Depot Road Zheng Zhong Zhen Shan Mei Famous Claypot Laksa

What a way to start for the Ox year! Today while walking around my office area, thinking of what to eat, I accidentally stumbled across this hidden gem!!!

Never have I been so excited to post a review immediately after my lunch to share with everyone! For those who are fan of the legendary claypot laksa back in the days when I was at Depot Road (near CMPB, for those who have served with the army), would remember the auntie there serve some really power claypot laksa! If you have been her ardent fan like me, you probably been following her from Depot Road to Alexandra Village hawker centre. And then out of the suddenly, auntie seems to have disappeared. Legend was told that auntie sold her stall to the current owner due to some illness, and later, she was hired to just prepare the gravy for the claypot laksa at vivocity Food Republic. I really though we've lost auntie's famous claypot laksa for good, but turns out luck is still with all the foodies out there!

When I saw the signboard, and saw they have this premium claypot laksa at $8, I told myself it is probably another one of the franchise or something. When I saw auntie standing right in front of the stall, I tell myself, this should be it! Wow, auntie still looks the same as I remembered her to be like 10 years ago! Maybe the laksa have some youth preserving abilities! :P Anyway, the normal laksa still comes in $3/4/5. Now they even have a choice of noodles or thick bee hoon, and they also have claypot chicken laksa, and even claypot rice....hmmm....

Anyway, the feeling when I saw this stall was like finding one's lost love! After getting in grip with my surprise find, I ordered the $5 claypot laksa. Man... after being deprived for so many years, I won't be doing justice to myself if I ordered anything smaller :).

The $5 came in a pretty big claypot. Instead of the old earthen claypot, the laksa now in the black claypot. Not a good sign though. The laksa also came with 3 decent medium sized prawns (btw, when I was at the AV branch recently, they seem to have replaced the prawns with some deshelled shrimps instead), just like before. And laksa is spicy and hot (not sure if it was my imagination, but I remembers it was even more spicier last time), with my head and body perspiring in the hot afternoon, yet inside me, still wanting for more :).

Overall, I think this is currently the best claypot laksa out there! So for those who are familiar with the original Depot Road claypot laksa might want to go check this stall out!