Lik Ming Laksa — best laksa in Toa Payoh

Lik Ming Laksa, $3, a hidden gem in the Toa Payoh Lorong 4 Blk 93 hawker centre. 😋

Laksa lemak is the Peranakan-Chinese coconut curry noodle, and the gravy is everything: a spice paste (rempah) of dried chilli, candlenut, lemongrass, galangal, belacan and turmeric, fried down and simmered with coconut milk and dried shrimp until it turns thick and fragrant.

The laksa gravy here is thick and flavourful, the way a proper laksa should be, no thin, watered-down coconut soup, and it is especially good served with the house dried-shrimp chilli, which adds a smoky, umami heat that lifts the whole bowl. That house chilli is the detail that sets a good laksa stall apart.

The laksa is best served with siham (cockles), the little blood cockles that are traditional to laksa, how can one even call it laksa without siham? Their briny, mineral pop against the rich coconut gravy is part of the dish’s soul.

One small gripe: I felt the gravy was not quite enough, you always want more of a gravy this good to coat every strand of the thick bee hoon. A minor complaint about a $3 bowl that punches well above its price, and a strong contender for the best laksa in Toa Payoh.

Address: Blk 93 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh Market & Food Centre Hours: 6am to 2pm daily. Closed on Thursdays.

Overall: 4.2 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Thick, flavourful coconut gravy and a killer house dried-shrimp chilli. A $3 hidden gem, would re-visit (and ask for more gravy).