The laksa at this Malaysian street food café is a shimmering bowl of coconut milk teeming with chilli oil, vermicelli noodles, tofu puffs, hard-boiled egg, with your choice of chicken, beef, prawns, squid, tofu or fish cakes, piled high with beansprouts and coriander. This spicy bowl of goodness is a best-seller, rated as one of the best laksas around. 131 Collins St, Hobart; sawakcafe.com.

A pioneer in the Thai restaurant scene in Hobart, Vanidol’s has been serving its famous laksa for more than 30 years. Only the freshest local ingredients are used to create this warm, hearty, spicy soup, which features a delicious blend of either chicken or seafood (prawn, squid and fish), with egg noodles and vegetables. 353 Elizabeth St, North Hobart; vanidols.com.

This city eatery specialises in signature dishes from Penang with many laksa options. For something different, sample a king prawn curry laksa, an Angus beef rendang laksa, a roast duck curry laksa or a vegetable curry laksa, or stick with staples such as chicken, seafood and tofu – whichever you choose, you won’t be disappointed. 80 Elizabeth St, Hobart; tasteofmalaysiahobart.com.au.

Plenty of customers have asked for the recipe, but the chefs are careful to keep their secret under wraps. The traditional Singapore laksa is rated as having a medium level of spice and is rich in coconut. Served with seafood or chicken, it comes with a choice of thin rice noodles or hokkien noodles, boiled egg, tofu puffs and beansprouts. 86 Collins St, Hobart; facebook.com/KopitiamSingaporeCafe.

Specialising in modern Asian cuisine, Small Grain opened in 2022 and its laksa noodle soup is one of the most popular menu items. The vibrant, creamy coconut broth features tofu, mushrooms, wombok, purple cabbage, bean sprouts, spring onion, coriander, chilli, and rice noodles. Add kimchi, karaage chicken or popcorn cauliflower to mix things up. 166 Charles St, Launceston; smallgrain.com.au.