Laksa is one of the must-try street food in Penang, Malaysia. Christine Ooi found a gap in the market as the mother of two boys who finds it hard to enjoy a bowl of Laksa by the street. Thus the birth of Laksalicious, where she takes iconic street food, Assam Laksa and Nyonya Lemak Laksa and serves them in a comfortable restaurant setting. During the podcast, she shares her thoughts on Penang’s hawker culture and how they use a 40-year-old Laksa recipe from housewives in Perak to share this street food goodness.

“We are happy with just one outlet. As a mother of two boys, I like to spend more time with my family.” - Christine Ooi

Timestamps:

00:00 - Guest Introduction

00:50 - Growing up around fishing villages 

02:15 - Must-try food in Penang

04:32 - Penang’s hawker culture

06:33 - Lessons I’ve learned starting Moustache House Cafe

09:06 - When do you know it’s time to close down the business?

10:46 - Starting Laksalicious

12:15 - Taking street food into a restaurant setting

13:27 - Branding Laksalicious

15:13 - Sourcing our Laksa from Perak 

19:00 - Different types of laksa in Malaysia

20:00 - The most important ingredient in a bowl of laksa

20:55 - Coping with the pandemic as a small business

22:53 - Being content with one outlet after 7 years