Thursday, November 22, 2012

Amy's Laksa - More Than Just Laksa, But Delicious Prawn Mee and Mee Siam

Usually, when a stall tries to sell more than one type of food at a hawker center, it usually comes off as more of jack of all, and master of none. So, when you hear of a stall that has Laksa in the name, and also sells prawn mee and mee siam at the same time, you would think that the other 2 are basically supporting dishes.

Well, you would be very wrong, for at Amy's Laksa, the trilogy of hawker classics is as brilliant and brilliantly consistent as the Lord of the Rings movies combined.

Situated in a huge market in Upper Changi, Amy's Laksa boasts of a queue of eager patrons that is as long as the most famous hawkers around, and is operated diligently by two middle aged ladies.

Simple, humble and unassuming, the stall is almost inconspicuous if not for the visible queue. The food served here feels and tastes home cooked, and for sure, the long waiting time is more than justified.

Mee Siam

The mee siam here is in a word, fabulous. Wonderful balance of flavors, from the acidity of the tamarind and the sweetness of the lime infused broth, to the generous inclusion of ingredients of hard boiled egg, tau pok and shrimp, it was hearty and fulfilling.

A nice mixture of flavors and textures is what defines this classic dish, and here, they got it just about perfect in my humble opinion. Any mee siam lover will be more than satisfied with this plate. It is hearty and comforting food at affordable prices.

Prawn Mee

I half expected this bowl of prawn noodles to be the weakest of the bunch. Well, I was so wrong. The test of any prawn mee is the broth, and here the broth was subtle without tasting too much of MSG, and the sweetness of the shellfish managed to come through nicely. The broth had also a light porky flavor just to balance the sweetness somewhat.

Elsewhere, the prawns and pork slices were par for this dish, but at less than $3, you really could not ask for me. And they did pile on a generous amount of fried shallots which went really well with the entire mixture. The nice crunch really brought a nice textural depth to the dish.

Laksa

As for their title dish, the laksa did not disappoint either. In fact, it far surpassed my initial expectations. It had that same lightness of laksa broth similar to Sungei Laksa, but had a bit more coconut milk to it, but it never felt heavy like what you get with Katong Laksa.

It also had a nice amount of ingredients and just the right balance of sweetness and spiciness to make every mouthful just that more gorgeous to consume. For a hawker stall, this bowl of laksa trumps any laksa found in commercial hotels anyday, including ones that masquerade quality with lobsters.

At the end of the meal, I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of food all around. Every single dish was equally brilliant and delicious, and the owners showed restraint in not using too much flavor enhancers, and that really brought out the home cooked nature of the cooking.

It was not surprising then, during my visit why there was such a queue there. What are you waiting for? Come join the queue now.

Amy's Laksa
58 New Upper Changi Road
#01-176

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