Laksa must be one of Singapore’s most iconic hawker food, and “Katong Laksa” has become synonymous with this bowl of spicy rice noodle dish.
Who’s the most original, who’s the real “Katong Laksa”… debatable, but guess it doesn’t really matter that much now.
Laksa fans and foodies in the east would have been familiar with Roxy Laksa located at East Coast Lagoon Food Village.
This “Roxy Laska” is said to be started way back in 1952 as a cart stall outside Roxy Theatre by Mr Lim Bo Seng.
Current owner Mike Lim is a 3rd generation hawker who learnt the heavily-guarded recipe from his father.
There will be two major changes coming up for Roxy Laksa.
First, the stall will relocate from its present spot at East Coast Lagoon Food Village to Timbre+.
Secondly, Mike has officially passed the rope of cooking this iconic dish to local celebrity chef Willin Low of Wild Rocket fame.
Question: Why Willin? (And why not, say, Mr Lim’s children?)
As Mike was planning for succession, his children expressed hat they did not want to take over the stall. Willin who has been a regular at the stall for 2 decades, took up apprenticeship in order to “preserve our hawker heritage”.
Willin will not be the one cooking the laksa at the new stall though. It would still be Mike. They are however, looking at “bigger plans” for Roxy Laksa, while still keeping to the original taste as far as possible.
Roxy Laksa ($4, $5) is cooked with a home-made rempah, added using coconut milk which is squeezed freshly every day, added with fresh sea prawns and not cockles.
”It is so good that you can finish up to the last drop,” Willin quipped.
It is true. I slurped the entire bowl up, till there was almost no gravy left.
Compared to other familiar versions of laksa which could be too coconut-rich, or diluted (yikes), Roxy Laksa somehow managed to get the balance just right. I liked that mouthfeel of the fine ‘sediments’ (could those be pounded dried shrimps) towards the end.
For the modern diner, this does not feel jelak (cloying).
The rice noodles had a good bite and was not starchy.
I look forward to having Roxy Laksa again. Perhaps the next time at its new location at Timbre+.
Roxy Laksa
East Coast Lagoon Food Village, 1220 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 468960
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9pm (Mon – Fri), 8:30am – 8:30pm (Sat – Sun)
(Operational till end October. After which, the stall will move to Timbre+ first week of November.)
Other Related Entries
Timbre+ (Ayer Rajah Crescent)
17 Michelin Bib Gourmand Hawker Stalls from Singapore
Claypot Laksa (Alexandra Village)
Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa (Hong Lim)
* This bowl of Roxy Laksa was a treat from Willin Low.
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