Which stall is that?
I say kinda because there was apparently, some misappropriation of the 'original' label, and the lady with the amazingly smooth skin was somehow or another connected in a business sense with the brothers (can't remember the exact details). Well, when the money rolled in, there was a lot of friction and disagreements and seperate stalls were set up.
rub anything together and you get friction.makes me wonder... so amazingly smooth, how to create friction... :bsmilie:
According to the laksa wars reported in the Straits Times (or SUT) before, it was kinda traced back to the two brothers who run the stall in the kopitiam just at the overhead bridge.
I say kinda because there was apparently, some misappropriation of the 'original' label, and the lady with the amazingly smooth skin was somehow or another connected in a business sense with the brothers (can't remember the exact details). Well, when the money rolled in, there was a lot of friction and disagreements and seperate stalls were set up.
If anyone who goes back a bit can remember, there was also a non-descript old woman selling similar stuff in the old, run-down kopi-tiam selling a lot of Nonya kueh closest to the bus stop way before 'Katong Laksa' became famous.
It's a pity the brothers never had the vision to register the name when they first started getting popular. They could be sitting on top of a financial empire renting franchises if they did. Now, there are more 'Katong Laksa' stalls all over the island than there is fungus to infect our lenses.
This is probably closest to what I know.
I have been staying at ceylon road (the exact small street that split the present group of katong laksa stall) for about 4 to 5 yrs during late 1980s to early 1990s.
At that time, there is only 1 katong laksa stall at that corner coffee shop (if u face the groups of stalls & ceylon road, the one on your left). The old uncle doesnt own the coffee shop though, he just rent a stall from the lady coffee shop owner.
The multiple laksa stall only started after I moved out of that area, thru some auntie gossip, I was told that the coffee shop owner has subsequently decided to take back the stall and sell her own laksa (probably after learning the secret and kang hu after years of observation) instead.
The old man then moved to setup a stall at the shop under the overhead bridge. It's probably the smallest one among the various group of laksa stalls over there nowsaday..
So I guess in terms of location of origin, it's the corner coffee shop on the left, but in terms of original creator, it should be the old man (not sure if it's still there at the stall physically though)..
When you say "the shop under the overhead bridge", do you mean literally mean that there is a coffee shop next to the bridge or do you mean the corner coffee shop that is opposite the very original coffee shop?