About

Janggut Laksa claims the strongest historical link to the original Katong laksa. Founder Ng Juat Swee started selling his family's Nyonya laksa recipe around Katong in the 1940s. His nickname 'Janggut' (beard in Malay) became the brand. The stall operated at 49 East Coast Road from the 1950s before moving to Roxy Square around 2000.

The laksa is textbook Katong style: thick, lemak coconut gravy with prawn and crab stock, served with short-cut bee hoon eaten by spoon only. The broth is rich but not as aggressively spicy as some competitors, which makes it more accessible. Cockles, prawns, fish cake, tau pok, and bean sprouts are standard toppings.

Janggut sits at the centre of the Katong Laksa Wars. The rival 328 Katong Laksa took over the original 49 East Coast Road premises. A former employee started Roxy Laksa. The family now also has outlets at Queensway Shopping Centre and Upper Paya Lebar. A tip from regulars: the broth is thickest near closing time (around 4pm). Cash only, three sizes, nothing else on the menu.

ShiokScore Breakdown

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

Broth 87

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 84

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 83

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

Rempah 88

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

Value 80

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: Katong / Nyonya

The signature Singapore laksa. Rich coconut curry broth. Noodles cut into short pieces so you eat the whole thing with a spoon, no chopsticks needed. Peranakan origin, from the Katong/Joo Chiat area.

Learn about all 4 laksa styles →