Mo Laksa is a restaurant that I have been dining for the past 11 months because I enjoy mediocrity. Not really, but kind of. This is one of those places that is close enough to your office to warrant a walk, but not if it is raining. It is the kind of place that you know isn't great, but you can only do sherpa's so much, Paulner has vile food, the Nanbantei place has no windows, and you are sick of everywhere else on Donghu lu.

Mo Laksa is a lot like Singapore and Hong Kong in the 1980's, they didn't get the business because they were efficient, they just got the business because they just more efficient than their neighbors. But Mo Laksa has a secret that I have discovered today (we'll get to that in a minute).

Most of Mo Laksa's menu is forgettable if not downright avoidable. Their Laksa lacks the punch and complexity of what you get at the Kerry Centre (pudong) or Orchard CRC in Jingan. It's is an overly greasy affair with overcooked noodles, and less than fresh tasting seafood. It isn't cheap either with most Laksa options babove CNY 50.

The Hainan Chicken Rice is a major fail. The chicken is ultra oily and lacks a material portion of chicken meat. You are paying for skin and gristle. The chicken rice is a C- on its best day, the condiments the same, and you don't get 1/3 of chicken rice experience the bowl of chicken broth.

So why would one come here, other than out of a lack of self esteem? The Bak Kut Teh (Herbal Pork Rib Soup) is excellent, its a robust peppery bowl of Soup with 4 medium sized ribs with ultra tender fall off the bone meat. This is why we are here and we don't even know it. The management needs to either turn their Laksa production around or start calling themselves MO Bak Kut Teh. Other than that, the Otak is okay but not exactly what I crave at lunch, the Morning Glory fried in Sambal is a C+, but only really suitable to add on when dining with a partner. The rest you don't need to go near unless you are just a degenerate menu gambler.

The service is friendly, but lacks accuracy and efficiency staying safely within their "I only need to be marginally better than my neighbors" model.

This is how the Mo brand roles, and just so long as someone doesn't open something marginally better closer to my office they will keep getting my business.