Thai Express: The mid-range Thai option that works!

Thai Express

I am not a huge fan of ‘Chain’ restaurants. Let me rephrase that, I am not overly awed by ‘Chain’ restaurants unless they are truly outstanding. Few exceptions being Jumbo Seafood, Din Tai Fung… which I immensely enjoy…  And after having a few meals at Thai Express in the last few weeks… I thought it was worth a mention.

I have often heard this complain that Singapore doesn’t have decent affordable Thai food. Either you go to one of those small time food court-like places, or you enter the ones that are quite expensive. And for this particular reason, I believe Thai Express offers a good alternative. Just a small tit-bit about the place. Thai Express was born in Holland Village, Singapore in 2002, started by local Singaporeans… and since then they have expanded in SE-Asia, Mongolia, Australia and India as well.

A week ago we went to Thai Express at Bugis+ with a couple of friends.

Thai Express

One thing I love about Thai Express is its bright, bold colours of their ambience.

Thai Express

The entire place has warm feel to it, thanks to the dominant orange that is generously used in its décor.

Thai Express

Another thing I have always noticed about Thai Express is the smiling maître de… and the pleasant service you get. Of course this might just be a co-incidence, but I have yet to have an unpleasant service experience there…

Coming to food… well I do not find Thai Express food exceptional… it’s not the best Thai I have had. Yet it stands out for two reasons. [1] They understand vegetarian, and can give you most of their standard dishes in vegetarian (they check with you if egg is okay, and give you eggless options if you ask for it). [2] It falls in the perfect mid-range in terms of prices. It isn’t quite that cheap, yet a meal there doesn’t burn a hole in your pockets, and you do get a decent Thai meal in a good setting.

An interesting fact, they claim is that 95% of their food is made to order and while they primarily are Thai driven, they have made innovations in their cuisines, bringing in the local delicacies like Thai Laksa, Japanese wraps etc. to name a few.

This is what we tried:

Yam Mamuang or Thai Mango Salad @ Thai Express

[1] Yam Mamuang or Mango Salad: I just cannot imagine a Thai meal without the spicy Mango salad… and I quite like the mango salad at Thai Express. With just the right amount of spicy chillies accompanied by the tanginess of the raw mango, makes it an amazing appetizer.

Kanom Pang Na Kung or Prawn Toast @ Thai Express

[2] Kanom Pang Na Kung or Prawn Toast: The prawn toasts were nice, albeit too oily for my taste, but then you are talking about fried bread with mashed prawns on it. It was a good dish, but I would have preferred it to be a little more spicy… just to offset the oily after-taste you have in your mouth. Having said that it was a decent dish.

Phat Thai (Vegetarian) @ Thai Express

[3] Phat Thai (Vegetarian): This is my all time favourite at Thai Express. Again probably not the best, but it is done really well. The decent mix of vegetables, noodles makes it a hearty dish to have, all by itself. As for the photo, this is what happens when you wait too long to click photos!

Tau Hoo Phat Krapow or Rice with Thai basil tofu (Vegetarian) @ Thai Express

[4] Tau Hoo Phat Krapow or Rice with Thai basil tofu (Vegetarian): While the tofu was well-made, it was probably not the dish we expected. Slightly underwhelming, especially after having just had some good Thai food. There are lot more options in Vegetarian menu you can try… and I would recommend a skip on this one. I had really hungry diners around me who couldn’t wait for the photo to be clicked!

Kaeng Khiew Wan Gai or Tender juicy chicken in jade green curry @ Thai Express

[5] Kaeng Khiew Wan Gai or Tender juicy chicken in jade green curry: The green curry was good, nothing exceptional, but palatable. I thought there was a tad bit too much ginger in the curry, but my companions seemed to enjoy it, so it might be put down to personal preference in this case.

Fried Olive Rice @ Thai Express

[6] Fried Olive Rice (Vegetarian): Good, with generous amounts of olive taste to it… nicely made.

Khao Niao Mamuang or Mango Sticky Rice @ Thai Express

[7] Khao Niao Mamuang or Mango Sticky Rice: The sweet glutinous rice with fresh mango and coconut milk is my most favourite dessert across cuisines. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that I am quite crazy about mangoes and coconut too. The quality of the mango this time around at Thai Express wasn’t that great, but the well-made sticky rice and the generous portion of coconut milk partially made up for the disappointing mango. All the same I would still recommend this dish…

Mun Cheam or Steamed sweet potato with coconut milk @ Thai Express

[8] Mun Cheam or Steamed sweet potato with coconut milk: I have never imagined sweet potato (something I have always had only on days that mom would fast for religious reasons) could be made into a delicate dessert. For those who enjoy the slightly rough texture of nicely boiled potatoes, try out this dish. It is different and interesting, especially for the adventurous kinds.

How much will it cost me: A dinner for 4, comprising of the dishes above cost us around S$ 80-S$ 90. It is a great affordable place for those who want to experience something above a normal food-court.

Verdict: It’s a quick-fix for a Thai craving. The non-fuss, simple dining restaurant has won accolades since its conception in 2002, including the “Thai Select” Brand awarded by the Royal Thai Government certifying authenticity of their food. The restaurant has a huge selection of Vegetarian options, and they understand customization. Less-spicy, more-spicy, no egg etc. isn’t such a hassle if you communicate well with the staff. The bright orange place deserves a thumbs up for providing affordable Thai food without compromising too much on taste or quality. For that alone, it deserves a Thumbs up.

Rating: ***

Address: Thai Express has 25+ outlets across Singapore. Any major mall, you can expect to see a Thai Express there. They do not accept reservations, and the place can get quite crowded during peak-meal hours or on weekends.

http://www.thaiexpress.com.sg/

Gold Food Thai Chinese Cuisine – Unpretentious eatery, delicious food

One of the advantages of staying at Waterloo Street is you are never short of amazing food just few steps away. Last weekend I was craving for some chilli hot food and before I could think of anything my husband declared it was time for Thai food…

Of all the cuisines, my husband loves Thai food… “It’s one of the only cuisines that understands that vegetarian food can go beyond mushrooms and eggplant,” he often smirks… I reserve my judgement. After all I don’t eat mushrooms and eggplant as much as he ‘HAS’ to.

Gold Food – Thai Chinese Cuisine

Since we had decided to try Thai last minute, on a weekend, any place requiring reservations are out. “Let’s try this small place next door,” I suggested… “You sure this place will have something vegetarian?” he asked suspiciously, and I couldn’t really blame him. He has had to suffer through salads at the small and authentic places around… “I am sure they will… let’s try it. If not, there’s a subway at Bugis…” I joked, a joke not appreciated, I could tell.

So we headed to Bencoolen street, to Gold Food, a Thai Chinese Cuisine restaurant at Sunshine Plaza. And within minutes of being seated at this really small, extremely simply decored restaurant, all his doubts about vegetarian food disappeared.

Gold Thai food has around 8-9 small 4 seater tables inside the shop-restaurant and a few tables outside on the pavement. Situated right opposite the NAFA campus, you see a bustle of students all day long…

Gold Food – Thai Chinese Cuisine

The place is minimally decorated… yet some things deserve a mention.

Gold Food – Thai Chinese Cuisine

For example, the huge paper fan hanging on the wall…

Gold Food – Thai Chinese Cuisine

Or the small temple of sorts… check out the beer and coke bottle 😀

Gold Food – Thai Chinese Cuisine

Overall, the entire restaurant has a homey feel to it. Unpretentious, simple eatery.

The place understands vegetarian food. And you can ask the servers if a particular dish you want can actually be made into vegetarian… This is what we tried:

Appetizers:

Tom Yum Soup (vegetarian) @ Gold Food Thai

[1] Tom Yum Soup (vegetarian): One thing you must remember at Gold Thai Food is that their portions are really huge… and are meant for sharing. A huge bowl of spicey, tangy vegetarian Tom Yum Soup was placed before us and we were glad we didn’t order another soup. It was delicious. In fact it is one of the best Tom Yum soups I have tasted… the aroma of ginger perfectly balanced with chilli and the whole dish just took our appetites to another level. It is a must try, veg or non-veg…

Mango Salad @ Gold Food Thai

[2] Mango Salad: None of our Thai meals are ever complete without the tangy mango salad… and this one did not disappoint. Hot and tangy, it went perfectly with the Tom Yum Soup. The generous amounts of cut mango and other veggies made it a great accompaniment.

Mains:

Green Curry (vegetarian) @ Gold Food Thai

[1] Green Curry (Vegetarian): The green curry was good, not as spicy as the soup, nicely flavoured and well balanced. It was tasty enough to be eaten without the plain rice in fact. Again the size of the portion was quite large.

Vermicelli and Prawns @ Gold Food Thai

[2] Vermicelli with Prawns: This dish was probably the most underwhelming of the lot… glistening vermicelli cooked in stock with prawns was actually a decent dish, but not as spicy or flavourful as the rest… however, eaten with the green curry, the dish made a great accompaniment instead of the rice.

Desserts:

Mango Sticky Coconut Rice @ Gold Food Thai

[1] Sticky coconut rice & Mango: One of the biggest determinents of whether this dessert comes off well is often the taste and quality of the mango itself. This is the first time I realized that even though the mango wasn’t the best quality, the sticky coconut rice was so well made that after a point the quality of the mango didn’t matter. Great way to finish of a delicious Thai lunch!

How much will it cost me: The lunch for 2 cost us S$ 40… however, the portion size was really large, and to be honest we definitely overate.

Verdict: The place scores really high in the affordable Thai food category. To be honest, the taste of the food beats some of the expensive places I have tried… it’s simple, non-fussy and unpretentious little place you can go to for a tasty and delicious Thai meal. What’s more, it is open till quite late most days… I give Gold Thai Food a definite Thumbs Up!

Rating: ***1/2

Address: 91 Bencoolen Street #01-14/22, Sunshine Plaza Singapore. Tel: +65 9014 3218

Suda Potchana – It’s all about Authentic Thai Food

Selecting the best street food joint to try your hand at authentic local cuisine can be a tricky business, especially if you are a first time visitor. I often research online to get a fair idea of what food joints backpackers, travelers and expats are endorsing, and quite often, I stumble upon pure gems. Suda Potchana or Suda Restaurant (my best guess is, that it is named after the owner), as it is referred to, was one such gems I discovered near BTS Asoke (it’s Bangkok Mass Transit System or simply put, their metro), off Sukhumvit Soi 14.

I was roaming the streets of Sukhumvit Soi one evening, when I saw a large crowd of expats sitting outside an almost run down, simple food joint, enjoying chilled beer and extremely aromatic Thai food. I was intrigued. I looked around the jam packed place and realized I couldn’t spot locals here, unless they were accompanied by what looked like backpackers or travelers. It took me a while to find the name of the place… I picked up the menu lying careless on one of the tables. Noting the address carefully, I decided to give it try over the weekend…

And try we did over the weekend, and till date Suda remains my favourite food joint in Bangkok. We have all heard the saying, too many cooks spoil the broth… here I felt like too many dishes confused the diner! It’s a long menu… and the prices are such, that we have often ordered, almost carelessly, for the hungry, greedy foodie in me wants to taste everything! Everything! Yes, the restaurant is that reasonable.

A few highly recommended dishes:

• Spring Rolls
• Red & Green Thai curry
• Phat si Ew (io) – the best I have had so far
• Som Tom Salad
• Squid with garlic and pepper
• Snapper in tamarind sauce
• Stir-fried tofu and veggies
• Papaya Salad with shrimps
• Tom Yum Kung
• Fried Pork
• Chicken with Basil and Chilli

Drinks:

• Try fresh coconut, if you don’t want alcohol
• Thai Whiskey, if you are an adventurous drinker!

Dessert:

• Thai Mango sticky rice

Why should you go there: Authentic food and Ambience! The first time I went to Suda, what amazed me was they had really dingy pastic chairs, wooden tables that shook, you would see an occasional stray cat moving through the tables, the muggy night getting to you… and yet, the minute you tasted your first morsel, voila, your mood suddenly changes. The chilled beer and the spices engulf you. Some of the dishes are as authentic as it could get! Lastly, vegetarians can have a blast here… they can give you a large variety of no meat, no fish, no eggs choice of thai dishes you may have ever seen!

Of course, my last visit, I realized they have cleaned up the place a bit, chairs are replaced, and the place now looks more like a road-side coffee shop! And yet, the food remains as good as ever! And most importantly, it’s good bang for the buck! I wish I had some pictures to upload… but hey, it’s not about the looks, it’s about the taste!

How much will it cost me: A dinner for two can cost anywhere between US $20 to US$40. And it will be an elaborate meal, alcohol included!

Verdict: Drop the air-conditioned, fancy restaurants, and go find Suda… you won’t be disappointed. If at all there is a negative to this place, it is the fact that at times, the waitresses are a little annoying, and the service is slow. You have to make an effort, real effort to catch the attention of the server… they are just that busy! But hey, good things don’t come easy!

Rating: ****

Address: 6/12 Soi Phraek Samakkhi Bangkok 10110