Penang Air Itam Assam Laksa
Each time the topic on food in Penang surface among my friends, this place is sure to be on the tip of their tongue. The famous Penang Assam Laksa at Air Itam, they say you must try it at least once if you're up in the island of Penang. My family house in Penang is just a stone's throw distance away from this spot, so I wasn't really sure what's the hype surrounding this stall.
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| The famous Air Itam Penang Laksa Stall |
Assam Laksa Air Itam Market
Pasar Road (Beside the Air Itam Market)
11500 Air Itam
Penang
(5 minutes walk from Kek Lok Si Temple)
So there I was on my recent trip back to Penang, together with a fellow blogger Henry Lee. It was his first trip up to Penang, so I thought it appropriate to bring him to try this Penang delicacy. The place was packed when we arrived at 9am in the morning, luckily there was space at a table to share. Yes, we share tables with complete strangers here in friendly Penang. The environment wasn't top notch, but we're not complaining because we are here for the food!
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| Pots and cookery involved in the preparation |
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| The crowd in the morning, it was pretty packed |
I could not remember the last time I had the laksa here, and what was the price previously. I just remembered it was pretty cheap, even now at RM 3 per bowl, it is still rather affordable. We ordered a bowl of laksa each, with sugar caned water. Do check out the photos below.
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| Assam Laksa with prawn paste - RM3 |
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| Fishing for the white laksa noodles hiding inside the soup |
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| My drink - RM1.20 |
My take on this dish? Personally, the taste was good, but the soup was too watery for my liking. I like my assam laksa thick with lots of fish in it, just like how my mother prepares it. Overall it was good though, and judging from the crowd that was there that morning, I think this place will still be the place where tourists and local will come for a bit of those white laksa noodles. Do leave a comment on your say with regards to this place as I'm sure most of you have been here before.
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I'm not sure, this is supposed to be THE famous assam laksa in Penang - but I always dapao, and I didn't find it soupy, so i guess the soup-ingredients ratio is different at home.
ReplyDeletei never tried the assam laksa here at air itam..
ReplyDeleteonly went for the one at penang road - coz the penang famous chendol is there! :D
No need to taste. See from you photos already know it's very delicious. Must be good business. Saw so much noodles there
ReplyDeletereally nice asam laksa...
ReplyDeleteObviously this is one very famous laksa stall o. So many people there. :D
ReplyDeleteJust look at the 2 large pots of laksa "kuak" they have prepared. :p Must be a lot of customers every day.
ReplyDeleteI know this shop, so damn crowded everyday. Guess its has the best location near Kek Lok Si Temple, didn't get a chance to try yet :) nice sharing!
ReplyDeleteI never tried Penang Laksa before but it already looks scary.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly stayed in Penang for almost 2 decades only been to Air Itam laksa once..maybe not my kind of luck-sa but can go around Penang for curry mee haha. Wah RM3.00 already for a bowl. tQ
ReplyDeletethat time i went... it was closed. I think my favourite food in Penang is the char kueh teow at Jln Selamat and also o pui hahhaa.
ReplyDeleteSome friends dragged me there insisting that I tried. I tagged along even though not a fan of Penang assam laksa...and when we got there, and I saw the wobbly tables and chairs along the five-foot way and the people, so many of them in the heat and discomfort, eating the laksa...the same colour as the water in the drain - that was it! No, thank you... I did not touch it at all in the end!
ReplyDeletefeel like trying it somedays and you may know when was it :P
ReplyDeletethe old man and the shop neva changed in so many years lol
ReplyDeletelove the super sour spicy taste of Assam Laksa.. of course the Penang Ha-Kao is out of this world too la:) nice shots
ReplyDeleteMy favorite laksa all the time for the past 7years. I'm so craving for it ;D
ReplyDeletePhilip, eh you dapao ar, why didnt eat there. :)
ReplyDeleteKen, Haha, yup, i love the chendol there too. :)
ReplyDeleteSmallkucing, their business is extremely good. Every tourist sure drop by there. But I don't find it exceptionally good, just OK nia. :)
ReplyDeleteNikel, not bad lo. :) But a bit too watery :P
ReplyDeleteTekkaus, it's really famous. Hehe. Wish I can be as famous as the laksa too! haha
ReplyDeleteTekkaus, we could not even find a place to sit initially. Had to wait for some other patrons to finish eating.
ReplyDeleteQi wen, eh? next time come down penang, i bring you even better place to makan! Haha
ReplyDeleteDarran, what a way to describe, scary? Hehe
ReplyDeletebananaz, oh! you were in Penang for 20 years! Wow, that's a really long time!. I rememebered it was cheaper.
ReplyDeleteJfook, Woot, love it when you comment here. Haha, does the happy dance! XD when want to go up Penang again! :P
ReplyDeleteSTP, i guess the environment might not suit you, and i admit its rather dirty. But in Penang, sometimes the messier the place, the more it will attract crowds. The clean food courts are the ones suffering from no business ><
ReplyDeleteKian Fai, Sure! Will bring you there if we go up. :P
ReplyDeleteKyril, lol! you saw the old man long time ago? Woot. Are you from Penang?
ReplyDeleteCiki, yup assam laksa in Penang rocks! XD thanks for dropping a comment on my humble blog. Much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteAndrew, hello there! thanks for dropping by my blog! You're in Penang now?
ReplyDeletehey, I didnt go there lar... my kids dont like laksa so much so we didnt go.. ended up in Queensbay more!
ReplyDeleteparents
ReplyDeletewhen i first time tried the assam laksa at here, soooooo different from kuching laksa that i always had back to kk. lol! but i gotta say i prefer kuching laksa, maybe u shud bring me go try the nice penang laksa!! :p
ReplyDeleteI'm quite shocked that this Laksa cost RM3 only. I dont think you can get these sort of price here in KL.
ReplyDelete