#FastFoodFridays: BK Laksa Tendercrisp Chicken Burger: A Burger with Laksa Taste

One thing we didn’t mention in our teaser for Burger King’s Rendang and Laksa Burger is that some media outlets seem to be saying that these flavours are for National Day.

There are so many questions with that announcement.

Does this mean Burger King is secretly pushing for Rendang and Laksa to be our national dish?

Is pushing Rendang out together with Tendercrisp Chicken laksa a silent protest for laksa to be crispy?

Is Laksa with beef or chicken making a stand for those allergic to seafood?

Is Burger King saying Laksa with chicken and beef should be invented instead?

So many questions and the only way is to eat the burger to find out what Burger King is thinking.

When ordering, I decided that Tendercrisp chicken would make more sense than beef, since the more neutral flavours of chicken will likely pair better and not mask the stronger tasting laksa.

And I have to say, this looks pretty accurate to the advertisement.

Cucumbers, sliced hard-boiled eggs, Tendercrisp chicken, laksa paste on both sides. And  I’m really confused by this burger.

Why hard-boiled eggs? Sure it’s common for laksa to include hard-boiled eggs, but it’s not a quintessential laksa ingredient.

Why cucumbers?? It’s uncommon for Singapore laksa to contain cucumbers as an ingredient, though it is common for Malaysian Assam Laksa. Is this part of their silent protest for laksa to be crunchy?

But maybe I’m thinking too much.

Laksa paste tastes exactly like laksa

Swiping a taste of the paste, there’s little arguing that this is Singaporean laksa.

A little bit on the salty side, since you can taste the dried shrimps, along with hints of laksa leaf and a blend of chilis with other spices.

It’s no creamy Katong Laksa, but it tastes exactly like laksa would, though without the sweetness from coconut cream.

The next test then would be a full bite of the burger, which is where it kinda falls apart.

To be honest, it doesn’t taste bad and I wouldn’t discourage anybody to try it.

It’s not quite a laksa burger

From the perspective of laksa in burger form, this fails terribly. It doesn’t capture the creamy slurp that comes from drinking laksa together with the noodles. There’s no tau pok to soak up good bits of the coconut gravy with a spongy texture. There’s no rice noodles for the satisfying slurpy sensation.

For those looking for laksa as a challenge in the spice colosseum, the burger is a leaking punching bag that wouldn’t even stand as good practice.

But a decent burger with laksa taste

What it does have is a contrasting texture to what you have from your usual laksa: crunchy and crispy. On the whole, the burger is a little too much on the salty side, which is alleviated by the cucumbers and white buns.

It’s a bit of a stretch to call this a laksa in burger form, but rather a tendercrisp burger with laksa paste and egg. Eating all the ingredients together tastes more like fried chicken with an added flavour of laksa.

Certainly doesn’t taste that much like laksa anymore.

In function, it’s more like satay sauce. The main thing that people eat is satay meat, even though satay technically refers to the sauce. And most people wouldn’t buy satay just because of the sauce.

You shouldn’t buy the laksa burger if you just want to eat laksa, it doesn’t work and wouldn’t satisfy your laksa craving.

In other words, depending on your perspective, this is either fast food sloppiness to cash in on Singapore flavours or ingenuity to introduce new forms old flavours can take.

The laksa burger is selling at S$6.50, and S$7.90 for the full meal.

Considering all that, I have to give 2 scores…

As a laksa Burger – 1/5.
As a burger with laksa paste – 3/5.