Monday, April 30, 2007

San Katong Laksa @ Holland Village, Singapore



What a hectic weekend! First, we kicked off the first food bloggers gathering at Sandias, Plaza Damansara on Friday night. That was super fun. Just imagine lots of people mingling together in a tiny space with just nicknames and blog references to pair the faces with plus the influence of Martell cocktails. I won't be blogging about it (I took a well deserved holiday since I slogged over the arrangements) but keep an eye out at the other food bloggers as there will be lots of coverage. Then we made a quick weekend trip down south. This time round, the trip was much more relaxed versus my whirlwind one a few weeks back. Managed to also eat at other places.



Since we had to be at Chip Bee Gardens in the afternoon, we decided to lunch around Holland Village. Although we could have eaten elsewhere, we were slightly paranoid about the weather since the last trip saw us getting stuck due to a huge rainstorm. Rather than park our butts in a swanky place, we opted to sample the Katong Laksa stall. I distinctly remember my first Katong Laksa a few years back. Although the circumstances relating to my previous Singapore trip wasn't too pleasant and extremely stressful, the laksa made a real impact to me as it was so nice and comforting. Creamy with lots of coconut milk till it's more milky white versus the red hue we are used too, it's doubly comforting with it's cut up strands of thick vermicelli. These noodles are the same type used in fish head noodles. Slurp down the strands with a spoon given (chopsticks not required, another plus point since I am chopsticks challenged) with a cockle or sliced fishcake and prawns.



It's interesting to note how they cook the laksa - after you place the order at the counter, they start preparing your order. Cut up strands of noodles are placed in the bowl with cockles, fish cake and prawns. The lady will ladle the laksa broth being boiled over the hot fire in the bowl and then pour it back again to the pot. She does this a total of three times and just before the final time, a spoonful of tiny dried prawns is added to the bowl. According to her, this method is to heat up the cold noodles which I suspect has been precooked already. It's an excellent idea as the laksa is served to you piping hot. Just add a sprinkle of shredded laksa leaves or a spoonful of their sambal if you prefer it super spicy.

I also ordered a portion of otak-otak (otah) to sample. Tastewise, it was pretty good with the right balance of spiciness and herbs plus slight smokiness. Aside from Katong Laksa, this shop also sells nasi lemak with an array of side dishes. So next time if you're in this area, do give this stall a try.

San Katong Laksa
29B, Lorong Liput
Holland Village
Singapore

(Pork free. Open from 8.30 am till 10.30 pm daily. Prices range from 3 to 4 Singapore dollars for the laksa.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

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13 comments:

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

thanks alot for organising the meeting!..it was nice meeting you..man u really go to such extremes to cover good food ar..even all the way to singapore..!

Tummythoz said...

Yeah! Thank you so very much for getting all of us together. I had a most memorable time!

wmw said...

Hey, you're back! Or are you blogging from Singapore? Thanks again for getting the group together.

Precious Pea said...

Boo, thanks for your hardwork! How was your trip to Singapore? Hope to catch up with you and the girls again soon.

Praveen R. said...

I remember eating at this joint during my last trip. The sambal adds a mean oomph to the curry.

backStreetGluttons said...

This laksa really looks creamy and different. Also orangy.
Must have tasted unique.

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

The laksa certainly looks delicious. Is it a fishy tasting broth or more like the curry laksa we're familiar with except that it's more creamy less chilli? I didn't know you were chopsticks challenged? Must observe next time! ;-)

polarbear said...

hi...am Singaporean in KL here...got me craving for the laksa back home -_-

this outlet is good but not the best...heh...

there is a nice cupcake place nearby at Chip Bee Gardens...
http://www.carnivalandco.com/

anyway the closest thing to the laksa back home i found in KL is at Damasara Jaya...Atria Complex Kopitiam's Curry Mee...quite good too :)

Babe_KL said...

wow really a whirlwind trip eh? anyway, thanks again for organising last Fri's do.

Kenny Mah said...

Dear Boo,
Thanks for organising last Friday's dinner get-together @ Sandias. After the initial scare of being booked out, I'm glad Nisa and I managed to make it and meet all the wonderful people there that night. (Well, most of them, anyway...)

It's a pity you aren't blogging about it, but this post on laksa by way of S'pore more than makes up for it --- love the first pic! :)

boo_licious said...

joe - nice meeting you and thxs for changing the nickname as it's easier now to reply.

tummythoz - glad you enjoyed yrself.

wmw - LOL, am back of course. No problems, next one you organise?

precious pea - Spore was good. Managed to get some good eats this time round. Yeah, we must catch up for makan one day.

praveen - yeah, the sambal is really spicy as my friend added loads in hers.

team bsg - mild type similar to the Penang style.

lemongrass - not fishy but more creamy and if you want extra chili, add sambal.

jackson - must compare notes and see where you went.

polarbear - sorry to hear u're craving for laksa now. Yeah, this may not be the best but it was near where we had to go so next best thing.

babe - no problems. glad you enjoyed yrself.

kenny mah - glad you had lots of fun. Nah, too many blogs will talk abt it so let someone cover it.

Unknown said...

if you like cockles, you could order extra $1 of cockles, and they will fill up your bowl with it!

my colleague does that, I don't. :-)

The Rational Neurotic said...

thanks for linking me. It's quite a shame that the Katong Laksa at Katong ain't that good anymore.

http://rationalneurotic.liquidblade.com

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