Bo Laksa King’s Famous Laksa & Wraps

Having enjoyed the Laska at their Bubbles and Bits location, I wanted to try the original location. Sad to say, but this location seems to be closed. It was confirmed at Panaderia Latina Bakery next door that they have not been open for a while. =(

A hidden treasure indeed. They only have 4 seats, this place is meant for takeout. I had the laksa with the yellow wheat noodles, and boy was it good. I also ordered a side of roti canai for myself and my friends, and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it. Careful its spicy, and its messy, dont wear white, or everyone will know u had laksa :)
Enjoy this place, its a great find.

Laksa’d! This is why I love Unilocal — how else would I ever have found a place like this? A Burmese make-​shift kitchen inside a grocery store. definitely a first in vancouver!
They now deliver (apparently until 2am!) and have a nifty website up and running with their menu online. take-​out is your best bet though, as seating is tight as mentioned.
Bo describes the laksa as mild — if that’s the case, it’s the spiciest mild I’ve ever had :) But very tasty, creamy broth and great yellow buckwheat noodles. What a surprise to find laksa of this quality in a setting like this.
The Burmese tea is smooth, creamy and sweet — reminiscent of HK milk tea, not similar to the Thai tea I was expecting.
The pickled tea leaf salad is possibly the most interesting combination of flavours and textures I’ve had in recent memory. It’s not something I would necessarily crave, but it is unique — crunchy, sour, slightly salty and even slightlier spicy.
Overall, great fun and off the beaten path.

this place has amazing food, prepared with heart and authenticity.
just a few minutes away from Joyce Station, it’s a food counter that serves up a mean laksa, amaaaaazing roti canai, and beautiful burmese tea.
i wouldn’t count on eating in, since there’s only 2 small tables, and it is located within a small market. but takeout, yes!
going on the weekend (and early; we went close to closing — 8pm — and many specials were sold out).
HAVE the Laphet Thote. delightful. Actually, i’m pretty sure anything you have would be great. fresh, popping flavors. We didn’t try any of the wraps, but had the Roti Canai, which were handmade, flaky, fluffy, and finished way too soon.
i’ll have to go back for another visit, but Bo Laksa King may be one of the best SE asian food experiences in town! That’s right, who needs Banana Leaf? :P
what else can i say — this place is an obvious A+. Bo says he’s going to have Rendang Beef Curry soon. I can’t wait. :)
Nom. Nom. Nom. photo of Laksa here:
(and did i mention how wonderfully friendly they are? and how affordable?)

* Authentic Burmese Hole in the Wall with a few other things thrown in *
This spot is easy to miss. It is a counter tucked into a small convenience store on Joyce Street, not too far from the Joyce Skytrain station. He has a single seat at the counter and 2 small tables with 2 seats each. So a grand total of 5 spots to sit. Classic!
Bo used to be the chef at a restaurant downtown which closed 2 months ago, and he opened up this little counter in his friend’s convenience store. Originally from Burma, he apparently also used to work as a chef in several countries in Southeast Asia (including Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore) and picked up recipes along the way.
During the week the menu is quite simple — a selection of 4 different wraps, and laksa. On Saturday and Sunday he does Burmese specials which vary each weekend.
From the Burmese offerings I’ve tried the Laphet Thote (pickled tea leaf salad). I don’t know of any other spot in Vancouver that offers this, and the taste is QUITE addictive. Bo imports the pickled leaves from Burma and puts together a very nice dish. The texture contrasts between the pickled tea leaves, tomatoes, cabbage, dried/​fried beans, toasted peanuts, and crunchy garlic chips is amazing. There is a hint of fermented shrimp to round out the flavours along with a few raw garlic cloves and raw bird chili peppers. Truly a wonderful dish with complex layers of flavour that all go well together. It goes very well with the jasmine tea he serves.
His laksa is one of the only ones I’ve had in Vancouver that actually had fresh daun laksa (laksa leaf) in it. There is a generous amount of shrimp, chicken, fish balls, tofu puffs, and a full boiled egg. The noodles were the perfect consistency. The broth was fabulous. It has nicely layered flavours.
Also tried the «roti wrap» which is not served in a roti. It is served in a tortilla. This is basically a chicken and vegetable curry wrap. The curry sauce was the highlight of this dish. I would prefer it with an actual roti instead of a tortilla. Apparently sometimes he makes fresh roti, but not for the wraps. During the week I’ll stick to the laksa and whatever Burmese specials might sneak onto the menu.
Overall this place is a find. It will take a while for him to figure out what to offer more regularly, and what items to drop. But it is exciting to see him experiment each week!
I’ll definitely be back!