Orange County Register

Cold weather always compels me to seek warmth in piping bowls of noodle soup. Vietnamese pho is an obvious draw, as is hot udon at Gyu-Kaku in Huntington Beach or ramen at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Costa Mesa or hot soba at Fukada in Irvine — but I thought I’d venture outside my usual Vietnamese and Japanese noodle fixes.

This led me to try the Curry Laksa Mee (pictured above) at Tropika, a Malaysian restaurant located right next to Zov’s in Tustin. I’m not at all familiar with Malaysian cuisine, as I imagine many of us in Orange County aren’t — which is probably why the owners decided to bill the restaurant as Malaysian/Thai, with the thinking that those who like Thai food might like Malaysian fare …

But back to the Curry Laksa Mee ($8). It certainly looked inviting, with its bright red broth infused with coconut milk. The taste was creamy, with a hint of spiciness. It’s definitely a rich soup. The egg noodles resembled fatter strands of ramen with a nice, firm bite. I enjoyed this soup but because it was so rich (read: many napkins were used to wipe oil-slicked lips), I couldn’t finish the bowl.

Next we tried the Asam Laksa, a hot and sour rice noodle soup in a lemongrass broth with fish flakes and onions ($8). We could only manage a few bites after finding that the broth had a pungently earthy and fishy smell to it. The flavor was lackluster, a surprise since I was expecting a stronger touch of lemongrass and some chili kick. The noodles looked like the supple udon noodles I’m familiar with, but broke apart easily and the texture was more doughy. I was not a fan of the shreds of fish in there either. Our kind and courteous waiter noticed we had only half-heartedly consumed our soups and explained that the flavors were muted compared to how it would have been served in Malaysia. He said the flavors at the restaurant had been scaled back to be more mild and accomodating to the mainstream palate. Ah, a pity. I would have loved a full-flavored and more authentic experience.

One thing we couldn’t get enough of was the basic appetizer of Roti Prata, an Indian-style flatbread ($3) that arrived warm and crisp, served with a deliciously addictive curry sauce. Again, our waiter revealed that they have several regulars who come into the restaurant and make a meal out of the starter by ordering seconds and thirds of it! Not a bad idea, really.

Tropika

17460 E. 17th St.

Tustin, CA 92780

(714) 505-9908

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