328 Katong Laksa is a known go-to place for affordable and rich laksa bowls for good reasons. One is that the place’s cook, Ryan Koh, beat celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in a cooking showdown in 2013!

Aside from its decade-old hype, the humble laksa resto serves a heap of fresh ingredients in its trademark bowl. Plus, the prices are easy on the pocket.

We love that the place has a good range of dim sum on its menu. It gives the dining experience variety and makes it more comforting and satisfying.

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That said, 328 Katong Laksa’s reputation can sometimes turn against it. The place is overly busy most days, and cooks/servers can’t keep up at times, which we believe affects the lemak and umami quality of the laksa. 

The queues can test your patience too, and parking can be difficult. We recommend visiting late in the afternoon to avoid the crowd.

We agree with the popular notion that 928 Yishun Laksa’s hearty bowl of spicy and creamy laksa is one of the best, if not the best, in North Singapore. 

After all, the unassuming hawker stall ticks all our boxes: the laksa here is affordable, lemak, and chock-full of fresh ingredients like tau pok and cockles. 

Moreover, the place’s laksa quality is consistent! This consistency is impressive in a laksa place that gets a steady line of customers regularly.

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We also like that despite the long queues, the service here is overall efficient. Servers prep laksa bowls in an organized manner, helping the line move forward and making the 20-minute minimum wait bearable.

However, one can feel uncomfortable with the alfresco dining style because the place is hot. Also, there’s the distance hurdle for people staying in the city center.

The National Kitchen elevates familiar dishes such as laksa, lemak, rendang, and many others for premium dining without removing the local flavors that make the meals special for Singaporeans.

The best example of this is the restaurant’s dry laksa. While different from the soupy kind, diners can still experience the comfort food’s rich coconut milk gravy, springy noodles, and tasty seafood.

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Aside from laksa, you can also try other spicy and creamy meals, including cod in laksa sauce and udang chili padi lemak.

We also love that the ambiance is both classy and casual, and the servers are kind (we don’t like intimidating, high-brow restaurants). However, the seat arrangement here is tight, which some might find uncomfortable. 

Also, the meals are pricey, so prepare your wallet.

Janggut Laksa is your best bet if you prefer to eat laksa at long-running, established restaurants. 

The place has been around since the 1950s, impressively making it through stall rental price hikes, location moves, and changing business names (it was called Roxy Laksa before).

The laksa bowl here is utterly aromatic, comforting customers by the dish’s smell alone. Ingredients are also constantly fresh and add to the already exquisite taste.

However, Janggut Laksa’s gravy is not as lemak as other laksa servings. Thankfully, the lack of creaminess is offset by the belly-warming sambal.

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Some may also find the small bowl to be pricey at $5.50. Service can also be slow at times due to the place being constantly busy from lunchtime until afternoon.

Know that Janggut Laksa accepts only cash as of writing, so ensure you carry some bills when you visit.

San Laksa Steamboat allows you to get your laksa fix in a different yet equally delightful way by using the creamy and spicy gravy as a hot pot soup base! 

When with friends, I usually opt for the restaurant’s steamboat set menu ($90). While a bit pricey, the set’s two-liter soup base, varied meat and veggies, oysters, and thick bee hoon are worth it.

We also love San Laksa’s service, as it’s sincere, kind, friendly, and efficient!

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However, some robust eaters might find the meat ingredient servings (pork and beef) falling short of their expected portions compared to the price ($7 and higher).

Die-hard conservative laksa fans might also have reservations about enjoying the comfort dish differently.