Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen – Laksa Johor

A Royal Heritage Dish from Southern Malaysia

Laksa Johor Classic

As the name suggests, Laksa Johor originates from the southern state of Johor in Peninsular Malaysia. What makes it special is its thick, rich gravy — a creamy blend of coconut milk and fish — unlike other Malaysian laksa varieties. While Assam Laksa from Penang uses a tangy tamarind soup base and Laksa Sarawak features a spiced chicken broth, Laksa Johor stands apart. It’s also uniquely served with spaghetti instead of the traditional rice noodles — a beautiful example of Malaysia’s early East-meets-West culinary fusion.

Legend has it that Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor (1833–1895) travelled to Italy and fell in love with spaghetti Bolognese. Upon returning home, he asked his royal chef to recreate the dish using local ingredients — and thus, Laksa Johor was born, combining spaghetti with a fish-and-coconut-based sauce. The preparation of the gravy is labor intensive — especially the careful deboning of wolf herring fish, which forms the base of the dish’s deep, savoury flavour.

Laksa Johor Vegan 无葱蒜

At Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen, we are proud to offer a Vegan Laksa Johor (without onion and garlic) — thoughtfully crafted for our vegetarian and vegan guests. We developed this recipe after many trials and honest feedback from our local Lahad Datu community. While it naturally tastes a little “same same but different” compared to the classic version (as the hero of Laksa Johor is the fish gravy), our vegan creation still captures the soul and spirit of this beloved dish.

Instead of mock fish or artificial ingredients, we use real vegetables — such as pumpkin and sweet potatoes — to achieve a creamy texture. For natural umami, we add mushroom sauce, seaweed, and vegan belacan. Each batch is simmered with kampung ginger, lemongrass, galangal, and torch ginger flower, while omitting garlic and onion in respect of Buddhist vegetarian principles observed by many in Lahad Datu.

How to Eat Laksa Johor

A good Laksa Johor gravy is judged by its richness — it should be thick enough to eat with your fingers, just like in Johor tradition. At Hawa’s Artisan Kitchen, each serving is accompanied by a colourful range of fresh condiments that complete this Malaysian heritage dish.

Condiments Served with Laksa Johor

• Cucumber (V)
• Daun Kesum or Vietnamese coriander (V)
• Bunga Kantan or torch ginger flower (V)
• Taugeh or bean sprouts (V)
• Kacang Panjang or long beans (V)
• Poh Chye or Chinese pickled radish (V)
• Calamansi (V)
• Poached shrimp or squid (Classic)
• Sambal Belacan – traditional pounded chili with shrimp paste
• Vegan Sambal Belacan (V) – made with tomato, red chili, bird’s eye chili, tamarind, vegan belacan and mushroom sauce

Selamat Menjamu Selera!

Read more in our story: Laksa Johor for Amy and Jim.