328 Katong Laksa - Popular Laksa Visited by Celebrities

I dare say everybody has at least heard of the famous 328 Katong Laksa. Not only does their outlets do well, such the one at Queensway Shopping Centre, they have also become quite the superstar after beating Gordon Ramsay in the 2013 Singtel Hawker Heroes Challenge. Many celebrities far and wide have also paid a visit and enjoy their bowl of laksa. But do they live up to their name?

It was impossible to miss 328 Katong Laksa with its brightly coloured and striking storefront. I have been to their Queensway outlet and compared to the small humble store there, this flagship store is a perfect embodiment of their laska – bold and fiery.

The steaming hot bowl of laksa is slightly on the pricey side, going for $6.30 just for a small bowl. However, the ingredients were abundant, with 4-5 pieces of fleshy prawns and cockles. What really took us by surprise was the flavour punched in the red hot gravy – prawns, hei bi (spicy chilli shrimp), and the sweetness of the coconut milk. The flavour profile was extremely strong, and together with the generous amount of chilli that was given to mix into the gravy, 328 Katong Laska is not for the faint hearted.

This came as quite a surprise as I’ve had the laksa at their Queensway outlet a couple of times, and I’ve always had to ask for more sambal chilli to feel more of that spicy kick. Perhaps their standards vary from outlet to outlet, so I would advise to approach with caution as this was a tad too spicy for me. Alternatively, you may want to not add the entire serving of chilli that comes with it at the side of the bowl.

As much as the soup was flavourful, the thick beehoon did not fully absorb the soup, which I found was quite a waste. This is probably because they wanted to maintain the al dente texture of the noodles, and they weren’t cooked for too long, which affected the absorbency of the noodles. Make sure to scoop a huge spoonful of soup to go with your beehoon! Lastly (and a bit of a first world problem), as chopsticks are not served by default, the beehoon was hard to scoop up with just a spoon as they were not cut up sufficiently. I spent more time trying to grab noodles than I wanted to.

If you are a chilli lover, I guarantee you will love their rendition of laska. Just make sure to also order an ice cold cup of Coke to go with it if you are having it on a hot afternoon.