Our column last month on looking for laksa in Tokyo generated a good number of comments and recommendations. One correspondent felt we had not properly pointed out that these spicy noodles are also hugely popular in Singapore, not just in Malaysia. It was certainly not our intention to ignore or slight the people or excellent food of that mighty little city-state -- it's just that we were not aware of any restaurants in Tokyo that represented its complex cuisine.

So we are especially grateful for being pointed in the direction of Daichi no Ki (the English name for which is Big Land's Tree), a cheerful little place in Takadanobaba run by a Singapore native and his Japanese wife. Tucked away well off the main drag, it looks unprepossessing from the outside but is bright, clean and friendly once you've squeezed into one of its 20 or so seats.

The sign outside says "Welcome to the Small World of Eating Paradise." And for such modest premises, they offer a surprisingly wide menu, from simple starters such as gyoza pot-stickers and Singapore-style smoked duck through a good range of stir-fries and seafood dishes. Chinese flavors predominate, at the expense of Malay and Indian influences, but there's no doubting the authenticity of the laksa lemak (ask for the Singapore Curry Noodles).