Wild Coco should not be a name that is unfamiliar to most who have been following the various new-age Nasi Lemak establishments for a while. Located at 122 McNair Road, Wild Coco has been quite the talk of the town ever since they had opened their doors earlier this year, serving up Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah that is almost in the same style of that as the ones served at The Coconut Club but at a lower price. Originally sharing the same space as an outlet of Bugis Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup and Hei Kee Wanton Noodles, the two tenants had since moved out of the spot that they were allocated to right beside the beverages counter, and in their place now is occupied by a new Laksa Labo — a brand that seems to be by the same folks behind Wild Coco. As the name suggests, Laksa Labo specialises in serving up Laksa, which is said to be using a recipe that came from the 1960s — a rather fitting venture for Wild Coco to go into considering how coconut milk is still a large part of the preparation of Laksa. The menu at Laksa Labo is actually relatively simple; there are only two types of Laksa on the menu — the Classic Laksa and the Premium Laksa. Interestingly, Laksa Labo’s menu does feature a Sides section; this section includes items such as the Grandpa’s Tahu Goreng, as well as Fu Pi Juan, Fried Beancurd Roll and Zai Er (i.e. Vegetarian Mock Goose).

Given how we are at Laksa Labo to give their Laksa a go, we decided to go for the Classic Laksa which comes with one Tiger Prawn, Fish Cake and Taupok. Whilst most other establishments would most likely throw in more expensive seafood items for their “premium” item, the only difference between the Premium Laksa and the Classic Laksa is how the Premium Laksa comes with three Tiger Prawns instead. Another interesting thing to note about the Laksa here is that it comes without cockles and that noodle option would be Thick Bee Hoon by default – we were not asked for our preferences for the two when we made our order. Each bowl of Laksa does some with a small bowl of Zai Er on the side as well. Digging into the bowl of Laksa, we found that the Laksa broth is especially thick and creamy here — we did feel that the Laksa has a heavy emphasis on the coconut milk itself, considering how that seems to be the dominating flavour profile of the entire bowl here. It does, however, come with a hint of the rempah spices in its finish; personally would have preferred a balance of both rather than it veering towards the richness of the coconut milk, though we would see how some will really like this bowl of Laksa nonetheless. The Thick Bee Hoon here is undeniably slurpy, while the Tau Pok manages to soak up all that rich and lemak Laksa broth that oozes out as one chews onto the them. As with most cases, there isn’t much to comment on the fishcake, but the inclusion of the Tiger Prawn comes as a surprise at its price point — the prawn being all fresh and naturally sweet with a good bite.

Laksa Labo is probably a Wild Coco with a twist; while Wild Coco does endeavour to serve up an artisanal plate of Nasi Lemak, Laksa Labo strives to do the same with its focus being on Laksa instead. We do prefer Laksa with a better balance of the spices and the coconut milk; that being said, Laksa Labo’s rendition of the Laksa would likely appeal to those who likes the really rich, thick and creamy sort of Laksa gravy. We are pretty surprised at its affordability though — the price point of their Classic Laksa being quite wallet-friendly and would fit well for a lunch/dinner spot on a regular basis; that is especially considering how it does come with a Tiger Prawn that is rather atypical of other Laksa stalls out there. Not sure if we would be craving for Laksa Labo’s rendition of Laksa to make a return visit any time soon; we still prefer the Chicken Rendang Laksa from Tekka Homemade Yong Tau Foo at Tekka Market for a really balanced version of a spruced-up Laksa. That being said, it is probably most worth a try if one is already at Wild Coco to give their Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah a go — the Classic Laksa being an item which we would consider if we are around the area craving for a good bowl of Laksa.