For many people, Yew Swee 友水 is the best curry laksa in Johor Bahru.
For me, whenever I am asked to name the best laksa stalls in Johor Bahru, I always mentioned Yew Swee laksa as among the best.
If you have never tried Yew Swee laksa and come to the shop for the first time, you may wonder what the hype is all about.
The humble kopitiam is a very basic, bare bones shop lot that can get pretty hot especially in the morning. The sun bleached roller shades doesn't help much in keeping out the heat. The air is still and occasionally a waft of spicy aroma drifts by.
Sometimes, gusts of choking pungent aroma blow by, sending those with sensitive noses scurrying. That's when the staff is stir frying the day's sambal chili in the kitchen at the back.
The bowl of laksa, when it arrived looked loaded but hardly photogenic. The generic fish balls also don't impress.
Any doubts about what Yew Swee curry laksa can deliver get blown away with the first mouthful. Yew Swee's laksa is neither subtle nor shy. It just unapologetically hammers your taste buds and olfactory nerves with its robustness - not just hot spiciness, but also umami savouriness.
The curry laksa is actually very lemak (loaded with fresh coconut milk) but the sweetish creaminess is complemented by savoury stock, spices and chili. The distinct full bodied umami flavour in the stock undergirding the curry laksa is extracted from lots of ikan bilis.
These are sambal chili which Yew Swee makes everyday. I doubt many people need this to boost the spiciness and taste of Yew Swee's already very robust curry.
The Liew family, originally from Penang, has been running Yew Swee laksa for 22 years.
Yew Swee laksa - you will either love it or be overwhelmed by it. It's been 22 years and Yew Swee's growing legion of fans keep coming to have their taste buds and noses pummelled by their curry laksa.
Well, it seems that I can never quite have enough of Yew Swee's curry laksa... I shall be back for more.
Pro-tip: When you are at Yew Swee in the morning to noon, try to sit further inside the restaurant. The morning sun beats down hard on the shop front and it can get really uncomfortable, if you are sitting near the outside.
Recommended for you 👍 JB's kick ass curry laksa with a savoury umami spicy taste that come on so strong that it
You can also eat Yew Swee's curry laksa with mee hoon kueh. It's nice too. If you like curry laksa and also mee hoon kueh, it's the best of both worlds 👈 click
Yew Swee also makes a mean lor mee and even a kick ass kway teow soup. This humble little shop is really quite amazing 👈 click
The first time I visited Yew Swee in 2012, I walked there from the JB CIQ combing the streets for good eats 👟👟👟 Silly man 👈 click
Restaurant name: Restoran Yew Swee 友水
Address: 64, Jalan Harimau Tarom, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/D4xfd
GPS: 1.485273,103.765477 / 1°29'07.0"N 103°45'55.7"E
Hours: Daily (closed on Sundays)
GPS: 1.485273,103.765477 / 1°29'07.0"N 103°45'55.7"E
Hours: Daily (closed on Sundays)
Non Halal
Date visited:17 Jan 2012, 22 Apr 2013 and numerous times afterwards
Date visited:
The laksa looks so rich and thick! Wa you finished the whole bowl!! (sinful but looks worth the calories)
ReplyDeletehahaha :D
DeleteIs it beside Wong Radio?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure where is Wong Radio. Yew Swee is near to and same row of shops as Crystal Crown Hotel branch off Jalan Terbrau.
DeleteMay I just ask whether are their children planning to take over this Laksa business?
ReplyDelete