Pratunam PLUS @ Bugis+ - Delicious & Crazy Affordable Thai Street Food From Just $6.90

Pratunam PLUS at Bugis+ is Soi Thai Soi Nice's new flagship outlet that boasts an exclusively more extensive menu, with items that will not be available at the existing outlets at ARC and Westgate. Dressed in a bright and bold colour palette, Pratunam Plus wants you to have a fun and exciting dining experience of tucking into its offerings of Thai street food tagged with pocket-friendly prices. Expect exclusive items such as Thai-style Grilled Skewers, coupled with Thai Milk Bubble Teas or even beers if you are in the mood.

Assorted Skewers 3.5/5

The offering of a wide range of skewers set Pratunam PLUS apart from other Thai eateries. Starting from $1.20 onwards, let the entire skewers menu tempts you with exotic items such as Thai street staples - Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Chicken Gizzard, and even Small Intestines are all priced at $1.60 per stick. The less adventurous me chose Enoki Mushroom Pork Belly Slices from the Ham or Pork Belly Series ($1.80 per stick), which didn't disappoint with its nicely charred pork belly and juicy mushroom. I also tried the Pork Skewer and Basil Pork ($1.80 each) which were a tad too dry, whereas the non-meat skewers such as Lady's Fingers, Shitake Mushrooms and Oyster Mushrooms, were a lot more delectable.

Butterfly Pea Bubble Tea

Amp up the fun factor with its range of Bubble Teas!

Premium Tom Yum Mama 4/5

Under Noodles, fans of Tom Yum Mama will be delighted with its Premium Tom Yum Mama ($12.90). Served with gooey melted cheese slab and a glistening runny egg, this humble Thai instant noodles brimmed with flavours and hearty ingredients, such as squid, prawns and ham, including its signature handmade Thai Minced Pork Ball.

Runny Omelette Prawn Fried Rice 4.5/5

A must-try Rice dish is its Runny Omelette Prawn Fried Rice ($8.90). The luscious omelette blanket was amazingly soft and tender, draping over fried rice that was skillfully done with a hint of wok hei. The prawns were sweet and crunchy, which stood out even more against the velvety egg and savoury rice. The piquant and fiery green chilli sauce served at the side lent an extra kick of flavour.

Tom Yum Seafood Soup 4.5/5

I love the Tom Yum Seafood Soup too. The portion was generous with loads of mushrooms, prawns, fish and squid, and its flavours were balanced and on point. It was fiery and heady with herbs and spices, yet it wasn't too oily and rich compared to most of the red versions that I have tired.

Fragrant Fried Pork Belly 3.8/5

Vermicelli Salad 3/5

Mango Salad 3.8/5

For Sides, the options are aplenty but you won't go wrong with its Fragrant Fried Pork Belly ($6.90). You may want to balance these chunks of fatty goodness with some of the classic Thai salads - Mango Salad and Vermicelli Salad.

Pratunam PLUS delivers punchy food with flavours without being overly assertive, and the young and vibrant atmosphere may lure you back for more.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting. 


Pratunam PLUS
Bugis+
201 Victoria Street
#04-09
Singapore 188067
Tel: +65 65094790
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1130am - 930pm
Fri-Sat: 1130am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit C. Cross Victoria Street. Walk to Bugis+. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Suk's Thai Kitchen @ Tessensohn Road - New Thai Restaurant Helmed By Thai Chef In Little India

With a Thai chef at the helm of the kitchen, Suk's Thai Kitchen at Tessensohn Road serves up authentic Thai cuisine in a contemporary bistro setting. Its menu is comprehensive, including dishes that are less commonly offered by other Thai concepts.

Homemade Prawn Cakes 3.5/5

Thai Fried Chicken Wings 4/5

For starters, what's recommended are Handmade Prawn Cakes ($10) and Thai Fried Chicken Wings ($10). The latter was excellent. Unlike those dry and skinny ones, these were succulent with a bit of zest on it. Definitely one of the betters ones I had tried so far.

Grilled Pork Salad 3.8/5

For something light but meaty to beef up your meal, Grilled Pork Salad ($14) is a good option with its thinly sliced pork shoulder. Tossed with onions, herbs and a spicy E-Sarn dressing, the tender slices of meat were moreish with a piquant and sharp zing cutting through. What's not quite there is perhaps the lack of char on the meat, which would have kicked its flavours up a notch.

Red Tom Yum Soup with Prawns 3.5/5

Fish Maw Soup 4.2/5

For soups, we had Fish Maw Soup ($14) and Red Tom Yum Soup with Prawns ($12). Simmered with old ginger, garlic and coriander root, the fish maw soup was flavoursome and tasty with a good amount of fish maw slices and mushrooms. I didn't quite enjoy the tom yum soup though. Its saltiness dulled my palate after a few sips of it.

Green Curry Chicken 3.5/5

We also tried Green Curry Chicken ($12). The green curry looked slightly split, but the taste was decent. The meat was tender, but some of the eggplants were still quite tough.

Fried Sea Bass with Suk's Thai Chilli 3/5

I was rather disappointed by its Fried Sea Bass with Suk's Thai Chilli ($28). I find the fish a little dry, and its fried exterior lacked a crisp that I was looking for. The Thai chilli lacks the punch to elevate the dish either.

Suk's Northern Thai Laksa 3.5/5

There is one interesting dish on the menu - Suk's Northern Thai Laksa ($10), made using Chiang Rai recipe. Served with a scoop of spicy minced meat with tomatoes and pickled mustard leaves, these were the 2 ingredients that imparted most of the flavours to the broth. Other than that, I find the broth itself rather bland. I remember having something similar in Chiang Rai, but it was a lot more robust.

Ice Jelly 4/5

For desserts, we had Ice Jelly and Red Ruby ($6). The ice jelly was done with a slight twist to it, incorporating preserved plums into the ice and was a superb palate cleanser after all the highly flavoured food. I enjoyed the red ruby equally, with crunchy homemade rubies that weren't doused in sugar. It would have been even better if a better quality coconut milk was used.

Red Ruby 4/5

Words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting. 


Suk's Thai Kitchen
136 Tessensohn Road
Singapore 217699
Tel: +65 96699445
Facebook 
Website
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am – 3pm, 5 – 1030pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left to Tessensohn Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Dine At Home During Circuit Breaker - Soi Aroy

One of the better meals I had during the circuit breaker period is Thai food from Soi Aroy. I am glad that even during this pandemic, I am still able to discover new restaurants that I didn't get to visit before the whole world goes into various lock down measures to fight against the pandemic.

Premium Tom Yum Soup with Thai Mama 

In my opinion, the best way to tell whether a restaurant is serving legit Thai food is from their tom yum soup. When I took a sip of the Premium Tom Yum Soup, it blew me away with its depth and bold flavours. You can choose to go along with some rice or add noodles to it. Customers will have a choice of egg noodles, brown rice bee hoon, Thai rice noodle or Thai Mama. I have gone for the Thai Mama as I like my maggie mee. 

Thai Collagen Porridge

Another dish that caught my attention is the Thai Collagen Porridge. The rice and ingredients come packed separately from the 12hr collagen base soup without MSG. It is very hearty and comforting. You can also request additional ingredients such as egg, vegetables, meat patty and more. 

Grilled Pork Cheek

Lemongrass Chicken

For some grilled stuff, they have Grilled Pork Neck and Lemongrass Chicken. The grilled pork has a delightful crunchy bite on top of its smokiness. The lemongrass chicken was tender with refreshing lemongrass aroma.

Thai Fish Cakes

Another popular item on their menu is the Thai Fish Cakes which goes excellently with the Thai sweet spicy sauce. 

Thai Seafood Fried Rice

As I mentioned earlier that I have not visited Soi Aroy at Sim Lim Square so I went online and try to find out more about the restaurant. I realized it is actually quite a small place located on level 2 of the mall. It amazes me that with such a constraint space, the restaurant was able to wok up so many varieties on their menu. Besides the dishes I mentioned earlier, they have many more cooked dishes such as Thai Seafood Fried Rice, Thai Basil Pork, Sambal Kang Kong with Squid and Sambal LaLa.

Thai Basil Pork

Sambal Kang Kong with Squid

Thai Basil Pork and Sambal Kang Kong with Squid is probably two of my most ordered items whether I visited a Thai restaurant. With a plate of fragrant steamed rice, it basically completes a meal. 

Sambal LaLa

Worth mentioning is their Sambal LaLa. Not only was the LaLa fresh and juicy, it like the layer of aroma from the Thai basil which just elevated the whole spicy affair.

Mango Sticky Rice

Not to forget to wrap your meal with some sweetness too. This can also helps to cool the tongue after all the spicy food. Some of the desserts I tried are Mango Sticky Rice, Tapioca, Red Ruby and Mango Sago.

Tapioca, Red Ruby and Mango Sago

Currently the restaurant is having the following promotion. Free drink for every $15 spent and $5 off for orders above $50. Delivery fees ranged from $5 to $17 depend on the zone. You can refer to their facebook page for the delivery fee charges. To order WhatsApp the restaurant at 9641 8988.

Soi Aroy

Sim Lim Square

1 Rochor Canal Road

#02-08

Singapore 188504

Tel: +65 96418988

Facebook

Nearest MRT: Rochor (DT Line)

Opening Hours:

Mon-Sat: 11am - 8pm

Sun: 11am - 4pm

Direction: 

1) Alight at Rochor MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Auntie’s Wok and Steam @ Andaz Singapore - Celebrate Asia Street Food By Top Female Chefs

The start of the year 2020 sees female power taking over Auntie’s Wok and Steam at Andaz Singapore. As part of a culinary series that aims to celebrate the unique taste of Asian street food, a scheduled line-up of top female chefs of different Hyatt hotels in Asia will set up a short-term residency at Auntie’s Wok and Steam, and they shall be whipping up their city’s authentic street food tastes and flavours. Kickstarting this culinary series is Chef Tubtim Warapai, who will be presenting to you Thai cuisine from her hometown of North-east Isan with a specially crafted a la carte menu, lunch and dinner sets, which will be available daily from 3 to 14 February 2020.

Prices for the a la carte menu start at $12 per dish and $26 for the lunch tray sets which include an appetizer, main and dessert. Set dinner menu which we had tried is priced at $68, which showcases Chef Tubtim Warapai's home-cooked local specialties such as Chicken Green Curry (Gaeng keaw wan gai) and Crab Fried Rice (Khao pad poo).

Som Tum 3.5/5

You get to choose any 3 dishes from Appetizer. Som Tum is what most of us are familiar with - the spicy, sweet and sour green papaya salad that we love in our summery weather. What I like about this Som Tum is that the fish sauce is not as assertive like some others, and definitely not as fiery as well.

Grilled Pork Neck 4/5

The next two dishes are the must-order - Kor Moo Yang (Grilled pork neck) and Nam tok Thai Beef Salad. Grilled Pork Neck is blessed with the right amount of lean meat and fats and when grilled perfectly, like ours, they get really tender and flavorful. But what really pushes the experience up a notch is the accompanying spicy Isan dipping sauce that counters the fatty pork neck - nam jim jaew chilli sauce. Like most Thai sauces, it is tart, sweet, spicy, and nutty with tamarind, herbs, sugar and ground peanuts, and ours had such a good balance of flavours that I had the remaining for most of the other dishes too.

Thai Beef Salad 3.8/5

The Thai Beef Salad is essentially beef slices mixed with dried chilli, kaffir lime and mint. Similar to the grilled pork neck, the beef slices had a beautiful texture to it. The condiments did not at all overpower the meat but they combined to serve as a refreshing counterpoint to the beef.

Tom Yum Talay 3/5

You get to select 3 Mains as well. Tom Yum Talay, again, a hot and spicy soup that we have grown to love. Although it lacked the usual shiokness from the sour-spicy kick that I was craving for, the fresh and succulent ingredients somewhat make up for it.

Crab Fried Rice 4/5

Khao Pad Poo (Crab fried rice) was yummy with chewy-tender fried rice and I love the chunks of scrambled organic egg that marbled the rice. Topped with chunks of crab meats, tossing them together gives a satisfying textural bite.

Gaeng Phed Goong 4/5

Gaeng Phed Goong serves up tiger prawns in red curry. The curry can certainly be more robust I feel, but it suits diners who can't take much heat.

Mango Stick Rice 3.8/5

For Dessert, on the menu are Mango Sticky Rice and Tub Tim Grob (Red rubies). Don't expect them to be street-food quantity but the sweetness of them will satisfy that post-meal craving for sure.

Red Ruby 3/5

Written by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Auntie's Wok & Steam
Andaz Singapore
Level 25
5 Fraser Street
Singapore 189354
Tel: +65 64081255
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Bugis (DT Line, EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 10pm
Weekend & PH Yum Cha Buffet: 12pm - 3pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Thanying @ Amara Singapore - Exquisite Royal Thai Cuisine Fit For Royalties

Little did I know that there is a Thai restaurant on level 2 of Amara Singapore. In fact, Thanying has been around since 1988. It has recently reopened again after a refurbishment. The interior is brighter now with a seating capacity for 128 people and 2 brand new private rooms.

Thanying Thai Style Salmon Yusheng with Chicken Curls 4.5/5

In conjunction with the upcoming Lunar New Year, Thanying has also introduced their own Thai Style Salmon Yusheng with Chicken Curls. The yusheng comprises of yam strips, green mango, a mix of fresh vegetables tossed in a special sauce that includes fish sauce, lime juice and chilli padi. It is refreshing with a hint of spiciness, with a lot of textures and flavours. This is one of the better yusheng I have eaten this year.

Miang Khum 4/5

Next, we had the Miang Khum, a light appetiser that is eaten like a wrap. Take a piece of the leaf and then wrapped it with the different condiments such as tasty bits of herbs, peanut, dried shrimp and ginger. Last but not least, add a few dollops of honeyed tamarind sauce and rolled it up. What you get is a firework of flavours with each bite.

Peek Gai Sod Sai 4/5

Whenever I have Peek Gai Sod Sai, I always tell myself it is a brilliant idea to remove the bone and stuffed it with its own minced meat. It is so convenient to eat. In Thanying's version, herbs are added into the minced chicken stuffing, giving it a subtle aroma on top of the crispy skin.

Tom Yam Goong 4.5/5

I like Thai Cuisine, but many places have reduced the spicy level to cater to those that have a low tolerant. A dish that it is a good benchmark is the Tom Yam Goong. At Thanying, the spicy prawn soup is packed with depth, that will probably make you break out in a sweat.

Goong Krabueng 4.2/5

I am not a big fan of Thai prawn cake, but the version at Thanying is very different. The Goong Krabueng is thin and crispy with delectable prawn paste. The deep-fried prawn pancake will be adored by both young and old.

Phad Pak Kanar 4.2/5

After a couple of light starters, we move on to dinner proper starting with the Phad Pak Kanar. A simple stir-fried Thai Kailan with oyster sauce to go along with the other mains. Though simple, the execution is perfect with the greens still retaining its crunch.

Pla Krapong Nuengmanao 4.5/5

One of my favourite Thai dishes is the Pla Krapong Nuengmanao. I find that the Steamed Seabass with Special Lime and Chilli Sauce, not only showcases the core flavours of Thai cuisine, it also complemented the freshness of the moist fish.

Gaeng Panang Nuer

Cooked to tender is the Gaeng Panang Nuer. The thick red curry is not as spicy as it looks. In fact, it is slightly sweet, which is very appetising with a plate of steamed white rice.  I love it so much that I drenched my rice with the savoury curry.

Khao Ohb Nam-Liaeb 4/5

Usually, most diners will order pineapple fried rice at Thai restaurants, but my preference is black olive rice. The Khao Ohb Nam-Liaeb here comes with minced chicken, and cashew nuts served in claypot. With all the mouth drooling food, this completes the meal.

Thai Dessert Set 4.2/5

End the night on a sweet note with the Thai Dessert Set. It comes with three different tiers of bite-size sweet delights. I have a difficult time picking which is my favourite, as they are all so good. Hence my advice is to save some space for this dainty sweetness.

Though I have not known about Thanying until my recent visit, it is never too late to discover another Thai restaurant that serves excellent and exquisite royal Thai cuisine. Besides the delicious dishes I had, this is just only the iceberg of the extensive menu. On top of that, it also has a vegetarian menu with close to 30 dishes.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Amara Singapore
165 Tanjong Pagar Road
Level 2
Singapore 088539
Tel: +65 62224688
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 3pm, 630pm - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Gopeng Street and turn into Tras Street. Walk to Amara Hotel. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]