The Katong laksa stall at Roxy Square is run by the direct descendants of Janggut, the grand father of the legendary Katong or Marine Parade laksa of Singapore.
Ng Juat Swee whose nickname is "janggut" or the "bearded one" because he had hair growing out of a mole on his chin, started selling his family's heirloom Nyonya laksa in Katong in the 1940s. Janggut's Nyonya style laksa with spiced coconut milk and prawn stock was extremely popular. In the 1950s, he moved into 49, East Coast Road. Janggut passed away in 1986 and his family carried on the business.
When the landlord in 49 East Coast Road raised the rent, Janggut's family closed their laksa stall and took a break till 1998 when they reopened in 57 East Coast Road.
When the landlord of 57 East Coast Road increased the rent in 2000, Janggut's family moved across the road to Roxy Square where they still are to this day.
Meanwhile, Janggut's family opened another 4 more Katong laksa stalls across the island making it 5 in total.
Twenty years at the ground level food court at Roxy Square mall, Janggut's laksa is still the most popular stall here. The laksa is branded here as Marine Parade Laksa.
The classic Janggut laksa with rice noodles in a spiced coconut broth with prawns, fish cake and blood cockle toppings. There were also the essential sambal chili and finely chopped daun kesum which are mixed and stirred into the curry broth before eating.
The curry broth wasn't that thick or creamy but it was packed with deep savoury flavours undergirded by coconut milk sweetness and mild spicy heat. It is a very likeable, tasty, drinkable curry broth.
The strips of fish cake, shelled prawns and blood cockles though humble added complementary flavours to Janggut's laksa.
Janggut laksa is eaten in gulps with everything - rice noodles, toppings and curry all in one spoonful. One of the defining features of classic Janggut laksa is rice noodles which have been snipped into short stubby strands. So, Janggut's laksa is eaten with spoons and no chopsticks are provided. Hence, it is also called "spoon laksa".
Information for you 👌 Nice curry laksa with robust savoury flavours balanced with coconut milk sweetness and gentle spicy heat. Owned and run by the descendants of Janggut, the original hawker of this legendary Singapore street food icon.
Photo credit: National Archives Singapore
This Janggut outlet at Roxy Square should not be confused with Roxy Laksa. In 1952, Lim Kiok Seng, one of Janggut's workers started his own push cart stall at the lane beside the old Roxy theatre, hence it is called Roxy Laksa. Roxy theatre was demolished and Roxy Square was built in its place. Roxy Laksa moved to East Coast Lagoon Food Centre in 1979 and then to Timbre in Nov 2016. Sadly, Roxy Laksa closed in 2018 and there are no plans to revive it at the moment.
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Restaurant name: The Original Katong Laksa
Address: 50 East Coast Rd, Roxy Square, Singapore 428769 (stall at ground level food court)
GPS: 1°18'16.9"N 103°54'13.4"E 🌐 1.304700, 103.903707
Tel: 9622 1045
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Date visited: 28 Jan 2020
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