Laksamania
Pregnancy cravings are a thing guys. Not the “oh I quite fancy that”, but a full-blown “I need XYZ now or I will eat you” kind of craving. Mine were relatively subdued and definitely unhealthy. French fries (vegetables), ice-cream (calcium), and sugary cereals (fibre) were my daily requirements, but sometimes the cravings became interesting. Eggs with jam, no green vegetables, and a big bowl of kari laksa. Yes, I wanted kari laksa every single day for two weeks. BW would either pick some up on his way home from work or he would take me to our local, Satay House, to satisfy that itch of mine. Naturally, I ended up avoiding kari laksa post-pregnancy having had it so much UNTIL my dear friend, Feroz from Bake St, informed me of Laksamania.
Laksamania is an unassuming place in an unassuming location and you only really appreciate it once you walk down the stairs and come across their dining room. Slick and chic, it is definitely not what you would expect from this eatery.
Outrageously good satay chicken, so good that I can hands down say this is the best satay chicken in London. Super succulent pieces of chicken that were deliciously smoky and had a slight crisp from the grill. It paired well with the accompanying spicy peanut sauce.
Crispy chicken wings that had been fried and finished with a sprinkle of crunchy fried garlic (granules), chillies, and coriander. Bonus: it’s gluten free too!
Hot and tangy chicken bone broth with sambal stirred in and a generous helping of egg and rice noodles, plus prawns, fish balls, shredded egg and fried tofu puffs. The soup was incredibly moreish with the the tofu puffs soaking up the flavoursome broth and exploding with juice upon each bite. Given that it was made using shrimp paste, fish balls, and king prawns, it was surprisingly not fishy in the slightest.
A rich, creamy coconut based soup topped with squidgy fried tofu puffs, shredded chicken, king prawns, bean sprouts and an egg. This laksa had depths of flavour and was the warm, fuzzy hug you really want when it’s chilly outside. The soup packed a spicy punch that was not watered down by the coconut milk either and left a tingly sheen on your lips when slurping the noodles up. Yum.
Sure, it doesn’t look like much different from any old chicken curry, but Laksamania’s takes influence from the Nyonya cuisine (influenced by the 15th century immigration of the Chinese into Malaysia), which typically combines ingredients and cooking techniques from both cultures. Of course, you can expect nothing but deliciousness. The curry was thick, aromatic, and fragrant, but I felt it needed more coconut milk to cut through the heavy spices.
Sadly, the roti was the least impressive out of them all given how good everything else was. It was dry and did not possess those buttery soft layers one would hope for when tearing into roti.
The total bill amounted to £66.09 for three people, including service, so £22.03 each. Not badly priced and given the quality of the food, I would happily return to explore the rest of the menu. The staff were super friendly and patient in explaining about the halal status of their dishes. What’s weird is that the place is so cozy and chilled that we ended up staying there for over two hours without even realising. Now that’s the kind of place I want to dine at.
For Laksamania menu, click here
For other Malaysian restaurants in London, check out below:
