In a list of the “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods” published by CNN, Penang assam laksa has been ranked seventh – ahead of Thailand’s ‘tom yum gong’. It has been more than 10 years since I last visited Penang. Although most of the memories is long gone, I can still clearly remembered the time when my Dad brought us to a open space carpark to try their hawker food.

 

I can’t really say I am a die hard fan for Penang Food, but I do enjoy eating it. So when Stumpbo recommended me to Penang Seafood Restaurant in Aljunied, we definitely have to try it.

Penang Seafood Restaurant not only serves authentic penang fare, you can also find other cze char items on the menu. On the day of visit, the waiter said their lala (clams) is big and fresh today, so we order a plate of Sambal Lala ($10 / $12 / $15). I think nothing will go wrong with the to-die-for sambal paste.

After my visit to the Penang Place in July, I was addicted to the Penang Char Kway Teow. A flat rice noodles, crunchy bean sprouts, handful of kuchai, cockles, prawns, blend together with some good black soya sauce, egg and a huge dollop of chili, cooked in a fiery heat wok is a perfect combination that makes the delicious and aromatic Penang Fried Kway Teow. It just makes my mouth drool everytime I catch a whiff of it – No Kidding! (But of course, you have to put cholesterol control aside for the time being, if you want to try out this delicious dish.)

 

However, the Penang Char Kway Teow ($5 / $7.50 / $10) I had that day was somewhat disappointing. The dish is definitely overcooked as the kway teow had a bitter aftertaste. What a waste!

And here comes the ultimate winner – Assam laksa ($4 / $5). Among the many assam laksa I tasted in Singapore, I can safely say that this is the best (if not, one of the better ones) I had!

 

Asam laksa is a sour, fish-based soup. Asam (or asam jawa) is the Malay word for tamarind, which is commonly used to give the stock its sour flavor. The main ingredients for asam laksa include shredded fish, normally kembung fish or mackerel, and finely sliced vegetables including cucumber, onions, red chillies, pineapple, lettuce, common mint and pink bunga kantan (ginger buds). It is normally served with either thick rice noodles and topped off with “petis udang” or “hae ko” (虾膏), a thick sweet prawn/shrimp paste.

 

Asam Laksa soup takes a lot of time to prepare and it is amazing how well this dish is executed here. The whole bowl is full of ingredients and you can enjoy the flaked mackerel, which many other places decided to do without (because it is a tedious process). The addictive spicy-sour fish broth have your nose running before the spoon even hits your lips.

I think I will definitely be back to try out more dishes. And if you are nearby, do try their Asam Laksa! Lovely, very lovely!