Image Credit: The Real Peranakan Facebook Page
Was feeling a little peckish for something spicy this morning and decided to visit The Real Peranakan to partake of a real authentic Nyonya Laksa. I always termed it the ambrosias of Gods when you can find a really good authentic laksa as the soup is just heavenly.
Laksa is a spicy noodle soup popular in the Peranakan Cuisine of Southeast Asia. Laksa consists of thick wheat noodles or rice vermicelli with chicken, prawn or fish, served in spicy soup based on either rich and spicy curry coconut milk or on sour asam (tamarind). Laksa is found as a comfort street food in a Indonesia, Thailand Malaysia & Singapore.
It was said that the word laksa originated from an ancient Persian word for "noodles". There are many theories on the origins of laksa. One theory connected laksa to the 15th century Ming Chinese naval expedition led by Admiral Zheng He into Southeast Asia, which resulted in a significant increase of Chinese migrants and traders into places like Malacca. These Chinese men intermarried into the local populations, and together they formed mixed-race communities called the Peranakan or Straits Chinese. In Malaysia, the Malacca laksa dish is believed to have been introduced by peranakan Chinese Malay while in Singapore, the dish is believed to have been created after interaction between the Peranakans with the local Singaporean Malays.
The Nyonya laksa that I had essentially has a creamy seafood-based gravy, with key components being fish stock and coconut milk. It also had a spice paste (called rempah in Malay) that contained ingredients such as chilli, shallots, garlic, turmeric,lemongrass and galangal. It is served with a dash of laksa sambal on a porcelain spoon. Among the white thick vermicelli, one can find sliced fish cakes, fried bean curd & prawns & cockles.
The laksa I had was really good and I give my three thumbs up. So if you are looking to taste what a really delicious authentic nyonya laksa should taste like, head on down to The Real Peranakan for breakfast.
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a. 46 Kim Yam Road, #01-05, The Herencia, Singapore 239351 Inside Crane Club
s. www.facebook.com/TheRealPeranakan
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