Cockles are a staple in laksa & char kway teow, but just like my money, they are shrinking & disappearing at an alarming rate. Fortunately, Toa Payoh 94 Laksa is standing firm against the tide of missing cockles with their jumbo sized shellfish. For the uninitiated, cockles are a saltwater bivalve shellfish that have an iron rich taste, giving the impression of ‘bloodiness’ when raw. ⠀
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As such, raw cockles are pretty polarising, but I’ve definitely grown to appreciate them, especially when they’re submerged in a hot bowl of luscious laksa gravy. Toa Payoh 94’s colossal cockles, on the other hand, take it to a whole new level. It’s a massive burst of salty, iron rich juices that mingle with the spicy coconut laksa gravy & enhance its flavours & weightiness. If you ain’t big on cockles, then you might wanna give this a pass.⠀
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Even without the cockles, both colossal & diminutive in the bowl, Toa Payoh 94’s version is plenty palatable. The laksa gravy is sufficiently rich & silky, with a pronounced spiciness and the aroma of lemongrass lingering in the background. And at five dollars & eighty cents flat, this hearty bowl of laksa is a hell of a bargain. Not only do you get the cockles, you get three (mercifully de-shelled) prawns, some taupok (tofu puffs), and half a hardboiled egg. Incredibly good eating for under six bucks, and you’d be hard pressed to find this kind of hearty fare in today’s Singapore.⠀
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Toa Payoh 94’s laksa might just score a 94 out of a hundred, and it’s one of many reasons why Singapore’s hawker culture is utterly GOATed.