Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish-based
Also known as Asam Laksa, Penang Laksa was ranked as the world's 7th-best dish by CNN. What sets it apart from other laksa is its fish broth without the use of coconut milk. This noodle dish is served in a brown fish-based soup boiled with tamarind, blended pineapple, and other ingredients. It is then garnished with mint, pineapple slices, sliced cucumber, cut bird's eye chili, and ginger torch flower. Paired with shrimp paste (otak udang), it has a tangy, sour, and spicy flavor. Mackerel (a good Asam Laksa must have lots of shredded mackerel!) is often used to make the soup base. With the closure of the famous Air Itam Laksa due to family issues, we are pretty sure that it’s difficult to find a replacement for it.
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish-based
Also known as "laksa utara" (due to its location in the north of Malaysia), Kedah Laksa is similar to Penang Laksa, but with subtle differences. Let's take a look at them. Firstly, Kedah Laksa uses asam gelugur instead of tamarind and the fish is not shredded but ground. Types of fish that are often used include sardines and mackerels. Plus, there is an absence of the 😘chef-kiss shrimp paste. As for the garnish, they use daun selom instead of mint leaves. Kedah Laksa is often served with soy sauce instead of shrimp paste.
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish-based
Just as its name indicates, the only difference between "laksa ikan sekoq" (northern slang for laksa ikan seekor) and its other Kedah counterparts is the presence of a whole fish in it
Fun Fact: In Kedah, locals sometimes pair the laksa gravy with fried bee-hoon.
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish-based
Sometimes known as Laksa Kuala, Perlis Laksa isn't much different from its fellow northern laksas, except for the fact that eel is sometimes added to the dish. Locals also enjoy eating it with pulut udang, either together with the laksa or separately.
Fun Fact: At Perlis, laksa is sometimes eaten for breakfast.
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish-based
Ipoh Laksa is similar to Penang Laksa with its tangy, sour, and spicy taste, but with less sweetness. For those who prefer a more sour kick, Ipoh Laksa is your ideal choice!
Noodle: wheat flour noodles
Soup: fish-based
Kuala Kangsar Laksa has a thinner broth and uses noodles made from wheat flour, shaped to resemble traditional Laksa noodles. It has the same soup base as all other northern laksas.
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish-based
Laksa sarang burung literally translates to "Bird Nest Laksa." It is not because it’s made of the "oh! so high quality~" sparrow’s saliva but it’s because of the egg used in the dish that is fried to resemble a bird's nest. Also known as "Laksa Sarang," the preparation of the crunchy egg is fairly easy. First, the egg is beaten and then poured from a ✈️high altitude by raising the arm, creating crunchy streaks. To achieve the best results, it is important to make sure the oil is heated to a high temperature before pouring. As for the laksa, it has the same base as Kuala Kangsar Laksa.
Noodle: wheat flour noodles
Soup: seafood-based
Visitors to Pangkor Island should try this laksa! The noodles used (mee laksa) come in dried form and need to be washed to remove the starch before soaking to soften them. They are then strained and boiled. These noodles typically have the same thickness as traditional laksa noodles. As for the soup, it is made by boiling a variety of seafood, including squid, prawns, fish, and crabs, resulting in a clear and slightly sweet base. The result is a clearer soup base with a hint of sweetness. It is served with sambal and finely chopped long beans. Pangkor mee laksa can also be found in the areas of Lumut and Pantai Remis.
Noodle: rice vermicelli or yellow noodles
Soup: coconut milk curry-based
Also known as Curry Mee to people in the Klang Valley, this type of laksa has a thicker and brighter-looking broth that tastes more "lemak" and savory, without the sour taste. Here is the reason why. The reason for this is that the broth is boiled using coconut milk with curry powder, and it comes with ingredients like fried onion, shredded chicken, bean sprouts, tofu puffs (super important!), cockles, and fish balls. The colour of the broth is milky-orange, with chili oils floating on top. It is typically served with yellow alkalized egg noodles or rice vermicelli (bee hoon), but you can also opt to mix both types of noodles! For the non-halal version, coagulated pig blood and duck blood are sometimes added (he-yo! fellow vamps!🧛♂️).
Noodle: rice vermicelli or yellow noodles
Soup: coconut milk curry-based
Very similar to curry laksa, and in fact, this is the original version of all laksa. The earliest version of laksa is said to have originated from the Peranakan. However, what sets Nyonya laksa apart from its imposter curry laksa, is the addition of egg, Vietnamese coriander, and sliced cucumber. The soup for Nyonya laksa is boiled with belacan, candlenuts, chicken bones, and prawn shells, resulting in a stronger umami taste.
Noodle: spaghetti noodles
Soup: fish & coconut milk curry-based
Johor Laksa is special in the sense that it uses spaghetti noodles. The color of the gravy is yellowish-orange and it is so thick that locals eat it with their bare hands! The fish that they use for the gravy is... drumroll...🥁Dorab wolf-herring (ikan parang) and it’s pretty expensive. In fact, it even caused a “laksa war” among netizens when a someone from Pahang mentioned that they only use the ikan parang, not those cheap mackerels like ikan kembung and ikan selayang, ouch! The ingredients for the gravy include the usual spices boiled with coconut milk.
Noodle: wheat flour noodles
Soup: fish & coconut milk-based
The gravy for Pahang laksa is orange in colour and the method of preparation is similar to other Laksa. The fish is first blended and then boiled with coconut milk together with other spices like asam gelugur, shallots, chili and others. It is then served with sambal and ulam as toppings.
Noodle: wheat & rice flour noodles
Soup: fish & coconut milk based
This special laksa is also known as lasae in Thai. So, what’s so special about laksam? First of all, the noodles can be easily made at home. All you have to do is prepare the rice flour batter, pour it thinly on a round and flat utensil (usually a curry pot lid or pan), steam it for about 3 minutes, remove it from the utensil while it's hot, roll it, and then cut it into a few pieces. Laksam is a type of laksa kuah putih (white gravy Laksa) because of its white gravy. The white and creamy gravy is a result of boiling coconut milk with mackerel fish paste and other ingredients. It's usually served with a scoop of vinegared chili sambal, some chopped long beans, and other vegetables and herbs (called "ulam" in Malay)
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish & coconut milk based
It has the same gravy as Laksam, which is the kuah putih. The only difference is that it uses the Laksa noodle. Because the kuah putih does not have a lot of spices in it, the taste is milder, and locals love to eat it for breakfast.
Noodle: thick rice noodles (laksa noodles)
Soup: fish & coconut milk based
There are two types of gravies for Terengganu Laksa: the kuah putih/kuah mentah (white gravy/raw gravy) and kuah merah/kuah masak (red gravy/cooked gravy). In the past, to make kuah mentah, coconut milk was added raw without boiling it first into the fish paste along with other ingredients, hence its name. However, nowadays people usually just heat it without boiling it. Kuah mentah made using this method is meant to be eaten immediately, as storing it for some time will result in spoilage. Kuah masak, on the other hand, is reddish and similar to Pahang Laksa, but uses less fish. It uses the same toppings as Laksam, which are ulam.
Noodle: rice vermicelli
Soup: coconut milk curry-based
Named "Breakfast of the Gods" by the late Anthony Bourdain, Sarawak Laksa is made with more than 20 different kinds of ingredients. The soup base is boiled with a mixture of herbs and spices, which surprisingly gives it a more subtle and mild flavor compared to other curry Laksa. Some of the key ingredients that thicken the soup are roasted, ground sesame seeds and peanuts. Sarawak Laksa is typically served with chicken meat, thinly chopped omelette, and prawns. Spicy sambal and lime are also offered as condiments.
So there you have it, all 16 different Laksa from each state. How many of these different Laksa have you tried before? Which one is your favorite?
