This family-run gem on busy Burwood Highway pours its heart and soul into the pursuit of laksa excellence, and it delivers on its name. Venture east for a full-flavoured soup base (its depths are due to a long-simmered chicken bone broth) and a generous hand on the quality add-ons, whether that’s plump king prawns with their tails on, soft-shell crab or seared barramundi fillet. Creative twists like beef rendang laksa add texture and richness to the usual components – and on a non-laksa-related note, the char koay teow here is also not to be missed. It’s all seriously good value, too. 26 Burwood Highway, Burwood.

It’s possible you’ll walk up and down High Street several times on the quest to find Yuni’s Kitchen (tip: it’s hiding behind the bluestone Northcote Uniting Church), but it’s worth the aggravation for the laksas served by Indonesian expat Yuni Kenwrick. A vegan base, made without the commonly used meat stock or shrimp paste, means they’re open to all comers but carnivores can customise with free-range chicken or Australian prawns; whichever way you swing, the olfactory hit is intoxicating. The colourful cafeteria also dishes up exemplary versions of Indo favourites such as beef rendang, gado gado and nasi goreng. 251 High St, Northcote; yuniskitchen.com.au

Spice up your laksa routine with a dive into the Sarawak version at this super-cute cafe run by a pair of Singaporeans expats. This specialty of the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo prioritises a soup base amped up with tamarind, sambal belacan and lemongrass. Less rich and coconut-creamy than the more common curry laksa, its darkly complex, multi-layered beauty carries the add-ons with aplomb: vermicelli noodles, prawn, chicken, bean sprouts and strips of omelette – just add a squeeze of lime. It’s an Asian-style big breakfast, perfect with a poppingly good specialty drink such as iced sesame latte. 128 Roberts St, Yarraville; masakmasak.carrd.co

It’s the king for good reason. Since 1998, these guys have been delivering bowls of curry laksa that are equal parts comforting and bold. The paste is made from scratch with lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and friends, and the chicken broth base is simmered for hours to bring a richness that really sticks with you. The choice is broad, with roasted duck or fish-head curry laksa, as well as a sour-skewing assam laksa rocking tamarind fish broth and pineapple. Portions are generous, the service brisk, and queues often form, but the wait is a sweetly torturous part of a quintessential king experience. Multiple locations; laksaking.com.au

The $10 bowl of vegetarian laksa at cult favourite Soi 38 is one of the best lunch deals in Melbourne. Rocking the bold flavours of Thai-style laksa, the vego take on the soul-food bowl is all about the creamy coconut broth with its curry leaf twist, along with plenty of vegetables, tofu and a boiled egg. There’s a wide choice of slippery noodles here, too, while pork and prawn wontons and crispy homemade pork crackling are accessorising extras ready to make a mockery of all that plant-based virtue. Upsize your bowl for an extra $5 – it’s still an absolute bargain. 38 Royal Ln, Melbourne; soi38.com

Head to the section of Elizabeth Street near the Queen Vic Market where Malaysian joints are staging a mass takeover, like this student favourite with its small footprint and big flavour. The hawker laksa is the hero here – the busy combo of chicken drumstick with fried egg, prawns, chunks of eggplant, fish cake, sprouts and tofu puff, finished with a thicket of fresh mint and a dollop of fiery sambal, gets all the brain’s pleasure receptors firing. Feeling the heat? Cool things down with the three-layer iced tea with evaporated milk and gula melaka (coconut palm sugar), or a sparkling Ribena. 449 Elizabeth St, Melbourne; malaysian-laksa-house.menu-world.com

Chinta Ria Soul has been offering its laksa with a side helping of salty St Kilda air since 1990, and now also rocks a fast-and-furious presence in the CBD’s Emporium. Both offer a curry laksa that pulls no punches with its rich coconut base, bold spices and balanced heat. The seafood laksa plays a strong game with fish cakes, king prawns and calamari doing their thing with vermicelli and yellow noodles, fried bean-curd puffs, bean shoots and green beans. A generous bowl will set you back less than $20, which gives you carte blanche to splash out on curry puffs. Multiple locations; chintariasoul.com.au

The roti might be the headline act here, but it’s really the perfect companion piece to the curry laksa. Get it seafood, chicken or veg, or maximise your flavour remit with the winning ‘special’ combination of chicken, beef, tail-on prawns, calamari and fish cakes with herbs and tofu. The coconut broth is rich, but it doesn’t drown out the freshness of the ingredients. And yes, it goes brilliantly with the crisp-flaky softness of the house roti, which soaks up every last skerrick of flavour. Lime and peppermint juice on the side acts as both a drink and a palate cleanser. Multiple locations; rotiroad.com.au

A beloved fixture of the inner north since last century, this homey family-run joint is a go-to for all your favourite classic hawker-style Malaysian comfort dishes. After a big weekend, there are few better Sunday-evening options than pulling up a seat and going face-down in a big, restorative bowl of deeply comforting, beautifully balanced curry laksa that delivers everything crucial: rich and slurpable broth, lively aromatics and that keenly balanced dance of spice and coconut. Solid toppings include a vegetarian version that has won fans far and wide. In the warmer months, a mango pudding makes for the perfect dessert. 320 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North; instagram.com/malaymas

Trailblazing chef Junda Khoo puts laksa in a blender – figuratively speaking – with his signature ‘laksa bombs’ at this extravagantly playful laneway restaurant. Laksa in flavour if not in form, it’s the marriage of wonton-wrapped chicken and prawn dumplings with a rich curry laksa sauce. It’s not the same experience as slurping your way through a bowl, certainly, but it’s a deliciously fun take on the oeuvre, and one that has become a cult dish since making its migration from Sydney. While you’re there, it’s worth going further into the fun with raw kingfish and pineapple salsa with an assam laksa granita. Level/1 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne; hojiak.com.au