Laksa @ Toast Box
Mrs, Unlawyer and I first visited Singaporean import Toast Box at the TriNoma Mall a month or so ago on reading from Ajay and Anton that, among other dishes, this newly-opened restaurant was serving laksa on the menu. Unfortunately, it was all out of this Singaporean noodle dish at the time, and I wanted very much to vent my disappointment on this site. My better nature, however, took hold of me; after all, I am in the service business myself. There will be times when product will simply run out, despite best efforts to keep in stock, so I decided to hold my fire and try again.
On our next visit, we were not disappointed. There was laksa enough for the two of us.
Was it worth the wait? Let’s just say that Toast Box’s version of laksa closely resembles that served in any Singaporean food court, except in one major respect: their version uses flat noodles instead of the customary round stuff. Combined with the narrow bowl the laksa was served in, it made for messy eating. I’d say it made a quite satisfactory meal if a tad expensive at PHP 140 or so, because I found the portion rather small.
What other dishes does Toast Box serve?
Of course, Toast Box serves plenty of thick toast, like this pork floss served on sliced bread and soft-boiled egg set. I forgot how much it cost. They also serve glasses of Horlicks malted milk, which is not commonly offered elsewhere in Metro Manila.
Here is the preparation table at the front of the Toast Box restaurant with its trademark mound of butter.
Toast Box is located at the main lobby of the TriNoma Mall. Phone (02) 915-2856.
Yes, the portion look small indeed. In Malaysia, laksa served at the shopping malls would be priced in the region of Php 100 – Php 140 and the portion would be more. I can have a good laksa in a normal coffee shop without the comfort of mall convenience and air-conditioning and I would need to pay about Php 50 per bowl with a bigger portion.
There are a few versions of the laksa. Usually there is no cockles added if the outlet is in a mall or an upmarket location, and of course, if the vendor is Singaporean. Singaporeans are more health-conscious and tend to avoid cockles for fear of getting hepatitis.
There should be a fine balance of coconut milk added into the recipe. Too much of it tends to create a too-rich taste and one would tend to stay away from the dish for a while before having the appetite to try it again.
I remember ordering a huge bowl of laksa in Singapore for something like SGD 3.
Cockles = see hum. I remember reading a Straits Times article saying that there are only a few reputable vendors of cockles shucked in a sanitary manner in Singapore.
But cockles are a delicacy! Best eaten boiled with shell and then taken out of their shell and dipped in chili!
Otherwise eaten raw with laska!
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen cockles served in Philippine restaurants, Bayi.