Balik Pulau Laksa

Here's an exerpt from my Penang Hawker Food Blog...so tasty I had to post it here also!

Strangely as a Penangite I don't eat much Laksa, but my friend from KL came so off we went to Balik Pulau for some famous Laksa. The shop we went to has been there since my friend was a kid 20 years ago. It's at the main junction of the Balik Pulau town. According to my friend, there used to be lots of rats and cockroaches around, but thankfully it's all been cleaned up now! It's a simple wooden shop with haphazard tables.

Now this is the real stuff, a good dollop of thick Hay Koo (Fermented Shrimp Paste) adds the zing to the Laksa. The laksa sauce is super thick and nice to the last drop. This one is the sour Penang Assam Laksa. What can I say, it's unique, the sweet and sour fish based soup really has a bite. Crunchy cucumber slices and tangy pineapple adds to the amazing texture of this simple, classic dish.
Of course there are the horror stories of people adding newspapers and heaven forbid...used toilet paper to the soup to give it the thick consistency...but I could not detect any bits of old news clippings in it...tasted ok la.

This is the Thai Lemak Laksa which has added coconut milk (santan) in it. It has a different taste, richer yet definitely 100% laksa taste. You really have to try both types to appreciate the difference. One more thing I like are the thick home made rice noodles which have a firm springy bite to it.

My friend started with one bowl...

And continued to polish off 4 bowls of Laksa by himself (and he did not get diarrhoea!)....now thats really a classic Penang Hawker fare.