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[rating:4]

Bo Laksa King sets up shop on East Hastings serving up Southeast Asian street food such as Roti Canai, Mee Goreng, Satay, and of course Laksa. Situated in the emerging Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood, this bare bones eatery seats a modest amount of patrons with only a few tables. Apparently they also serve bubble tea.

(Above: The infamous Laksa.)

As the name of their restaurant suggests, Bo Laksa is known for the their — well– Laksa, which is a Malaysian / Indonesian noodle soup dish that can be found in many Southeast Asian countries. Case ordered the curry and coconut soup based Laksa, which arrived in a beautiful medley of colours. The garnishes were fresh and the broth flavourful, with a slight kick of spiciness (which is notably absent in most Laksa dishes).

(Above: Roti Canai)

I ordred the Mohingar, which according to Bo Laksa’s menu, is the national dish of Burma. It’s a fish soup: hearty with strong, but not overpowering flavours that were at the same time familiar and foreign. The accompaniments of egg, cilantro, chili and a split pea fritter made this an entirely satisfying meal.

Accompanying our meal was an order of homemade Roti Canai — a texturally chewy and crunchy mass of misshapen tasty pancake that we enjoyed pulling apart and dunking in the curry sauce. Certainly some of the better Roti Canai we’ve had in the city.

(Above: Mohingar, a fish soup, the national dish of Burma.)

Our meal came to under $25 including taxes and tips — an excellent bargain for a meal with unique flavours, prepared with heart. The atmosphere is minimal, and the service disinterested, yet polite. Bo Laksa’s makes a nice addition to the neighbourhood and is nice go-to spot for a hot bowl of soup in a no frills environment.

Perfect for: some down home Laksa, or a little taste of Burma.

The Details

2546 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
604.568.4593
bolaksaking.com

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