was really easy to find a seat and order. I imagine it might get busy later.

I ordered the spicy tripe and tendon laksa and the wonton laksa. This was the perfect choice as I got to taste the two broth versions. You also get to choose the noodle type, small egg, rice stick, fresh rice, or large egg.

Extra large for +$4 each. $50 for two bowls.

The shop lady called me darling I kinda like that.

You can scoop yourself the home made condiments including chilli oil, sate, etc. I got little scoops of these for a taste - definitely try these as they are bloody good. I didn't add them to the laksa because I didn't want to change the taste, but i just used them like appetiser

Food came out very quick, only waited 7-8 minutes I think.

The spicy tripe and tendon : wow I really really liked this. The powerful beefy taste permeates the broth, adds a spicy kick and depth of flavour I haven't experienced before. I'm also an offal lover and really enjoyed the Chunky juicy tendon and tripe pieces. AND it has juicy meaty Wontons as well. The Wontons are really impressive, I feel like they are so much meatier and delicious than most frozen Wontons. Maybe they make them too.

Also I normally don't really like the big spongy pieces of tofu I feel like they're kind of tasteless. But for some reason I really liked the ones here. Like soft sponges for the delicious delivery of broth

Tons of toppings, absolutely addictive.

The smoother wonton laksa was just as amazing. The depth of flavour is incredible. The creaminess and saltiness blends perfectly together, Id really like to know the recipe to this broth. The Wontons are plentiful and meaty. Both bowls came out nice and hot, I got a little sweaty even. Was incredibly satisfying.

I would definitely carry a Thermos of these two broths and drink it all day. Only regret is that I chose fresh rice noodle for one bowl and the noodles were quite soft. I still finished it. The small egg noodles were perfection. I might try the large egg noodle as well next time.

I cleared the two bowls, now I was a HAPPY DINER. I was also intrigued by the nutty pho at the next door shop pho vien, and Ken chan curry. I'll absolutely be back for more laksa and other options. You even get a prime high rise view out the dirty windows! Very exclusive kind of dining experience in Sydney.

Hello everyone it's Laksaturday.

I've been really sick with the flu and laksa was perfect.

bit about laksa : it generally comes from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. You'll find it at many Chinese and Thai restaurants too, but i guess you probably won't get something amazing as a place that specialises in it.

Varieties : (from Google)

Curry Laksa (Laksa Lemak): Popular in places like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, this version features a rich, creamy, and spicy coconut milk broth.

Asam Laksa: Originating from Penang, Malaysia, this variation uses a sour, tangy tamarind broth instead of coconut milk and is topped with flaked mackerel.

Sarawak Laksa: Hailing from the Malaysian state of Sarawak on Borneo, this complex broth blends shrimp paste, tamarind, and coconut milk.

Indonesian Laksa: Varieties across Indonesia range from the coconut and turmeric-heavy Laksa Betawi (Jakarta) to the distinct shrimp and mung bean sprout-based Laksa Bogor.

The name itself is widely believed to come from the ancient Sanskrit word laksha, meaning "many" or "various"—a nod to the dish's complex mix of spices and ingredients.

This week I tried the well known franchise PAPPARICH.

Now I did get this delivered since im so sick , and was pleasantly surprised to find the food piping hot. I have been to the restaurant in Macarthur Square before and it's clean and nice.

Firstly I really appreciated the amount of toppings - whole lemon grass? Tofu, fish slices? And some meaty chewy thing which might be called foo chok. And eggplant! Unexpectedly it was big Chunky pieces of eggplant. Really liked that.

Noodles were the yellow Hokkien noodle instead of white rice vermicelli, I like both - maybe it's an Indonesian /malay/difference? They were a tiny bit soft but that might be because I had them delivered. Probably a lot better fresh.

Broth, most important - I believe this is the slightly less creamy, more fish forward salty type. Delicious and fragrant, people who don't like too much creaminess will like this. Personally I prefer creamy broth, I could buckets of creamy broth like at Ngoodle, I would absolutely carry a Thermos of laksa broth. Pappas broth is excellent too, and I appreciate the addition of lemon grass.

The franchises are nice and clean, kiosk ordering system. I'll try out their roti / Nasi dishes next time.

🍜

The peanut soup had a delicious spiciness that reminds me of laksa. I tried each of the swallow (the dough ball) and my favourite is fufu. Omotuo and sadza is basically just plain rice ball. Banku has a sour fermented taste which is strangely addictive. Fufu is most wholesome and delicious in my opinion

Laksa is the perfect winter food. It's warming, creamy, savoury, and you can control the level of spice.

I realised I love laksa a lot but just haven't had enough of it, I usually lean towards ramen, jjigae, or pho.

So I shall try at least one new laksa a week this winter.

NGOODLE ASHFIELD

They offer the 'extreme' spicy laksa (available in hot, very hot, extreme) 🔥 which my friends felt confident they could handle. I offered to pay for their dinner if they could finish it. They took me up on my offer so we went.

I'm actually a spice coward so I stuck with pho and mild laksa.... Normally I think restaurants should specialise in one cuisine or they'll be mediocre in both, but i was pleasantly surprised to find both very delicious. They make their laksa paste in house, with turmeric curry powder, chicken broth and kaffir lime and shrimp. Very flavourful!

One of the two guys who took me up on my challenge finished the bowl, they were both slightly different colours compared to before starting, but they both smashed it. One just got too full from the rich broth but he handled it like a champ. They provide generous servings.

Lovely cosy restaurant, park at the Ashfield mall and two minute walk. You can buy their home made chilli oil at the counter. You can get some Indian sweets at the Indian supermarket across the road afterwards.

Incredible thanks to u/vbrown17 for this fantastic box full of my favourite things... Pickle flavour, spicy flavour, lollies, licorice, and something really special... A hand knit pair of socks!

I've never had a bespoke custom made piece of clothing before and this is really an honour. They fit perfectly and feel so lovely. It's winter here in Australia so they are perfect.

I love everything!! Thank you 😍

$279.