328 Katong Laksa - The Bowl That Beat Gordon Ramsay

Along East Coast Road, in the heart of Singapore’s old Peranakan district, 328 Katong Laksa has spent more than two decades perfecting a single dish. Founder Nancy Koh developed the recipe over six months of trial and error before opening the original stall, and the laksa that resulted has gone on to represent Singapore far beyond this stretch of road. The broth’s defining trait is its texture: rice noodles are cut short specifically so that the dish can be eaten with a spoon alone, without need for chopsticks. That detail, distinctive to Katong-style laksa, shapes the entire eating experience that follows.

328 Katong Laksa’s recipe has been tested in public more than once. In 2013, the stall took part in the Singtel Hawker Heroes cook-off against chef Gordon Ramsay, with a blind taste test conducted in front of a crowd of a thousand people. The result favoured Nancy Koh’s version of the dish, a result that has followed the stall ever since and introduced it to an international audience. The laksa has also previously held the Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction for two consecutive years. The stall has since expanded from its East Coast Road original to additional outlets across Singapore, including Queensway Shopping Centre, United Square and Westgate, allowing more diners across the island to access the same recipe.

The laksa here is built on a coconut-based gravy infused with dried shrimp (hae bee), giving the broth its characteristic orange hue and savoury depth. The gravy is finished with a swirl of chilli and prawn oil, adding a layer of heat and aroma on top of the coconut base. Short-cut rice noodles sit beneath a topping of prawns, fish cake, tau pok and tau kwa, with bean sprouts adding a contrasting crunch.

A shredded chicken version of the laksa is also available for those who prefer a lighter, less seafood-forward bowl, prepared using the same base gravy. The dish is served in two sizes, small and large, and diners can request the addition of premium items such as flower clams for extra cost. Because the noodles are chopped fine and short, the dish is conventionally eaten with a spoon, scooping noodles, broth and toppings together in a single mouthful rather than lifting strands with chopsticks.

Otoh is commonly ordered alongside the laksa here. The fish paste is seasoned and wrapped in banana leaf before being grilled, producing a smoky, slightly charred exterior around a soft, spiced filling. It is served as a side rather than incorporated into the laksa itself, giving diners a smaller, spoonable bite to pair with the broth between mouthfuls of noodles.

For a dish that has come to represent Katong laksa to many visitors, 328 Katong Laksa keeps its offering narrow and focused. The result is a bowl built around one recipe, refined over more than twenty years, that remains a reasonable starting point for anyone curious about this particular style of laksa.

Address: 51 East Coast Road, Singapore 428770
Opening Hours: Daily, 9.30am – 9.30pm
Tel: +65 9732 8163
Website: 328katonglaksa.sg
Facebook: 328 Katong Laksa