Long Chim

Happy New Year, lovely people!!

K and I spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Bangkok on a whim and omg we are so missing the food there! I’m still reminiscing and sharing our BKK eats on Instagram so check them out on my feed.

In the meantime, on a related (Thai) note, I shall write about our dinners at Long Chim. Yup, dinnersss because we have already dined there a couple of times. Although the prices are as un-BKK-ish as it gets and there are mixed reviews about Celebrity Chef David Thompson’s “come and taste” (meaning of Long Chim) restaurant, you just gotta know the right dishes to pick and the kind of flavours you like!

My favourite starter is the betel leaves topped with a pleasantly pungent mixture of dried prawns and fragrant toasted coconut, yums. This is our must-order at Long Chim! Skip the fish cakes ($17++) and spring rolls ($18++), very forgettable and not worth the price tag.

Dried Prawns Ginger Toasted Coconut ($14++)
in betel leaves

A plate of pad thai will always taste so much better on the streets in Thailand, I’m telling ya. Long Chim’s rendition is just good, not great.

Pad Thai ($30++)
with prawns, peanuts and beansprouts

The first time I tried the stir-fried curry soft shell crab, I love it! Crunchy and flavours were spot on. But on the second visit, it was too salty hmm. Maybe third time lucky?

Soft Shell Crab ($28++)
curry powder celery and onions

Thai food to K = green curry ha. Both the beef (below) and chicken ($24++) versions are very delish!

Green Beef Curry ($34++)
chillies thai basil cucumber and roti

Between the deep fried seabass (below) and grilled tilapia in salt crust ($34++), my vote is leaning towards the latter. Not sure whether we were lucky, but our fish was perfect. A 10/10 with incredibly tender and moist flesh!

Deep Fried Seabass ($45++)
three flavoured sauce

Do you know that you can order off the menu items? Chockful of fresh prawns, the Thai omelette is one such dish that the kitchen can whip up on request. It’s simple, a little oily, always satisfying (to egg lovers)!

Prawns Omelette
off the menu!

Don’t leave without ordering desserts! Seriously, I will go to Long Chim just for their durian and coffee ice cream. Fabulously intense and smooth, they are one of the best ice cream I’ve tried in Singapore so far (and trust me, I eat a lot of ice cream). Faultless.

Desserts ($12-15++)
durian ice cream, thai coffee ice cream, coconut cake

Thank you for having us, Long Chim!

Long Chim
L2-02, Casino Atrium 2
(access via The Shoppes, Bay Level, L1)
Lunch: Mon – Fri 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner & Bar: Daily 5.30pm – Midnight
+65 6688 7299

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Nara Thai Restaurant

I reckon the best thing about Nara Thai Restaurant is not the food per se but its fabulous location in ION Orchard, and the seemingly endless menu! So it’s really important to know what you like and be strategically smart when ordering. Otherwise, just pick off the chef’s recommendation menu and chances of hitting a meh dish are pretty much minimized.

My personal favourites are the appetizing pomelo salad and the yellow curry soft shell crab! But if you prefer savoury stuff, stay away from them as they tend to be on the sweeter side. To balance the sweetness, I like the Tom Yum Kung and the fried dill omelette patties soup, both spicy enough to make me sniff (just a little haha). Skip the crab meat omelette, which was an oily disaster. For a fun and colourful DIY dessert, the coconut ice cream is a must!

Yum Som O ($13.90++)
pomelo salad

Phunim Phad Pong Karee ($18.90++)
stir-fried soft shell crab with yellow curry

From top right, clockwise:

Kaeng Som Cha Om Kung Sod ($17.90++): hot and spicy soup with prawns and fried dill omelette patties;
Kaeng Kiew Wan Gai ($13.90++): green curry with chicken;
Kai Jiew Nua Phu ($12.90++): crab meat omelette;
Tom Yum Kung ($19.90++): river prawns in spicy lemongrass and lime soup;
homemade red rubies with jackfruit strips, young coconut and thai milk tea.

Nara’s Coconut Ice-cream ($8.80++)
condiments: corn, red ruby, chendol, nata de coco, roasted peanuts, sticky rice, sweet potato, atap seed

My thanks to Karina for hosting dinner!

Nara Thai Restaurant
#B3-21, ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
6634 5787

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Nakhon Kitchen

Massive crowds at Nakhon Kitchen on a weekday night.. That’s how popular this homegrown Thai eatery is!

Star of the night was the homemade Thai prawn cakes (4 for $12), really love the chunky filling inside and the crispy breaded outside! As usual, I haven’t find any mango salad ($5) that I don’t fancy and this is no exception. Quite like the Phad Thai noodles ($5) too as the sweetness was just right. The clear seafood Tom Yam soup ($6) was too hot for me to handle and stir-fried asparagus with prawns ($6) was nice and crunchy. Average pineapple fried rice ($6) and the only dish I condemned that night was the super tough and chewy deep fried squid with Thai chili sauce ($10), a total failure.

Nakhon Kitchen is your typical humble neighbourhood eatery. No air-con, no GST, no service charge.

Just bring a good appetite 🙂

Nakhon Kitchen
Blk 136 Bedok North Avenue 3
6245 5548

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First Thai, Second Time

I went back to First Thai shortly after my first awesome visit since there were a few more dishes I wanna try! And partly because no less than three friends texted me that same week, telling me what a great meal they had here. I know I know, I can’t stand temptation, haha.

Extremely spicy papaya salad ($8) that made my eyes water, shiok!

The problem with not blogging immediately after every meal is that after awhile, my memory fails me. Between the fried fish cakes and prawn cakes ($3 per piece, minimum order of 2 pieces and above), I can’t remember which was the better one. I think it’s the prawn cakes that’s nicely moist inside; the fish cakes were rather dry.

Love the soft and tasty steamed seafood otah ($4 per piece)! The touch of rich coconut milk on top was brilliant.

Phad Thai with prawns ($8) ain’t as good. Very sweet~

I had the soft shell crab with curry gravy the other night so cereal soft shell crab ($15) it was this time! Lip-smackingly good, I’m so glad this didn’t disappoint! Well worth the sinful calories 🙂

First Thai
23 Purvis Street
6339 3123

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Kha

Kha, a contemporary Thai restaurant located right next to Graze, has been receiving a lot of publicity in the media lately. Having read several favourable reviews of it in the newspapers and food blogs, it’s time for me to add my input too!

I was hoping to try Ruby Starlet (signature Kha mocktail) but sadly, it was unavailable, awwwww 😦

Dragon Eye ($12++) was served instead. A mixture of lychee, mint leaves, lychee juice and fresh lime juice, I found this refreshing initially but after awhile, it got too sweet.

Started with crispy rice crackers with chicken curry dip.

I love Thai salads, be it payaya salad, mango salad or pomelo salad. So the 2 salads you see below are definitely highly recommended!

Chef’s selection: Mango salad with crispy catfish ($18++).

Yam Som O ($17++): A combination of spicy pomelo, prawns, chicken and roasted coconut.

 Kab Klam Ruam ($21++): Salmon souffle, prawn wrapped in rice vermicelli, crab cake.

These 3 signature Kha seafood appetisers are just average. Nothing special and oh, the intriguing salmon souffle? It’s merely fish otah given a glamorous name.

Another chef’s selection: Wok fried tiger prawns with crispy quail eggs and sticky tamarind sauce ($30++).

Honestly, this didn’t leave a deep impression so I suppose it’s rather ordinary…

Tom Yum Goong ($18++): Hot and sour king prawn broth with lemongrass.

There’s different levels of Tom Yum soups here, from mild, medium to spicy. We went for mild and argh, our mistake! Not spicy enough and it was unbearably salty.

Crispy Kheaw Wan Poo ($30++): Soft shell crab curry, pea eggplants and crab lump.

The crab lump was suspiciously missing in the curry but otherwise, this was good! Love the idea of incorporating everyone’s my favourite soft shell crab into the thick and mellow green curry. 

Poo Nim Phad Pong Kari ($30++): Soft shell crab sautéed in Thai yellow curry with spring onion.

Did I mention I love soft shell crab? Crispy and meaty, there’s nothing not to like about this. On a side note, I think soft shell crab and curry make a perfect couple!

Papa Adun’s Phad Tow Hu ($14++): Wok fried tofu, basil and three flavour sauce.

Granted, the tofu was lusciously soft. But the skin ain’t crispy enough, hmm…

Pla Krapong Nueng Manow ($26++): Steamed sea bass with sweet sour chilli dressing, lime and coriander.

If not for the uniquely Thai dressing, I would have mistaken this for the steamed fish that even my culinary-challenged mom knows how to prepare, haha. Nevertheless, this was very fresh and we enjoyed its simplicity.

Phad Thai ($16++): Stir fried rice noodles with prawns, tofu, banana blossom salad and grilled whole pepper.

“Too sweet!” was our immediate, simultaneous reaction after tasting this.

Khanom Sam Yang ($22++): A trio of desserts; black sticky rice and date pudding, red rubies, baked pumpkin custard with coconut ice cream.

I didn’t see any black sticky rice on the plate and the date pudding was so-s0; love the crunchy red rubies (made from water chestnuts) mainly cuz of the lovely jasmine fragrance in it; and the pumpkin custard had a silky smooth texture!

Khao Neaw Ma Muang ($14++): Mango and sticky rice drizzled with coconut pandan sauce.

I had very high expectations of this cuz of the raves I read online. But sadly, this was disappointing as the rice was dry and not sticky enough 😦

I’m still somewhat undecided about Kha. Some of the dishes are terrific, like the salads and curries, but most of them strike me as pretty (literally, since it’s obvious that the chefs take utmost care in the presentation of the food) normal.

Will I be back?

I really don’t know…

To Danielle and Sihui from Ate Consulting, thanks for the invitation!

Kha
38 Martin Road
6476 9000

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First Thai

When I recalled the meal at First Thai last night, the first word that came to mind was “shiok!!”. It was a really satisfying dinner, and to date, it’s definitely one of the best Thai eateries I’ve discovered in Singapore so far.

First Thai is a no frills diner; there’s no air conditioning, no ambience, and no fancy decor to speak of. There’s also no GST and service charge, yay! Once you open the menu, a long list of “rules” will greet you after ‘Sawadika’. Rules such as “maximum waiting time for guests is strictly 10mins only” and “we don’t serve drinks only”. There’s even one that implements a charge of $5 for cutting of cakes (so now you know where not to hold any birthday celebration)! I think it’s pretty ridiculous to charge $0.50 for warm water and if you want ice? Another $0.50, please.

But like I said, it’s no frills so I don’t really care about all those house rules. What’s important to me was the food, and boy, it was sooo good! There’s a diverse range of dishes on the menu, and it was hard to decide which to order cuz there’s just too many I wanted to try~ Luckily, the four dishes we picked were so delicious that I’m absolutely going back for more!

I practically finished the mango salad ($8) by myself cuz the friend thought it was too sour. Me? I love anything sour, the more the merrier~

Then there was the seafood Tom Yum soup ($7) which had a perfect balance of spiciness, sourness, and saltiness!

My favourite dish of the night was the Thai vegetable omelette with Belachan chilli ($10). I’ve never seen this in any other Thai restaurants before so to me, this was pretty special. You may think it’s just eggs and vegetables but it’s very well done! Fried till crispy and non-oily on the outside, it was still moist and juicy on the inside~

Last but certainly not the least, I also love the soft shell crab with curry gravy ($15)! This looks fiery hot but it’s actually more sweet than spicy, a welcome change since the mango salad and Tom Yum soup were already spicy enough.

Oh, did I mention I’ll be back? 😉

First Thai
23 Purvis Street
6339 3123

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Ah Loy Thai

I’ve known about the existence of Ah Loy Thai ever since I started patronising Tom’s Palette years ago. But I’ve never been inclined to test out the food until recently when I spotted really really long queues on two separate occasions. Is that a good sign or what?

Anyway, I was determined not to join the queue so I made it a point to reach there after the lunch rush hour. It was still slightly packed but we didn’t have to wait for a table. Ordering was a breeze; just fill up the order form, hand it to the staff at the counter and pay up. Before long, our food was served, yay!

Sadly, the meal didn’t start off too well. My must-order of mango salad ($5.30) was disappointing.. Too watery and there’s so much chilli that the heat was overwhelming, so much so that my dormant tear glands were given a good workout.

Another Thai dish that always appear on my table is the fried tofu ($5.50). Average, and not as smooth or soft as Porn’s. 

I only sampled a spoonful of the pineapple fried rice ($5.90). Again, nothing fantastic.

Now, I’ve saved the best for the last.

In this case, I surprise even myself that the best is the fried butter calamari ($7.50) cuz I hate squid. But wow, this is insanely good! Instead of being tough and chewy-like-rubber (my perception of all things squid), this was almost meltingly tender and still slightly crisp. Of course, the addictive buttery flavour helps big time too!

I’m still undecided whether I like Ah Loy. While I love the calamari, the other dishes were rather pedestrian. I’m guessing that this humble eatery is popular cuz a meal here is so economical (no GST and service charge) and you get decent Thai food with good portions. And then there’s fantastic ice cream less than 10 steps away for a sweet ending. Not too bad a deal, aye?

For me though, Ah Loy is classified under KIV for the time being~

 

Ah Loy Thai
100 Beach Road
#01-39/40 Shaw Leisure Gallery 
9165 1543

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Porn’s

That elephant’s buttocks look cute, doesn’t it? Attention catching, that’s for sure. Coupled with a risqué name like “Porn’s“, this Thai restaurant opened by local celebrity Pornsak is bound to make you stop and take a second look if you walk along Liang Seah Street.

Psst… Look at the right hand side of the photo below. That’s the boss himself!

Before you read further, I must admit that I came here with very low expectations and I’m not an expert on Thai food since I seldom patronize Thai restaurants. In fact, I probably can’t differentiate authentic Thai cuisine from those wannabes out there. Whatever it is, I surprise even myself when I find that I actually quite like the food here! Plus, service is efficient and polite (cuz the boss is in the house?), and the food came out fast and hot from the kitchen.

Green mango salads are a must-order for me. This one ($7.90+) is pretty good, sweet-sour-spicy and topped with shreds of fried beancurd skin. We like the deep fried tofu ($6.50+) too, very simple but done well. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside! The Thai sauce reminds me of McDonald’s sweet Thai chili sauce though. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation 😉

 What I wouldn’t order again is the prawn cakes ($8.50+). Nothing wrong with them taste-wise, but filling is too thin and batter too thick. Not worth the price~

 Pad Thai Hor Kai ($9.90+), Porn’s version of the typical Thai stir-fried rice noodles wrapped in egg, is rather bland. It’s neither sweet nor salty nor spicy; there’s no particular flavour that stands out. Nevertheless, I love the prawns! Extremely fresh and crunchy.

P.S. If you order the Pad Thai, notice how the chef pokes the scallion through the omelette to make it stand for aesthetic purpose? I think he should stop doing that, cuz more than one friend has mentioned how incense-like that is, hahaha.

Porn’s
28 Liang Seah Street
6337 5535

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