Currying Flavors
Natasha Stokes and Karen Ko eat the best laksa in town.
Laksa. Not just a matter of boiling up some noodles and tossing them into some stock you happened to have lying around. God, no. About the furthest thing from humble food, laksa soup is an ingenious, aromatic blend of shrimp paste, coconut milk, sambal chili and the odd secret ingredient. Here are our picks of the better bowls to be found around here.
Katong Laksa
8 Mercer St., Sheung Wan, 2543-4008
One of the brighter spots in the rather grim landscape of Sheung Wan dining, Katong was opened in 2004 by veteran DJ/entrepreneur Joel Lai and local artist Simon Birch. It’s received such a warm reception that a second shop in Wan Chai was opened last year.
The laksa: A mild shrimp and coconut concoction. This tiny restaurant doesn’t have a huge menu, but you can order laksa in five varieties. The bigger claim to fame? So far it’s the only place we’ve found that serves mee siam, a delectably spicy, sweet and sour soup noodle.
Prices: $40-70
Also good for: Satay, a recent addition to the menu. Katong serves up succulently grilled meat with cubes of cucumber and onion to cut the uber-peanutty taste of the sauce.
Nam Wah Restaurant
8 Pak Sha Rd., Causeway Bay, 2890-4507