#2 Laksa

Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa

Alexandra Village Food Centre, #01-75

Curry Laksa Michelin Bib Gourmand Est. 1995
86
Certified
Shiok
Google 4.1★

About

Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei started in 1995, originally located along Depot Road before moving to Alexandra Village Food Centre. The stall is known for serving its laksa in a claypot, a presentation that keeps the broth hotter than a standard bowl and concentrates the flavours.

The broth is notably thick. The rempah uses chilli padi, galangal, turmeric, belacan, and lemongrass. It is richer and more intense than many laksa stalls, closer to a gravy than a soup. The noodles are not cut (this is not Katong style), so you eat with chopsticks and spoon.

The claypot option has been on and off over the years, so check availability when you visit. Even without the claypot, the laksa holds up. The hawker centre setting at Alexandra Village is more relaxed than the Katong tourist circuit. Prices start at $4.50, which is reasonable for a Bib Gourmand stall.

ShiokScore Breakdown

Scored across 5 dimensions specific to laksa. Learn what each means →

Broth 91

Coconut richness, spice depth, and lemak (fatty richness). A good laksa broth coats the spoon. Too thin means the rempah was stretched. Too thick and it becomes cloying.

Noodles 80

Thick bee hoon, yellow noodles, or both. Katong-style cuts them into spoon-sized pieces. Texture should be springy, not mushy or clumped together.

Toppings 82

Cockles, prawns, fish cake, tau pok (fried tofu puffs), beansprouts. Freshness matters. Rubbery prawns or limp beansprouts drag the whole bowl down.

Rempah 89

The spice paste that defines the laksa. Dried shrimp, chilli, lemongrass, galangal, candlenut, belacan. Should taste layered and complex, not just hot.

Value 85

Portion size, topping generosity, and price relative to hawker norms. A $5 bowl with three prawns and a thin broth is bad value no matter how it tastes.

Style: Curry Laksa

Coconut curry broth with yellow noodles or vermicelli (uncut). More common in food courts and kopitiam. The broth is similar to Katong but usually lighter on coconut. Chopsticks and spoon.