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Love laksa? Well, stop slurping your noods and book a trip to Australia’s Laksa Capital pronto. The Darwin International Laksa Festival has returned for the entire month of October, dishing up a record-breaking 220 laksa-inspired creations. We’re talking everything from laksa-flavoured cold foam coffees and vanilla slices to bánh mì, pavlova and even shio pan.
Flying to the Northern Territory for a steaming bowl of spicy noodle soup might sound unhinged – especially when the temperatures up there sit in the mid-30s. But that doesn’t stop the locals, who happily slurp it up for breakfast, lunch and dinner, rain or shine.
So, where exactly can you find the Territory’s best laksa? That hotly debated question will be settled at Darwin’s eighth Laksa Festival Grand Finale on Saturday, October 31. Throughout the month, secret judges will visit participating venues to select the top three laksas, which will then battle it out for the ultimate Golden Bowl award. Frontrunners include last year’s champion Kopi Stop, 2024 joint winners Bamboo Lounge and Chow!, and 2022 champ Chok’s Place.
Laksa lovers can vote for their favourite dishes in the highly contested People’s Choice categories, with the most popular laksa and laksa-inspired creations also crowned at the finale. More than 100 venues are serving up 220 individual laksa-flavoured dishes, with more than a third of them making their festival debut.
On the savoury side, get your hands on chicken laksa toasties at Alberto's Café, laksa shio pan at Kopi Stop, laksa bánh mì at Pho Rapid Creek, laksa-loaded fried at Perk & Palate, and laksa mud crab at Pink Chopstix. For sweet tooths, there's laksa cheesecake at Moorish Café, sweet laksa tacos at Ton's Bistro, laksa vanilla slice at Motor City Pizza, laksa pandan pavlova at Together & Co, and deep-fried laksa ice cream at Darwin Trailer Boat Club. Then wash it down with a laksa cold foam drink, including iced coffee at Besser or tropical tea at Patty Shack Burger Bar.
The Darwin International Laksa Festival is running from October 1 to 31, and you can find out more here.