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Back in the day before Zhen Shan Mei Laksa was passed down to her nephew Zhang Ji Lin who runs the current stall, their laksa was served up in steaming claypots. Known for their thick and creamy laksa, the stall is a four-time Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient.
Imagine my confusion when I reached Alexandra Village Food Centre and found that the stall has now rebranded into Zhen Shan Mei Laksa, with the ‘Claypot’ word conspicuously missing from the signage. The stall still sells just one dish - the famous laksa with the same recipe just that it is no longer served in a claypot. There are three different portion sizes from $4, $5, and $6. Extra gravy is chargeable for an additional dollar, along with the option of adding prawns, taupok and fish cake for $1.50 alongside a warning sign that their laksa is spicy.
I waited for a good 40 minutes for the smallest $4 portion of laksa. The same bowl costs $6 when full, so the $4 portion that came in the same bowl did look a bit miserable in comparison, with the broth filling up half of the bowl. The standard bowl of noodles comes with taupok, cockles, and fishcake, sprinkled with chopped up laksa leaves and coriander.
While I won’t ever be able to compare it to the claypot version, the laksa was really delicious. The thick and creamy broth packed a bit of heat, and the thick broth was very comforting even on a hot day. My preferred choice of noodles for laksa is rice noodles, as it soaks up the broth and doesn’t have as strong a taste as yellow noodles.
Imagine my confusion when I reached Alexandra Village Food Centre and found that the stall has now rebranded into Zhen Shan Mei Laksa, with the ‘Claypot’ word conspicuously missing from the signage. The stall still sells just one dish - the famous laksa with the same recipe just that it is no longer served in a claypot. There are three different portion sizes from $4, $5, and $6. Extra gravy is chargeable for an additional dollar, along with the option of adding prawns, taupok and fish cake for $1.50 alongside a warning sign that their laksa is spicy.
I waited for a good 40 minutes for the smallest $4 portion of laksa. The same bowl costs $6 when full, so the $4 portion that came in the same bowl did look a bit miserable in comparison, with the broth filling up half of the bowl. The standard bowl of noodles comes with taupok, cockles, and fishcake, sprinkled with chopped up laksa leaves and coriander.
While I won’t ever be able to compare it to the claypot version, the laksa was really delicious. The thick and creamy broth packed a bit of heat, and the thick broth was very comforting even on a hot day. My preferred choice of noodles for laksa is rice noodles, as it soaks up the broth and doesn’t have as strong a taste as yellow noodles.
