Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square: Just how good is “The Original Katong Laksa”?

Here begins another of my cross-island food adventures, yet again to the East and best side. Known by many as the one that started it all, Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square is located at, well, Roxy Square.

Contrary to the sign which says The Original Katong Laksa Since 1950, most know the store simply as Janggut Laksa. “Janggut” (or “beard” in Malay) is the nickname of the store’s founder, Mr Ng.

Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square was founded way back in the 1950s and was previously known as Marine Parade Laksa. The store was one of the first stores to sell this famed dish — there was even a huge debate on which Katong laksa stall was the original one.

Though no one knows if they’re really the OG or not… I was just there for my dose of Katong laksa.

With numerous appearances on both the news and blogs (mind you, there’s more on the wall), Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square has made quite a name for itself.

When I arrived with my dining companion, our first thought was… “Don’t tell me that’s the queue!”

What I tried at Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square

Like many heritage stalls, Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square’s menu is as simple as it gets — just their laksa in different sizes: S$5.50 for small, S$6.50 for medium and $S7.50 for large.

I went for the smallest size this time, just to size up (pun intended) their serving size. To be honest, the bowl was on the smaller side. But perhaps there was more to it than met the eye.

Typical of Katong laksa, the rice vermicelli was cut short, making it easy to eat with just a spoon. There was also plenty of tau geh and fishcake with every bite.

Maybe it’s because the noodles were especially short at Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square, but I found them to be slightly too soft for my liking. If you prefer your noodles softer, this would be right up your alley, though.

There were quite a few sweet and tender prawn halves, as well as a handful of hum that were not too metallic. Though the portion could definitely have been larger, there was enough seafood in every other bite to make for a satisfying-enough bowl.

I found the added sambal on the side to be aromatic and on the sweeter side. It blended very well with the gravy of the Katong laksa.

Definitely help yourself to the sambal at the counter if you want a stronger kick from your meal, though! Even when mixed in fully, I could not feel any of the “heat” from the chilli. Those that are unable to take spice or even children would probably be able to eat Janggut Laksa @Roxy Square’s rendition without any issue.

The gravy was extremely aromatic and had an incredibly strong coconut flavour. Though it was not extremely lemak, it was packed with a rich, umami flavour. The gravy was also definitely on the sweeter side, thanks to the coconut milk and prawns. It was very pleasant to drink.

I noticed that the coconut milk had curdled ever so slightly but, thankfully, the gravy still remained on the creamier side and did not feel watered down.

The gravy was gao enough to cling to the ingredients and noodles nicely, and made for very appetising spoonfuls of goodness. There were bits of coconut and hae bee in every bite.

My companion opted for the S$7.50 bowl. It had about twice the amount of prawn as mine, but I’m not sure if it’s really worth the additional S$2. Overall, the portion size was not much larger than its S$5.50 counterpart. I think to get the most bang for your buck, it would actually be best to opt for the medium S$6.50 bowl.

Final Thoughts

As much as I wanted to think that The Original Katong Laksa would serve up some mind-blowing Katong laksa, perhaps I had set the bar too high.

Yes, it was good. But not worlds apart from other players in the field. It had a nice aromatic, lemak gravy and enough ingredients. But at a slightly higher price point, smaller portions and less kick than other places, I can’t say I’d make the trip down again just for this.

However, if you are game to brave the intimidating queue, it might be worth a visit to Katong Laksa @Roxy Square just for a taste of The Original. Janggut’s laksa may not have ticked all my boxes, but they sure serve up some great Katong laksa that would suit a wide range of palettes.

Expected damage: S$5.50 – S$7.50 per pax

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