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| Lee Kee Johor Laksa (stall inside Kedai Makan Kee Kim Huat) 李记柔佛辣沙 | 80, Jalan Badik, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru ⏰ 8:30am to 2pm (Mon off) |
Started by the current boss' mother, Lee Kee is originally a shoulder slung mobile (kandar) two-basket stall plying Jalan Trus in JB. Now located in Kee Kim Huat coffee shop in Taman Sri Tebrau, Lee Kee is still very popular with locals. I like this style of curry laksa too and it hasn't changed one bit since I first tasted it in 2012.
This style of JB curry laksa is loaded with fresh blood cockles, fried bean curd skin, fried tofu, and fried ikan parang fish balls.
The curry has layers of crustacean savouriness, sweetness of onions and coconut milk, and mild spicy heat from chili and other spices. I like it that the flavoursome curry is not cloyingly creamy or milky. I enjoyed it to the last drop.
The fried tofu skin was like a piece of thin and light savoury paper. It was brittlely crispy when dry and when wet with curry broth it was soft crunchy to the bite with curry flavours clinging to its wet wrinkled surface.
The pieces of tofu stuffed with fish paste were quartered. The stuffed tofu was similar to those served with Hakka fish ball noodle soup. They were very likeable because of their mildly sweet savoury flavour and interesting rough texture. There were even hints of soy bean taste.
This JB style of laksa always have this fried ikan parang fish ball. Biting through the fish ball's soft browned leathery skin releases bursts of fish aroma from the minced chewy fish meat inside.
The house made sambal chili is mildly spicy with crustacean savouriness from dried shrimps in the blend.
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| Singapore style curry laksa |
One thing about Lee Kee Laksa, and most curry laksa in Johor, they do not have laksa leaves or daun kesum. On the other hand in Singapore, chopped laksa leaves is a must in curry laksa. The only curry laksa places I know in JB that has chopped laksa leaves is at WW Laksa and Yew Swee Laksa.
👉 Lee Kee (1946) is an old school Johor style curry laksa, the same vintage as Singapore's famed Sungai Road laksa (1956) and Janggut Laksa (1946). The stall holders have kept faithfully to the elaborate old recipe with loads of liau 料 (ingredients) - its worth a try to taste the flavours of old Johor.
Restaurant name: Lee Kee Johor Laksa (stall inside Kedai Makan Kee Kim Huat) 李记柔佛辣沙
Address: 80, Jalan Badik, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1.487064,103.768798
Hours: 08:30am to 2:00pm (Mon off)
Non Halal
Hours: 08:30am to 2:00pm (Mon off)
Non Halal
Updated by Tony Boey on 26 Jul 2025
Date visited: Several times since 29 Jan 2012 | Updated 26 Apr 2023
Kudos for the Google Maps link! Please keep that for future posts
ReplyDeleteKudos for the Google Maps link! Please keep that for future posts
ReplyDeleteThanks George. I am facing some problems creating Google Maps. Will solve it and include it with every post.
DeleteFirst time tasted it was ard 1986 or 87. Corner coffeeshop next to the Indian temple facing Jln Ah Fook. Memorable I can recalled it was raining heavily n stuck in the coffeeshop. We were trying to get to Mersing
ReplyDeleteOne of the best in JB
ReplyDeletemy favourite!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, started off from just a push cart. Had this since I was a kid at Pasar Baru in the early 1960s when the current old man was just a teenager.
ReplyDeleteHis deep fried fish balls was good enough to die for, when fish was still cheap.
Is there any bus services that route over there or to taman sri tebrau hawker centre?
ReplyDeleteT11, T14, T20. Board at JB Sentral. Alight at Crystal Crown Hotel. Walk about 10 minutes
DeleteYes, started off from just a push cart. Had this since I was a kid at Pasar Baru in the early 1960s when the current old man was just a teenager.
ReplyDeleteHis deep fried fish balls was good enough to die for, when fish was still cheap.
... and no "sea harmm" (cockles), no fuchuk: just fishballs and fish paste filled taufu, braised.
There's another stall at Restoran You Xiang Permas Jaya that has chopped laksa leaves served with their bowl of laksa.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favourite too! The claypot rice within the same KPT is not bad too. As with the chicken rice. In the evening there will be stalls set up outside the KPT along the road.
ReplyDeleteMy childhood memory
ReplyDeleteHer daughter runs a stall in Taman Molek too. Same taste.
ReplyDeleteThis one I approve too. Nice
ReplyDeleteOne of the best in JB
ReplyDelete