328 Katong Laksa (51 East Coast Road)

In Singapore, you judge whether something has attained a certain level of fame by seeing whether there are Japanese words affixed to the name. Clearly, 328 Katong Laksa has attained a phenomenal level of fame. Step into their shop and you'll be overwhelmed by the number of photographs on the walls with famous politicians or artistes. 

It can get pretty busy during lunch time on weekends. You can either eat at the coffee shop side (no air condition) or at their air-conditioned shop. The moment we sat down, the server asked impatiently in Chinese, "How many?" Still reeling from the shock of the abrupt question, we answered "Two." "Cockles?" "No." "Otak?" "No." With that, our order was done. Only then did we peruse their menu pasted on the wall.

We paid $4 for Laksa (small). One thing you will notice is that the thick beehoon is cut so that it fits nicely into your spoon instead of you struggling to twirl it into the spoon. Other ingredients include sliced fishcake and prawns. I like the gravy because it's rich yet not overpowering and not too oily. For those who can't eat spicy stuff, this might suit you well because it isn't spicy. If you like it to be spicy, there is a can of chilli paste on the table. The prawns were also fresh. Only a spoon is served together with the bowl. But if you are not used to it, there are chopsticks available. 

The laksa here is good (not sure how it compares to the other katong laksa contenders). But it's not an understatement to say that service is scary. A man hollered to a group of people "No more seats!" while signalling them to go out, without even attempting to ask them to wait for a while before the next seat is vacant. They also looked like I owed them money, even though I paid them the money for my laksa and barley! There are some places where service can be fast yet polite. Here's definitely not one of them.

328 Katong Laksa (51 East Coast Road)
51 East Coast Road
Tel No: 9732 8163