Chef Lagenda

16 Pin Oak Cres.
Flemington, VIC 3031

Laksa King or Chef Lagenda? The opinions on which restaurant does the best Malaysian hawker food is as divided as the opinion on where you can get the best pho in Melbourne. We personally loved Laksa King when we first tried it, but we thought that it’d only be fair to give its next-door rival a go as well. 

Unlike the canteen-styled Laksa King next door, the decor inside Chef Lagenda is a lot more subdued, with exposed brick and dark wood lining the walls. The only thing that seemed out of place were the chairs – as opposed to ones that matched the table, the patrons were either perched on colourful plastic stools, or heavy stainless-steel chairs. Luckily we got the latter. Hooray back support!

Curry Laksa ($9.2)

 

First up was of course, the Curry Laksa ($9.2). The broth here is quite heavy on the coconut milk, which muted the punch of the spices. The toppings were excellent, with generous amounts of fresh prawn and chicken, fish cakes and tofu puffs, and a lovely wedge of eggplant that soaked up the lemak-ness of the broth. The surprisingly addition of mint was cleansing, and very welcome. This bowl of noodles is only subtly different from the one served next door, but it’s more than enough to divide diners into two camps. As for myself, I prefer the laksa served at The King. The one here is good if you want a creamier noodle soup, but the richness got to be a bit too much by the end. 

Fried Koay Teow ($10.2)

My all-time favourite dish to order at a Malaysian restaurant has to be the Fried Koay Teow ($10.2), rice noodles stir-fried with Chinese sausage, prawns, egg, and a good dose of chilli. The most important thing about this dish is the wok-hei, otherwise known as the breath of wok, referring to the charred taste from being cooked at very high temperatures. This dish certainly had the wok-hei going; in fact, it’s so caramelised that it’s verging on bitter. I never thought I’d say this but, maybe the wok hyperventilated a little. That aside, it was a good plate of noodles, with the barely-cooked and still-crunchy bean shoots being a highlight, though it could have been improved by a heavier hand with the chilli. It’s not the best fried koah teow I’ve had, and it’s certainly not a meal for the calorie-conscious, but there’s something to be said about mouthful after addictive mouthful of luscious, slippery ribbons of noodle. 

Service is efficient and a bit perfunctory, but not unfriendly. I’d rather go to Laksa King for the laksa, but if I’m not in the mood for that, then it’s really a coin toss as to which restaurant I’d prefer. Maybe I’ll just do what most people do, and pick the one that has a shorter line out the door. 

Rating: 13.5/20 – hyperventilating wok.

Rewind - Best of 2011

Every single blog I read is doing one of these, and because I love lists and hate missing out, I’m going to do one too!

Best Weekday Lunch Spot: Purple Peanuts Japanese Cafe

Tsuke Don ($10.9)

The Tsuke Don was one of the favourite lunches I’ve had this year. Zesty, light, yet filling, it’s a must for all those who love Japanese, and could probably convert most who don’t. For the people who want something heavier, Purple Peanuts also serves a range of traditional Japanese rice and noodle dishes, as well as sushi rolls.

Best Brunch: Axil Coffee Roasters

Breakfast Burrito ($16)

Their baked eggs made my day brighter. But the breakfast burrito turned the wattage up so high that my eyeballs shrivelled. Not a very appealing image I know, but the breakfast burrito was pretty amazing. Hearty yet balanced, you don’t feel bad about eating what’s essentially 3 scrambled eggs and a whole chorizo at breakfast. The fact that Axil is near Swinburne University, and big enough not to need a booking, is a plus.

Best Romantic Dinner: Aspro Ble

Slow Roasted Lamb ($22)

Cozy and dimly lit with its own guitarist, Aspro Ble is the perfect place to take your date without breaking the bank. Gaze into each other’s eyes as you soak up the Mediterranean atmosphere with a glass of wine or two. Make sure you order the slow cooked lamb, though there are plenty of options on the menu for those who want something lighter.

Best Fast Food: Gami’s Chicken and Beer

Original Chicken ($12 for 10 pieces)

KFC is all well and good, just make sure you’re getting Korean Fried Chicken, not the Colonels. I guarantee you, after trying the fried chicken at Gami, you won’t want it from anywhere else. And if the chicken here is Harry Potter, then beer would be its faithful sidekick, Ron Weasley. Bring enough people and you can even order a 4L keg of beer.

Best Noodle Dish: Laksa King

Combination Laksa ($9.2)

I’m acquaintances with laksa on a good day; Chris has never even met laksa, and it usually takes an average of 3 tries for him to decide if he likes a dish or not. Yet we both loved Laksa King to pieces on our first visit. Laksa is what this spot is all about, even if it does offer other traditional Malaysian dishes. A perfect balance of creamy and spicy, you won’t find a finer laksa in Melbourne. Also a special mention to the ramen at DonToo, which only just missed out on getting the top spot.

Best Dumplings: Auntie’s Dumplings

Shanghai Fried Noodles ($8.3)/Boiled Pork Dumplings ($8 for 15)

The younger sister of the now defunct Bob’s Kitchen in Glen Waverley, Auntie’s Dumplings serves up the most delicious rendition of the humble dumpling I’ve ever had. I’d even go as far as to say that they’re better than what mum makes, and that’s a big call. And on those off-days where you don’t feel like dumplings, you can count on almost any other dish on the menu to fill your tummy and leave a smile on your face.

Best Dessert: Maedaya

Maedaya Panna Cotta ($4.5)

If it weren’t for the recommendations of other bloggers, I would never have picked soy milk panna cotta off any menu – it just sounds so bland and boring. But I’m glad that I took a chance and ordered it, because this is by far the most surprising (in a good way) dessert of the year. Looking non-too-different from tofu, this silky smooth panna cotta is just begging to be slowly sucked off the spoon. But I can guarantee that there’s no way you’ll be able to resist scoffing it down after the first bite.

Best Newcomer: Chin Chin

Kingfish Sashimi ($14)

Chin Chin is the restaurant that needs no introduction. I went there for lunch with expectations hyped to the roof, and it delivered an accessible and delicious meal with some bold twists on traditional Asian cooking. There’s no need for me to say more; everyone else has already said it.

 

Best Value: Al Alamy

Foull Medammes Platter ($7)

Hidden away in Coburg, Al Alamy is an Arabic grocer-slash-bakery. Here you can get the Foull Medammes Platter, which consists of a bowl of mashed and spiced beans that doubles as a dip, a generous plate of pickles, and two enormous flatbreads. And the best part? All of the above will leave you with enough change from a tenner to grab yourself a couple of pieces of their very excellent baklava.

What are your favourite eats of 2011?

Laksa King

6 - 12 Pin Oak Crescent
Flemington, 3031

‘Rub my tummy! It’ll bring you good laksa!’ chortled Chris as we walked out of Laksa King. And what could possibly bring CBD-dwellers like us out to Flemington on a cold Friday morning? The promise of fantastic laksa by my good Malaysian friends, Jan and Nick. And whilst I judge most Malaysian restaurants by their Fried Kway Teow, I simply couldn’t go past a dish that was ‘almost the same as it was back home’.

Laksa/Lights/Interior

What started out as a dingy little spot down a side alley (or so I’ve heard), Laksa King has since then moved to a newer, bigger (though no less busy) location just around the corner. And despite the canteen-like feel to it, it really is a pleasant, airy space to eat in. The tables are wooden and spacious, the lights hanging from the ceiling are almost artsy, and there’s even a bamboo partition at the back of the restaurant. We were impressed.

Combination Laksa ($9.2)

 

We ordered a bowl of Combination Curry Laksa (mixed noodle with shrimp, fishcake, and chicken, $9.2) to share. My hopes were raised high as the bowl was placed in front of us, and a sip of the soup confirmed my suspicious – this laksa is, I daresay, the best laksa I’ve ever had! There was just the right amount of spice to keep both chilli-eaters (me) and non-chilli-eaters (Chris) happy, and the coconut milk buoyed the flavours along, as opposed to dragging them under. Toppings were generous, and the noodles weren’t ‘bulked up’ by a stack of bean sprouts at the bottom. Who cares if the old Laksa King was supposedly better, this was more than good enough for us to slurp up every last drop!

Roti ($4.5)

And a serve of (extremely over-exposed) Plain Roti ($4.5) was perfect for dipping into the laksa soup, even if it isn’t ‘proper’ roti.

Will we return? Oh yes, most certainly, even if it’s just for the Laksa, for I doubt either of us would ever want anything else.

Rating: 15/20 – Come and get your laksa tummy!