Baan Tong Thai (CLOSED)

Date: 23 July 2012

Address: 16 Kim Tian Road

Opening hours: 11am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm 

Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru 

The number of eateries sprouting up around Tiong Bahru have been rising these few months and being a happy resident here, I am more than happy to welcome all of them. 

One of the latest additions is Baan Tong Thai and WOOHOOO I finally get to have thai food whenever I want without having to take a bus to anywhere. 

I can't believe how much thai food i've had over the past week but I'm evidently not sick of it yet so let's keep the ball rolling. 

Pricier than the others that I've tried, the Thai Iced Milk Tea - $3.50 was sweet and less milky than usual. I actually prefer this version to Jane Thai's but my friend disagrees so to each its own I guess. 

The very friendly and courteous manager showed me the packet for the tea leaves which are brought in from thailand. If you're ever in thailand and see them, you could probably buy and try some. 

Tom Yum Soup - $8.80  

The soup looks bare because it kind of was. There was a whole lot of soup but I really wish there were more mushrooms in there, if not prawns. Till now, I haven't found a thai place in Singapore that is generous with ingredients. Is it really that expensive to throw in a few more mushrooms and squids? 

Other than that, the prawns were fresh and the soup was spicy, though not as spicy as Nong Khai's.

Sambal kangkong - $7.80 

 Spicier than usual and a little too soggy for me. 

The kind manager let us try their Tako, usually priced at $4.50

This served as a nice dessert after a spicy meal as the coconut milk in it helped to relief my burning lips.

It has two layers, the top one is coconut pudding and the bottom is a translucent pudding with corn bits and water chestnut. The manager, Daniel shared that they import their pandan leaves from thailand and only serve this dessert twice a month. 

Baan Tong provides a nice and clean environment (as compared to Nong Khai) to enjoy Thai food with friends and relatives. Their waitresses are friendly (though a little inexperienced) and I will definitely be back to try more of their dishes so stay tuned! 

Nongkhai Beer House

Date : 20th July 2012

Address: 5001 Golden Mile Complex #01-73/74

Opening hours: 10am - 10pm

Nearest Mrt : Nicoll Highway

A friend of mine recommended this place for authentic thai food at a reasonable price. Being a crazy fan of thai food, I obviously had to check this place out. 

It's located in Golden Mile and is amongst many other thai food restaurants. It was rather heartwarming seeing thai workers, thai disco girls, thai expats all gathering in this place where they can have a taste of home in this foreign land. Being singaporean amongst them rather made me feel out of place but not in a bad way. It just made me feel like a tourist in my own country, which should tell you how "authentic" this place is. 

The first dish that arrived was the spicy grilled beef - $8 that was really spicy (esp if you bite into the chili seeds like I did). The meat was too tough but the sauce was tantalizing. I've tried better beef salads so I wasn't impressed. 

One of the things you'll have to get used to eating at Nongkhai is the smell of cockles.....everywhere. I don't know why there was a pungent drain smell in the air but it definitely didn't enhance my appetite.

Tom yum seafood soup - $12 

I'd asked for tomyum clear soup but it still came out red in colour so i'm not sure what was going on but at least there wasn't the oily texture that i was avoiding. 

This soup was REALLY spicy, especially after a while. It really gets to your throat and I had a little soreness left in my throat the day after. 

If you're not comfortable with very spicy food, do ask them to tailor the level of spiciness for you. 

I did love how their prawns were very fresh and how there were many mushrooms!!! (my favourite) 

Green Curry chicken - $8-10 (forgot to note down the price) 

Not bad but i think i'd prefer it to be more sour and milky. 

Papaya Salad - $5. Fresh, sour, tasty and spicy. 

Tasted like mango salad, couldn't tell the difference. Is it cos they're all raw? No idea if they are even raw but it's good irregardless. 

I think this was the culprit that left my poor taste buds on fire and we had already asked for everything to be less spicy.  PLEASE remember to ask for it to be less less less spicy if you can't take it. If this is how they roll in Nongkhai , i really must salute them for their abilities to enjoy such spicy food. 

Iced tea/ Iced milk tea - $1.50 

The iced milk tea tasted like normal teh ice to me except that it was sweeter in that lemon-grassy way. 

I preferred my iced tea which was lighter and not as sweet. 

Would I revisit Nongkhai? Yes for sure, because i have yet to try their roasted meat and their cockle salad! Plus, what i've tried was not bad so i'm intrigued to try everything else on the menu. 

Jane Thai Food restaurant

Date: 17 July 2012

Address: 400 Orchard road, #04-30 Orchard Towers / 314 Bedok road Bedok shopping complex

Opening hours: 5pm - 4am / 11:30am - 3pm, 5 -10pm ( Bedok )

Nearest MRT: Orchard 

I have always wanted to try Jane Thai and I finally got my chance when a few of my friends decided to have thai for dinner. 

I've been back from bangkok for only a week and i am already sorely missing thai food. I've had 4 bowls of tom yum noodle soup for the last 7 days and I still want more so i'm going to another thai place this friday woohoo. 

Anyway, my friends and i visited the branch at orchard towers just because it's more convenient for us. 

I've seen the one at simpang bedok and that one seems more "posh" looking but I've yet to try the food there. If you don't mind watching streams of caucasian men enter dodgy, loud pubs and exit with their arms around scantily dressed women while you drink your tom yum soup, you should totally visit this hidden gem! 

Given that this place closes at 5am, it's an excellent place to stop by for food late at night, say if you're hungry after a movie. 

Hoi Kheng : Cockles - $5 

For sure, this small bowl of cockles seems like a rip off when you can get a large bucket of them at the market for the same price and boil it yourself to get the same result. We ordered it anyway since we felt like having it. 

 Phad Pak Bung : Sambal Kang Kong - $6

Sweeter than usual and crunchy enough. Just a little disappointed with the portion being rather small. 

Phad Thai Beef - $5 

I didn't try this but my friend said it was average. 

Tom Yum Seafood Soup - $10 

This pot of soup was enough for 3 people. Lots of people think that the clear soup isn't as spicy as the red soup (maybe cos the colour red lets you think its spicy) but i've always preferred Tom yum nam sai (clear soup) to the red one because I think its less oily and honestly spicier. 

The prawns weren't very fresh and there was too little seafood in there, hardly enough for the 3 of us. Then again, the portion may have been intended for only one or 2 persons. 

How i miss having tom yum soup at half the price and double the ingredients (esp mushrooms) back in bangkok. 

Peek Gai Thod : Fried Chicken Wings $5 

So - So. I prefer barbecued wings. 

Thai Iced Milk Tea - $2 each 

Tastes just like "Teh-bing" to me just slightly sweeter. 

I might come back again if i happen to be in orchard and craving for thai food but I wouldn't plan for it. 

The food was average but the service was good. 

I'm on to more thai restaurants in Singapore to find my favourite one. 

Aroy Dee

Date: June 2012 

Address: 91 Bencoolen Street, Sunshine Plaza

Opening hours : 12pm-10pm (Closed on Sundays) 

Nearest MRT: Bugis / City Hall

I was meeting an Italian friend who lives in London and she wanted to have some thai food. 

Initially, i thought of going to Aloy Thai but the thought of having to queue put me off. Besides, I've eaten at Aloy Thai (haven't blogged about it) so i wanted to check out Aroy Dee.

My companion ordered the Phad thai and said it tasted just like the one in thailand, which probably means they did a good job. 

Sorry i dont have the price but it'll probably be like 5 bucks or something. 

My tom yum soup was awesome! S$6. It was everything tomyum should be, spicy and sour. It wasn't so spicy that i couldn't feel taste buds so that was good. 

Compared to being in thailand, 6 bucks for what would be 2 seems abit too much but to me, if paying 6 dollars gives me authentic tomyum soup that takes me back to thailand, i'm all for it! 

I LOVE Aroy Dee. Such a quaint a nice place for good thai food. Up next is to see if Aloy Thai keeps up to the impression i made of them 3 years ago.