Lotus Thai - Hearty, Tasty Thai Feast

Since I’m in the mood for some spicily good Thai food, I decide to take the plunge and order takeout from Lotus Thai. Part of Louts Thai’s appeal is in the huge variety of food items in the menu, with seafood making lots of appearances in them. Yes, I decided on ordering from thus restaurant purely based on the food variety.

And I made the right choice as the food, delivered fresh and hot, is so hearty and tasty. Lots of simulating flavours for that shiok feeling. And very generous portions of seafood. Definitely my top choice for Thai Food Takeouts!

Packed with three huge succulent prawns, the Clear Tom Yum Soup is full of umami, zest, sharp spiciness, savoury core, sweetness, earthy tang of the mushrooms and refreshing pungency of lemongrass and onion. So many flavours, so satisfying and so shiok.

Lots of plump crab meat piled on top of the clear flavourful vermicelli, made even better with the special tangy chilli sauce.

Nice creamy sweet Tapioca with Coconut milk.

Thoughts: Super hearty, Tasty and Generous

60 Paya Lebar Road #02-13/14/K1

Fuel Up - Yishun's Secret Watering Hole

Located in an industrial area of Yishun, this is like Yishun’s cool little secret, where the chill vibe and huge variety of delicious Thai fusion food win me over. And the price here is very kind to the wallets. Great place to have gatherings. 

Nice Seafood Pineapple Fried Rice. The taste is good, and I like the generous amount of pineapple, seafood and cashew nuts added.

Tom Yum Spaghetti is spicily good! And look at the amount of seafood added! Love this!

Thoughts: Great place to chill and relax while enjoying good food

15 Yishun Industrial Street 1

#01-20

137 degrees

The best alternative to milk. So rich and milky. I love this more than milk actually, especially the Avocado Almond Milk.

Country of Origin: Thailand

Where to get this: Online platforms

Restaurant Chedi - Awesome Flavours, Best Thai Restaurant

2023 is so exciting. Just three months in, I already found the best Japanese restaurant, the best French restaurant, the best Indian restaurant and now, the best Thai restaurant, in the form of Restaurant Chedi! Yes, the multitude of strong and nuanced flavours explored, the presentation, the passion and the exceptional service simply makes a meal here one of the best I have.

Contemporary Thai cuisine here is a must-try for foodies. The food is distinctively Thai and influenced by the cuisines of different parts of Thailand. 8 courses served in European style works beautifully, and I love it. I feel each course has a definitive theme in the taste, so I'm going to describe each based on the theme, aka first impression that comes to mind.

Simulating in taste, miang kham of wild betel leaf, homemade Thai miang reduction,

rayong dried shrimp, Hokkaido ikura packs all the strong harmonised flavours of saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness to start the meal with a bang. This is so good and get me all excited for what's to come. And the miang reduction has this interesting fizzy element in it that I like.

A distinct departure from the taste profile of its predecessor, nam prik gapi has this Earthy flavour instead to shake thing up. Tempura tiger shrimps is crispy and full of concentrated essence of the sea. Tempura broccoli is delicious too. They taste even better with the spices from shrimp paste relish.

Pilable, succulent, slight bouncy flesh of dry-aged Chilean Seabass is Briny sweet in the dish of gaeng som fak thong. The sweetness of pumpkin and pungent favour of the spices in the piquant soup makes the fish all the more delectable. In fact, the soup is so good that I finish every drop of it.

The Hearty treat comes in the form of tom kha gai. Both the baked chicken wing meat and the oh-so-good starchy translucent rice are thoroughly soaked with the flavourful marinade. Tom Kha foam, which freshens up the taste of chicken, is amazing. It’s like you can’t feel it, but you can taste its robust flavours of spiciness, sourness, savoury and pungency.

Refreshing Thai salad, som tam ruam mit, is most probably best salad I have. Packed with juicy fruits such as mango and pomelo, these add tart sweetness and give a smooth finish to the crispy leaves. Every part of the salad is nicely drenched in the light Thai sauce.

Nam ya goong mang korn is lovely Umami presented in Thai style. This is my favourite. The Maine lobster is so tender, succulent and full of nuanced umami. It’s not easy to prepare lobster right, but the chefs at Chedi serve this in perfection. And the yellow curry accentuates the umami of the lobster. I end up wiping the plate clean of the curry with the crispy rice blocks.

Incredibly Rich in flavour, the Iberco Secreto of kor muu yang, which is the best part of pork, is juicy, tender and bursting with the nutty, evocative flavours, enhanced by the light char of grilled surface. Absolutely delicious.

Additional order: Khao pad kid terng's highlight is the Smoky aroma of fried rice with 6 months cured threadfin and crab. This is one unique fried rice. But I suggest those with small appetites to share this dish. Halfway through this, I find my stomach reaching its limit already.

Creamy tub tim krob is the perfect sweet ending to the meal. The home churned coconut ice-cream, being super creamy and slightly sticky, is the best coconut ice-cream I ever have. And the crunchy, refreshing red ruby is the perfect juxtapose to the ice-cream.

The chef hard at work grilling the food over blazing open fire.

The place is an eclectic mix of the chic, cool bar restaurant and traditional, lavish Thai heritage. I appreciate the distinctive Thai influences that make this place unique, and I also like the posh bar feel here. The service is amazing, being friendly, full of smiles and prompt to respond to requests. Especially Chef K-Jin, who explains to us the origins, the little details that go into the preparation of food and the recommended way to enjoy the dishes.

I love every dish here. Best of all, this is a gastronomic experience like no others. No wonder a young restaurant like Chedi is already having regulars already. Reservation is a must. The place is almost full house on a Monday night, just imagine how it is like on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I definitely want to back again!

Thoughts: I love contemporary Thai food here!

15 Hamilton Road

Nearest MRT: Farrer Park

Sarai - Fine Thai Cuisine with Simulating Flavours

I had a craving for some fine Thai food for a while, so when I found out about Sarai, I made a mental note to visit this place soon. After a visit here, it relives my feelings on why I like Thai food so much. The simulating flavours, the unique taste of herbs and condiments, the clean, refreshing taste and a sense of familiarity. It's simply different from Nakhon Kitchen, the chain of Thai restaurants that almost everyone knows. The food at Sarai is way more refined, more authentic, has more variety and yes ... less oily.

Steamed squid stuffed with roe sac with chili lime garlic sauce is oh-so-good! This is the exactly reason why I want to come here to dine. Fresh, super tender and briny sweet squid soaked in the light, broth-like, clean-tasting sauce filled that is packed full of simulating flavours with tanginess as top notes, this is so exciting to savour. And I guess the reason for limited availability on this dish is the use of super fresh squid since only this will work in the light sauce. A must-try of this restaurant.

From the right: 

Assorted banana blossom cake with spicy dip. This is pure comfort food with lovely crispy exterior and a twist in taste. Very flavourful.

Tomato chili dip with endives, thai cucumber, jicama. Very refreshing in taste, but also pretty spicy.

Homemade grilled pork marinated with thai herbs. I love this. Full of fresh meaty juices, peppered with pungent Thai herbs and charred aroma.

Smoked Barramundi Soup and Sweet Leaf Bush is nice and interesting. I like the myriad of flavours in the clear soup. It's a nice new experience to try a different kind of soup such as this one. Though I have to admit that I'm more of looking forward to Tom Yum Soup instead, which has sourness as base notes. This soup has bitterness as base notes instead. By the way, see the beautiful red rubies in the soup? These are chilies with super spiciness. Only bite into them if one is up for the challenge. Otherwise, just let them soak in the soup for a nice hint of spiciness in the soup.

Spicy and sour minced chicken salad on cucumber cup is unique, flavourful and refreshing in taste. Great for whetting the appetite.

Stir-fried dou miao flowers with assorted mushrooms is that familiar stirred fried vegetables that we Singaporeans love, and with a twist in the form of dou miao flowers. Consisting of stems and bulbs, this vegetable has a nice slight crunch in texture and easy to bite. I like the feel of biting into the bulbs because it feels wholesome. In addition, the dou miao flowers will form a sticky film upon biting into it, which is interesting.

The rich, aromatic red curry with splashes of coconut milk is so good. Since I don't eat beef, I request to change it to chicken breast. Props to the staff for this. However, to do justice to this bowl of delicious curry, I do suggest sticking to the original wagyu option. If one really can't eat beef, opt for chicken thigh.

Dessert is the lovely pandan panna cotta with coconut foam and sesame wafer. The coconut foam has this pure, concentrated nutty goodness of coconut like no others. And it is a perfect match with the sweet smelling pandan panna cotta. The texture of the panna cotta is smooth and fluffy. I love this dessert a lot.

Refreshing lemongrass drink that is great for bringing down the spiciness. The service staff is very thoughtful in adding minimum sugar to the drink and giving a cute jar of sugar syrup upon seeing that I'm undecided on the amount of sugar I want in my drink.

The restaurant is posh and modern, with Thai influences and hints of opulence from the golden ornaments tastefully placed at some corners. I like the fresh orchids placed on the tables to introduce bursts of nuanced colours and vibrancy to the place while maintaining the classy yet cozy vibe.

The service is very good, being friendly and accommodating. Actually, I was tired and feeling under the weather when first arriving here after a long day (this is why I always prefer to dine out at lunch time instead), but after a meal here, I feel so much better!

This place is one of my top choices to go for Thai food.

Thoughts: Always up for some simulating and refreshing Thai food.

163 Tanglin Road

#03-122 Tanglin Mall

Nearest MRT: Orchard Boulevard or Orchard

Sawasdee Thai Restaurant - Quality Thai Food

Fancy some Thai food in the heart of Chinatown? Then Sawasdee Thai Restaurant is the answer. It’s a surprise find for me since Trengganu Street is filled with rows of Chinese stalls serving super authentic food from China. Perhaps due to the oddity of a Thai restaurants standing among Chinese stalls, I decide to give it a try, and I’m glad I have done so.

The spring rolls are super crispy and the pineapple rice is very flavourful, with the gorgeous yellow hue of tamari coating each grain of rice. I had seen pineapple rice with patches of white grains at other restaurants, so I appreciate the effort here to ensure the rice is of even hue.

Tom Yum Soup is oh so generous with the ingredients like seafood, thus yielding very tasty soup. Plus the kick from the spiciness and sourness, it’s the soup that pleasantly engage all my senses.

A refreshing lemongrass drink is good for balancing out the spiciness.

Ambience wise, it is more of a stall rather than a restaurant, but the quality of food is of restaurant level. Worth a try if hanging around Chinatown and there is craving for simulating food. This actually brings back good memories of me enjoying Thai food at one of my favourite hideouts, Mai Thai.

Thoughts: Very Good Thai Food!

6 Trengganu St

Singapore

Nearest car park: Public car park at Sago Lane

Nearest MRT: Chinatown

Kane Mochi - Mochi + Ice-cream = Thumbs-up

Thin glutinous rice dough wrapped around ice-cream really yields a yummy treat. In fact, I feel it is better than those filled with bean paste only. I like the creaminess of ice-cream, paired with the stretchy, chewy dough skin for variation in texture and taste. Another plus point is that there are lots of flavours to choose from! Perfect for giving as gifts due to the variety, catering to different taste buds.

Thai Ice Tea is the must-try of Kane Mochi’s repertoire. For one, it is unique. I mean, where else can one get Thai Ice Tea ice-cream mochi? Thai Ice Tea is liked by many due to the creaminess and aroma of tea. And Thai Ice Tea ice-cream is exactly the same.

Salted Caramel is interesting due to the saltiness plus the richness of caramel. If one likes salted caramel desserts in general, then the Salted Caramel mochi here will not disappoint.

Lychee mochi features the flowery aroma of lychee. But the ice-cream tastes more like sorbet than ice-cream. Somehow, it is just not that creamy as I would like.

My family members have tried strawberry and blueberry, and they say the are good. Well, now I know what to get for them when I am at Jewel.

All in all, I am still looking forward to try the other flavours and buy more for my loved ones to enjoy.

My Thoughts: Nice!

Click here for link on location of the stores.

Bangkok Jam - Not Bad at all

Actually, we had been there once before and found the food there not to our liking. And thus, I did not write anything about this place. With the recent change of menu, there is vast improvement in the food.

The setting of this restaurant seems to be geared towards industrial chic with Thai influences. There are lots of loud and colourful drawings plastered over the walls and pillars. Yet at certain spots, there are cute little artificial potted florals placed on the wooden shelves. This mix is pretty eccentric, I do not know what to make out of this. Modern Thai Cuisine with a twist, maybe?

As for the food, while it is not at the level of Mai Thai and Nahkon, it is better than that of quite a number of Thai chain restaurants—make a guess on which ones, clue: they are well-established, but I did not bother to write about them. The clear Tom Yum soup, which is filled with robust, simulating flavours of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal, has the right balance of saltiness and tangy flavours. And additional point added for the fresh seafood. The only thing that puts this soup below the soups I have in Mai Thai and Nahkon is that one extra element in taste or aroma is missing, but I cannot put my finger exactly on what is it.

Olive rice is tending towards the oily and salty side, but it makes up for this by packing lots of flavours of the mild spices. The rice is soft yet not soggy, so a tick for well-cooked rice. What I like are the little moulds of pickles and cut vegetables that are flavourful and give shots of refreshing elements to the rice.

Green curry is fine since it is not too hot and has generous chucks of fresh chicken. Mixed vegetables is almost on par with the ones in my favourite Thai restaurants, but certain vegetable in this dish is too bitter.

The dessert of Coconut Ice-cream with Red Ruby is the winner here since I love the creamy, nutty flavour of coconut and the refreshing crunchiness of red ruby—tapioca-flour-covered water chestnut.

Service is okay, with one of the staffs being eager and energetic. So it is all good.

I don't mind going to this restaurant since the food is decent, plus the convenience of getting there.

My Thoughts: Not Bad

Nearest car park: Marina Square's car park
Nearest MRT: City Hall

#02-105B/C
6 Raffles Boulevard