Penang Assam Laksa

As you all would've guessed, Penang Assam Laksa would be my first food to be blogged about. Well, how can I not? It is after all, the proud of our country to be in the CNN food list. Anyway, I'll start this post off by feasting your eyes with a bowl of Assam Laksa ;D

Ok, first, I'll define what a bowl of Assam Laksa means, the wiki way:

Penang laksa (Malay: Laksa Pulau Pinang), also known as asam laksafrom the Malay for tamarind, comes from the Malaysian island of Penang. It is made with mackerel (ikan kembung) soup and its main distinguishing feature is the asam or tamarind which gives the soup a sour taste. The fish is poached and then flaked. Other ingredients that give Penang laksa its distinctive flavour include lemongrass, galangal (lengkuas) and chilli. Typical garnishes include mint, pineapple slices, thinly sliced onion, hε-ko, a thick sweet prawn paste and use of torch ginger flower. This, and not 'curry mee' is the usual 'laksa' one gets in Penang.

Now you have it, Wikipedia's definition. But what is MY definition of Assam Laksa? It's a bowl of goodness which makes me salivate by just smelling it. The soup has to be very fragrant, has to have the right acidity, and of course the right amount of HEAT! A good Assam Laksa has to have GENEROUS amount of fish. Last but not least, probably the most important component, is the shiny black prawn paste which brings a whole new level of goodness to the dish.

Different people would recommend different places to get the best Penang Assam Laksa. But for me, the only place I've ever went and will ONLY go to is the stall at Jalan Pasar, right outside the Kek Lok Si temple.

     That's it for now, stay tune for my next blog post!