How can it be that laksa, one of the classic dishes of Southeast Asia, still has not achieved recognition in Japan? You would think a nation that worships the noodle in any shape or form -- and is no longer afraid to flirt with "ethnic" (that is to say, Asian and hot) flavors -- would have embraced laksa, if only as an exotic version of that perennial homegrown favorite, curry udon.
It is not a complicated idea -- just a bowlful of hot rice noodles, mixed with some sliced age-dofu (thin, deep-fried tofu pouches), bathed in a lavish, chili-driven, coconut-based sauce and topped with a few morsels of fish, meat or vegetable for extra flavor. But the beguiling balance of sweet, sour, spicy and pungent is totally addictive. That is why laksa has become a mainstay of menus not only in Malaysian eateries around the world but at cutting-edge fusion restaurants in Sydney, Soho and SoHo. Here in Tokyo, though, it's not even on the radar.
If you call the Malaysian Embassy, they'll direct you to Rasa Malaysia in Kabukicho, where both the cooking and the ambience are delicate enough for local (Japanese) sensitivities. But if you are craving the kind of pull-no-punches flavors you'd expect in K.L. or Penang, then head further north a few blocks to the heart of Little Asia. There, on Okubo high street, Mahathir will take good care of you.