Mary’s Laksa crowned Territory’s best food truck by NT News’ readers

NT News readers have spoken, and in a race with plenty of standout competition, reaffirmed the Top End’s pride as the laksa capital of Australia.

Even though Darwin has become unofficially known as the “laksa capital of Australia”, Mary Lei believes there is no such thing as the “best” out of the lot.

However, the NT News’ readership seem to think otherwise, because Mary’s Laksa has been crowned the NT’s best food truck in our readers’ choice competition.

Its 58-year-old proprietor said her business motto was “don’t take it too seriously and enjoy yourself”.

“There’s a lot of work but the customers become your friends and that’s really what keeps me going,” she told the NT News.

Mary Lei (centre) runs Mary's Laksa which was voted the NT's Best Food Truck in a reader’s choice poll. Picture: Darwin Laksa Festival

“There’s not much of a secret in the success, you just put in effort and try to understand what the customers want. If you look after them, they look after you.”

A full-time public servant, Mrs Lei came to Darwin from China with her husband 45 years ago, opening her food truck in the late 90s with help from loved ones.

Though Mrs Lei said that laksa is not usually associated with mainland China, she learned to make it “to try something different” and connect with Darwin’s multicultural community.

By her count, she now sells about 200 laksas every Saturday at the Parap Village Markets, and though modest about her success, also took out a people’s choice award in the 2020 Darwin International Laksa Festival.

“You can say one or the other is the best but everyone has their own taste and likes different flavours,” she said.

Mrs Lei with her people’s choice award at the Darwin International Laksa Festival. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

“If everyone liked the same things, life would be boring.”

Coming in at a close second was The Potato Man, whose stuffed spuds have been a mainstay of Darwin’s markets since 1987, followed by B’Rad BBQ with their 14-hour slow-cooked brisket.