Hole-In-The-Wall Neil Road Hawker Stall Sells Abalone Laksa For $10

The stall, located in a kopitiam opposite Shake Shack, is quite the hidden gem. Despite its neon sign, the stall is tucked near the back and facing a wall, and can be easily overlooked. But Leng, who likens it to a “hole in the wall in an alley”, tells us he is slowly adding Chinese- and Japanese-style decorations like lanterns and flags to make it stand out.

For $10, the Abalone Laksa is value-for-money. Apart from the usual laksa suspects like springy rice vermicelli, tau pok, fish cake slices, hardboiled egg, and crunchy bean sprouts, it also comes with three adorable baby abalones, abalone slices, and a generous heap of plump cockles. Want more abalone? Add them for $2 a pop.

The spicy gravy is robust and lemak and the tender abalone adds a briny touch to the laksa. But what really elevates the dish is the homemade hae bee hiam chilli, which packs a punch. We liked the chilli so much we slurped up all the gravy and ordered another serving of laksa just to go with it.

Another thing that stands out is how generous Leng is with his portions and ingredients. You can request for extra noodles at no extra charge, help yourself to the condiments, toppings like dried shallots and even tissue paper.

Maa Gei also offers sides like Otah ($1.80) and Grilled Pork Skewers ($2 each). Made with a mix of minced and sliced pork, the succulent Thai-style skewered pork was slathered with a sweet-savoury teriyaki sauce and charred to perfection.

Henly Huat Drinks Food Court, 120 Neil Road, S088855. Tel: 8891 1844. Open daily 7am-8pm.

Photos: Ilsa Chan