Laksa 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
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Laksa, another popular Singapore Cuisine, is sometimes known as Laksa Lemak or Nonya Laksa. What makes a good laksa is its gravy - a "lemak" coconut milk curry gravy that is not so thick that you start to gag after two mouthfuls yet is watery enough that you can drink it like a soup. It is your basic curry with just the right dose of coconut milk to distinguish it from the curry you would normally eat with rice or noodles. In the gravy is added sliced Tau Pok which should have simmered in the gravy long enough that they are limp from having absorbed the rich flavour.
Laksa is similar to Curry Chicken Noodles. However, there are two main differences. Firstly, the ingredients are different. Curry Chicken Noodles main ingredient besides the yellow noodle is the Chicken. But for Laksa, there are no main ingredients but a whole variety of 'must have' like Taufu Pok, shredded chicken, eggs, cockles, bean sprout and sometimes prawns. The second distinct difference is the amount of coconut milk added to the curry gravy. Laksa, has more compared to coconut milk. Its gravy is not as viscous as curry, slightly thinner so you can actually drink it.
Firstly, the curry gravy is cooked first and the right amount of coconut milk is added. During the whole cooking process of the gravy, Taufu Pok is added to it. This allows Taufu Pok to absorb the Laksa flavor completely and being absorbent, it allows the diner to taste the Laksa gravy as it sprays in your mouth, when you bite into it.
For most stalls, shredded chicken, bean sprouts and cockles and blanched or cooked first. When the order is placed, the yellow wheat noodle or the thick Bee Hoon (Rice Vermicelli) is cooked in boiling water first. Pre-cooked ingredients like those mentioned above are added to the bowl. Then the hawker will pour in, generous amount of Laksa gravy with Taufu Pok. And for most stall, they would added a tinge of lemongrass leaves to give it the additional aroma that would drive anyone nuts.
What makes a good laksa is that the gravy's viscosity should be just right. And the coconut milk should not overpower the curry flavor and vice versa. It should be mixed well. The Taufu Pok should not be too hard as well and the cockles, must be of utmost freshness.
Normally, you would eat Chor Bee Hoon or laksa bee hoon with this dish but you can also opt for Hokkien Mee or plain Bee Hoon. The noodles and bean sprouts are blanched then placed in a bowl together with sliced fish cakes, a hard-boiled egg, prawns and cockles before a generous ladel-full of gravy is heaped on top. Some vendors also add shredded chicken meat. The dish is then garnished with Daun Kesum and a spoonful of sambal chilli for extra kick.
The east coast of Singapore, especially the Katong area, is considered the heart of the Peranakan community. No surprise that you find some of the best laksa in this area. The famous "Katong Laksa" is slightly different from other types of laksa lemak in that it only offers one type of noodle (Chor Bee Hoon) and this is cut into smaller pieces so that you need only a spoon to eat it.
