Trying Penang Laksa at “Penang Street Food – Malaysian” in Hamilton(Gourmet Exploration Series – Laksa Bowl No. 2)
Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Chietomonji, a gourmet writer based in Auckland.
This time, I headed to Hamilton, a city about a 1.5-hour drive south of Auckland, for a food review.
The restaurant I visited was “Penang Street Food – Malaysia.”
It’s a Malaysian restaurant with high ratings on Google Reviews, specializing in Penang-style cuisine—so expectations were naturally high.
Side note: More than ten years ago, when I was still a student, I stayed with a host family in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital. My host mother was incredibly kind and cooked delicious meals for me, ranging from Western dishes to Asian food—everything tasted amazing to a student like me. She was originally from Penang, Malaysia, and one evening she made Penang-style laksa for dinner. I still remember how impressed I was by its flavor. The soup, likely made with ingredients such as dried shrimp, had a rich seafood depth, yet was clean and refreshing. It was so good that I couldn’t help but drink every last drop.
With that memory in mind, I entered this restaurant hoping to experience Penang laksa once again.
Inside, there were already two large groups of seven to eight people each, and the place was lively.
A staff member showed me to my table, and I took a seat.
I already knew what I wanted to order, but I still glanced through the menu placed on the table.
As planned, I looked for Penang Laksa (Seafood), but interestingly, the word “Penang” wasn’t mentioned.
There were no other laksa options, so I ordered the Seafood Laksa instead (Price: $23.80).
As a complimentary starter, prawn crackers were brought to the table.
They were light, crispy, and fairly good.
After about a 15-minute wait, the laksa finally arrived.
At first glance, it reminded me of the chicken laksa at KK Malaysian Cuisine, which made me slightly worried—and a bit disappointed—that this might not be Penang laksa after all.
(For reference: Trying Chicken Laksa at “KK Malaysian Cuisine,” a Malaysian restaurant loved by locals in Auckland – Laksa Exploration, Bowl No. 1)
Time to taste.
The soup was rich and creamy with coconut milk—quite thick and indulgent.
The noodles were thick, allowing the soup to cling to them nicely.
The toppings included mussels, squid, prawns, egg, bean sprouts, and fried tofu—generous and satisfying. Overall, it was very enjoyable.
Although it wasn’t the Penang laksa I had been hoping for, the staff were friendly, and the quality of the laksa itself was excellent. I enjoyed it very much.
The bill came to $19, thanks to a limited-time 20% discount from the regular price of $23.80.
The restaurant I visited this time:
Penang Street Food
941A Victoria Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton 3204
https://www.penangstreetfood.co.nz
