penang road famous laksa - penang, malaysia

Rating:  7 / 10

Though you no doubt have heard me wax lyrical about authenticity and local tastes, this spot will challenge a lot of punters. Asam Laksa, most definitely not my favourite of the Laksa incarnations, divides people if made correctly due to the insanely pungent "fishy" flavour. If you cannot even handle an anchovy in your putanesca THIS IS NOT FOR YOU.

First off, make sure you find the right one (hence the title photo being the facade), since there are a few on the same road with startlingly similar names. Secondly, prepare yourself for the funk. 

My first bite was one of "What the hell did I just put in my mouth", followed by "Hmm... ok thats interesting" and a few spoonfuls later "I could eat this again, sometime". It's a slow burner and your palate has to get used to the intense fishiness about to explore every hidden corner of your mouth. This is real deal funk. This is James Brown level funk. This is Parliament level funk. This is brutal, heavy, dark and dank funk.

Whilst I totally understand and appreciate the addition of citrus, pineapple, red onions, herbs and lettuce to try to balance the attack, they do little to temper the overwhelming fish taste. I totally empathize if you take one bite and leave the restaurant and run to the nearest restroom, this isn't for the faint of heart.

However, if like me, you are an addict and need to explore every spectrum of the Laksa rainbow, then this is a worthy stop on your magical mystery tour. 

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.