Tom 328 Katong Laksa is probably one of our favourite laksa stalls in Singapore. One of the main reasons is consistency. Each time we visit, we know that despite paying a high price ($7 for small and $9 for large), we were going to get a consistently good bowl of slurpilicious nonya laksa. This time, our cravings for nonya laksa were well satisfied at 328 Katong Laksa…
About 328 Katong Laksa
Alot of ink has already been spilled by how 328 Katong Laksa came to fame when Gordan Ramsay visited 328 Katong Laksa’s Mdm Lucy Koh in 2013 (known as Nancy to her customers) and also the fans that support Janggut’s version of nonya laksa vis-a-vis Nancy’s Katong Laksa. But to give a quick context of why Janggut laksa (now located at Roxy Square) and Nancy’s 328 Katong Laksa are usually compared, is simply because:
1. Janggut was the original creator of the so-called “Katong Laksa” where the laksa noodles are cut into smaller bite-sized length and can be scooped with a spoon.
2. When Janggut died in 1986, Nancy took over the stall of Janggut and continued selling nonya laksa. A version she has since perfected and some even say bettered.
The version of nonya laksa sold at 328 Katong Laksa is the nonya laksa that characterised by the orangey stock and light coconuty flavours.
Nonya Laksa at 328 Katong Laksa
Today, Nancy and Janggut’s “Katong Laksa” are known in Singapore as the “Laksa that you eat with spoon”. So without knowing more about the type of laksa that one is eating, as long as its eaten with a spoon, most Singaporean’s would associate it with “Katong Laksa”. The nonya laksa at 328 Katong Laksa comes in 2 sizes:
Small Katong Laksa – $7
Large Katong Laksa – $9
Which, to many Singaporeans are quite expensive for a bowl of laksa. However, as we mentioned, for the consistency and ever-reliable high quality, the $7 version is still pretty worth it – once-in-a-while. This is because the soup is a rich coconuty flavour infused in a brilliant shrimp-based stock and topped with generous ingredients such as slices of fish cake, prawn and cockles. Towards the end of each bowl, you’ll find those fragments of grounded shrimps at the end, adding that little extra texture to the consistency of the broth.
They also serve the laksa with a small packet of belachan.
Don’t be fooled. IT. IS. SPICY!
Even for Singaporeans, dumping the entire packet into the broth although adds a nice rich consistency to the broth, it does drown out the taste a little due to its overwhelming heat. Hence, we’d recommend putting half a packet to get the best of both worlds – fragrance and spice.
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At the end of the day, it is about satisfaction and consistency. Although the version of nonya laksa at 328 Katong Laksa is priced rather high now, we would still drop by once-in-a-while because it hits all the rights spots in terms of fragrance, consistency and texture for a good “Katong Laksa”, each and every time.
We think that is the key. If you get the taste right SOMETIMES, the customers won’t be streaming back like what you see during the weekends at 328 Katong Laksa. Perhaps, there’s a secret in churning out so many bowls of hot, piping Katong Laksa afterall…
