Where to find SEQ’s best laksa: 5 must-try restaurants revealed
Five eateries in Southeast Queensland are serving up soul-warming laksa that rivals Malaysia's best, from award-winning broths to seafood-packed bowls.
From humble food courts to sophisticated bistros, Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast’s laksa scene has exploded with these five must-try destinations for noodle soup lovers.
New Alley Woolloongabba
If you wander into New Alley, expect a menu packed with Malaysian and Asian fusion treats, but the real draw is the laksa, boasting five impressively distinct varieties, including beef rendang, chicken and curry chicken. One version that steals the night is the combo laksa. You get chicken, beef, prawns, calamari and fish cake all in one glorious bowl. It’s a symphony of proteins, each holding its own in the creamy broth, not overcooked or lost. Around that, New Alley’s menu teems with all range of Chinese and Malaysian fare, think char kway teow, nasi goreng, satay chicken skewers which you’ll want before or alongside that spicy bowl.
Shop 4/14 Annerley Rd, Woolloongabba
Roti Place Brisbane City and Indooroopilly
If you’ve ever missed Malaysian street food, Roti Place is your rescue. Their menu is long and colourful, with everything from roti canai, nasi lemak and curries to stir-fries and rice, noodle dishes. For laksa lovers, the Malaysian combination laksa is the one to go deep on. It arrives with chicken and seafood wrapped in a creamy coconut curry soup, noodles (both Hokkien and vermicelli), rich toppings, and that perfect hit of coconut-heat balancing. What’s fun is how you can pair that bowl with roti canai or something crunchy, dunking bread into broth, breaking up textures.
42 Charlotte St, Brisbane City; Shop 4/30 Station Rd, Indooroopilly
Super Bowl Restaurant Fortitude Valley
Super Bowl, tucked away in Chinatown Mall in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley is one of those iconic treasures you will only ever find in places where the culture is truly rich. The laksa here is “let’s warm your soul after a long day”. Choose from seven different varieties of the warming soup, like chicken, pork, seafood and duck, each bold with their signature rich coconut broths that’s fragrant with curry leaves, lemongrass and mild spices. The broth leans toward the creamy Malaysian style, though not drowning in heat thanks to just enough coconut, a touch of spice and freshness. The menu at Superbowl is massive, overflowing with Chinese and Malayan dishes.
185 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley
Ton Khao Bistro Mooloolaba
Ton Khao is more of a sit-down coastal bistro meets Thai/Asian fusion, it’s the perfect backdrop for an ambient, flavour-filled date-night. Their menu is broad, as all good Asian restaurants are, spanning curries, pad thai, pork belly, seafood dishes. One laksa version that shines is their Seafood Laksa, absolutely brimming with prawns, slices of fish, maybe squid, swimming in fragrant coconut curry broth, with noodles that are just right so they don’t turn to mush. The veggies, fresh herbs, and a lime wedge each as their own distinct freshness and it is divine. Ton Khao takes care in presentation, bowls are garnished nicely, service polished, the restaurant clean and well lit, comfortable. It’s perfect for a post-beach feed or relaxed dinner when you want a bowl that feels like a treat.
6/19 Cilento Apartment, 19 First Ave, Mooloolaba
Boon Chu Thai Food Broadbeach
Boon Chu isn’t five-course fine dining, and that’s part of its charm. It’s fast, Thai, flavourful, friendly, and when they do chicken laksa, it’s a delightful blend of Thai noodle soup
and that distinct laksa creaminess. The chicken version is lighter, more aromatic than Malaysian laksa might be,
think clean chicken stock notes, lemongrass or Kaffir lime maybe showing up, balanced by coconut milk that isn’t overwhelming. The chicken is tender, noodles springy, herbs and fresh garnish pulling the whole bowl together. On the broader menu they’ve got pad thai, stir fries, noodle soups
and Thai curries.
90 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
Originally published as Where to find SEQ’s best laksa: 5 must-try restaurants revealed
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