Discovering Laksa Siglap, the Original Singapore Laksa

Laksa is a famous dish in Singapore, often linked to Straits Chinese cooking. Many people think Katong laksa is the original, but another type, laksa Siglap, existed before it. Laksa Siglap came from the kampungs of Siglap.

Laksa Siglap is similar to other laksas, like laksa Johor or laksa Riau. It has a strong gravy made with Spanish mackerel and is topped with cucumbers, beansprouts, and herbs. This dish is part of the same family as other laksas.

Khir Johari calls it Laksa Singapura because it was Singapore's first laksa. This name shows its importance in Singapore's culinary history.

Although not as common as Katong laksa today, laksa Siglap is still served in some places like Geylang Serai and Bedok.

Laksa Siglap is closely related to other laksas in the Malay region. For example, Penang's assam laksa has a fish-based broth, and laksa Utara, laksa Kedah, and laksa Kelantan have rolled noodles. Laksa Johor is the most similar to laksa Siglap.

When Azimin Saini first tried Katong laksa, he didn't understand it. He missed the fish broth and the thick rempah. He realized that Katong laksa is different from laksa Siglap, and both are unique in their own way.

The word 'laksa' refers to the rice-and-sago noodles used in the dish. This is why we have different types of laksa, like laksa Penang, laksa Katong, and laksa Siglap.

Noodles came to the Malay world from three sources: Southern China, Thailand, and Persia. Each source introduced different types of noodles, like mee Siam from Thailand.

The word 'laksa' comes from 'lakhshidan', meaning 'to slide', which is related to noodles. This word is used in many languages, including Hungarian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Lithuanian, to describe various noodle strains.

Laksa Siglap got its name from the cottage industry in Kampung Siglap. The noodles are made with rice flour and sago starch, then extruded through a brass noodle press called gebak laksa.

A post shared by Dialogues by Khir (@dialoguesbykhir) shows the traditional method of making laksa Siglap noodles.

Today, most laksa Siglap is made with rice and tapioca flours instead of sago starch. The noodles have a pleasant bounce, similar to bee tai mak noodles.

Making laksa Siglap is very labor-intensive and traditionally required a village. The fish of choice, ikan parang, has many small bones that are hard to remove.

The broth of laksa Siglap gets its flavor from kerisik, which is made by toasting grated coconut and pounding it into a paste. Sambal belacan, made from chillies and fermented shrimp paste, is also added.

All the components of laksa Siglap are important and work together to create a balanced dish. The starch from the noodles, protein from the fish, and roughage from the vegetables all contribute to its harmony.

Emylia Safian grew up hearing stories about laksa Siglap from her family, who used to make it when they lived in Kampung Siglap.

Laksa Siglap was often made for special occasions and was a big deal in the kampung. The older people would make their own noodles, and others would help because it was a community effort.

Emylia and her husband run a private dining experience called Seia House, where they serve an elegant version of laksa Siglap.

The idea for Seia House started when a friend asked to bring his friends to try their laksa Siglap. They prepared a whole menu and hosted them, which led to their first experience hosting strangers.

One guest was surprised by the lightness of their laksa Siglap, which was different from the rich and spicy Malay dishes she was used to.

Historian Khir Johari sees a connection between laksa Siglap and Katong laksa. He thinks that people in Katong were exposed to laksa Siglap and decided to sell their own version, but with easier-to-make ingredients.

Khir suggests that the person who created Katong laksa might have used dried prawns and prawn stock instead of fish, making it easier to produce.

This is just a theory, but the result is a dish that kept its original flavor while becoming easier to make.

The relationship between laksa Siglap and Katong laksa is an example of how foods can evolve and adapt when they move from one neighborhood to another.

Laksa Siglap is sometimes sold as laksa cap at hawker stalls, referring to the noodles being extruded through the gebak laksa and coiled into neat piles.

A post shared by Lemaq.. A Taste To Remember (@lemaq.lemaq) shows their version of laksa Siglap.

Emylia and Mihn's favorite place to eat laksa Siglap is at Warung Selera Masakan Kampung along Changi Road. They also serve their own version at Seia House, which is the most elegant of the three they've tried.

Chef Hafizzul Hashim recently added laksa Siglap to the lunch menu at his restaurant, Fiz. He uses roasted prawn heads to sweeten the broth and adds fatty shima aji to the ikan tenggiri pulp.

Laksa Siglap is a disappearing dish in the commercial sense because it's laborious and expensive to make. However, it's still made at home where family recipes can be created faithfully.

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