Laksa @ Restoran Yew Swee 友水 in Taman Century (near Hotel Paragon and Plaza Pelangi), Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Fans rave about the famous Yew Swee 友水 laksa shop in Taman Century located along Jalan Harimau Tarom. So I went to see for myself what is it about Yew Swee 友水 laksa that won it so many die hard supporters.

Just a typical JB kopitiam and it was a little dim because the bamboo shades were drawn fully down to keep out the blazing morning sun. But, WOW! Everything I heard about this laksa is true. The popular laksa here is definitely a cut above. Fans say it is the best in Johor, I can see why.

The pot of gold at Yew Swee laksa.

If the soul of laksa is in its gravy, then Yew Swee laksa has got it spot on. The fragrance and taste of the gravy is just right. And it is achieved subtly with finesse. Yew Swee’s gravy is a light and flavourful well-balanced blend of spices. It is unlike those laksa stalls that try to hook customers by overdosing the gravy with hot spices and overloading it with coconut milk until (in extreme cases) the gravy feels lumpy milky on the tongue.

With the gravy done right, the rest of the ingredients like the bee hoon, fried tofu skin, fried tofu, fish balls and cockles complement the gravy to enhance the enjoyment of the entire dish. In other words, everything revolves around savouring the gravy - otherwise all the other frills e.g. big prawns and abalone, are just irrelevant distractions.