Located at Customs House overlooking the Marina Bay waterfront, Sabai Fine Thai offers mouth-watering, flavourful Thai dishes and it comes with a magnificent panorama view of Singapore’s city skyline.

The prices of the food are on the heftier side, but it’s not surprising to us, given the prime location. Nonetheless, this waterfront restaurant is a nice place to celebrate a special occasion, especially if you are craving for Thai food.

You have the choice to enjoy your food inside and admire the intricate decor of the Thai restaurant, or dine outside to enjoy the scenic bayfront view.

We started off with the Khao Dtang Nar Dtang (S$20.50), which are crispy rice crackers served with simmered minced chicken and minced prawns in coconut milk. The rice crackers had a good crunch, and coupled with the delicious dip, it makes for a delectable appetiser.

The restaurant leads up to an equally delicious main dish, the Pla Neung Manao (S$48). It consists of steamed seabass; and seasoned with bird’s eye chilli, garlic and fresh lime juice.

Wash the food down with their refreshing, classic Sabai Mojito, made with lemongrass, lime, homemade ginger and lime syrup, crushed ice, and topped off with ginger ale. The best drink to battle the heat.

End off your meal with the Kao Niew Mamuang (S$23). The mangoes were sweet, ripe and juicy, and paired with sweetened sticky rice, this dessert was devoured within minutes.

Sabai Fine Thai
70 Collyer Quay
#01-02 Customs House
Singapore 049323
Tel: +65 6535 3718

The popularity of Thai food in Singapore is evident from the large number of Thai restaurants and eateries in Singapore offering the best of local cuisine from the Land of Smiles.

New to the dining scene in Singapore is Baan Ying Singapore, a contemporary Thai restaurant, an authentic Thai eatery which first opened in Siam Paragon, Bangkok, 20 years back. Bringing to us the genuine taste of Thailand with a modern and local twist to its dishes, Baan Ying Cafe and Meal serves amazing and delectable Thai fare. In fact, some of the ingredients are imported all the way from Thailand to ensure that the food tastes exactly like how it does in Thailand!

Baan Ying Singapore serves up a wide range of Thai fare but they aren’t the normal Thai dishes you find at typical Thai eateries. From salads to curries to omelette rice, foodies will love the fusion of authenticity and innovation in their meal!

Prices are extremely reasonable and most fall below S$10, so you are really getting authentic Thai cuisine that is value-for-money!

From now to 30 June 2018, quote ‘Ladyironchef’ upon making reservations to enjoy 20% discount off a la carte menus on weekday dinner and weekend lunch and dinner. This promotion cannot be used jointly with other ongoing promotions at Baan Ying.

Baan Ying is conveniently located near Novena MRT station and the 126-seater casual restaurant boasts a modern outlook with door-to-ceiling glass windows.

SALADS

Whenever we hear the word ‘salad’, most of us will dismiss the idea entirely. None of us is massive fans of salads, but boy oh boy, the Thai-style salads at Baan Ying Singapore were so delicious we found ourselves going back for more again and again.

The Fried Morning Glory Salad (S$10.80), for example, comprises deep-fried morning glory leaves which are accompanied by a small bowl of minced pork. Scoop up a small portion of piquant minced pork bits and have it with the crispy greens; it was so addictive we went for extra helpings.

Other salads to consider are the Wing Bean Salad in Coconut Milk (S$9.80) and Glass Noodle Salad with Seafood (S$9.80).

PORK BELLY FRIED RICE WITH SALTED EGG

Fried rice on its own is tasty but fried rice with salted egg? Now, that is something worthy of mention. The salted egg yolk chunks gave the fried rice an added bite to it with its crisp texture and complements the fried rice instead of overpowering it.

To make it a substantial dish, you can look forward to thick, generous pieces of pork belly lying atop the bed of egg-coated fried rice.

SIGNATURE GREEN CHILI FRIED RICE

Fried rice is a typical street food in Thailand and if you are craving for some authentic Thai-style fried rice, the ideal fiery option for the solo diners would be the Signature Green Chili Fried Rice (S$9.80).

Squeeze a few drops of lime juice on the rice and have it with fresh red chili—now that’s how you enjoy Thai fried rice at its finest.

MORE THAI DISHES

The best part about dining at Baan Ying is that the food can be catered to single diners and even those who are visiting in groups.

Some outstanding ones to try are Thai Red Curry with Chicken (S$12.80), Pork & String Bean Stir-Fry (S$9.80) and Century Egg with Minced Pork & Basil (S$11.80).

DEEP-FRIED SEABASS WITH CRISPY HERBS

Besides the individual portions, those who are visiting with their family or groups of friends can consider options that are catered for communal dining.

For a wholesome dish, the Deep-Fried Seabass with Crispy Herbs (S$32.80) is a crowd-pleaser that cannot go wrong. When it comes to deep-fried seabass, It is important to ensure that the fish remains juicy and moist on the inside while the skin is crispy—which was exactly what we got at Baan Ying. Of course, the addition of herbs heightened the sweet, original taste of the fish.

Other family-friendly dishes include Stuffed Squid Steamed in Herbs (S$14.80), Assorted Seafood On Hotplate (S$14.80) and Steamed Seabass with Chili & Lime (S$32.80).

CHILI SOFT SHELL CRAB AND MUSSELS IN OMELETTE RICE (WITH CHILI CRAB SAUCE)

Look forward to their seasonal special: Chili Soft Shell Crab and Mussels in Omelette Rice (with Chili Crab Sauce). It was amazing! The full-flavoured Thai-styled chilli crab sauce was generously ladled over steaming white rice, then topped off with a well-executed omelette egg that was still runny in the middle.

The rich gravy reminded us of Singapore’s iconic chilli crab dish because of the sweet and spicy notes. Yet, they are not exactly similar as the chefs at Baan Ying are more heavy handed with the spice—sticking true to traditional Thai cooking methods.

THAI-STYLE DESSERTS

What better way to end off your meal than with some Thai desserts? We loved the traditional Mango With Butterfly Pea Sticky Rice, Rainbow Ruby in Coconut Milk and Home Made Mango Jelly with Coconut & Mango.

The restaurant is looking to expand their dessert menu so keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come next!

As mentioned earlier, quote ‘Ladyironchef’ upon making reservations to enjoy 20% discount off a la carte menus on weekday dinner and weekend lunch and dinner from now to 30 June 2018. This promotion cannot be used jointly with other ongoing promotions at Baan Ying.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

Baan Ying Singapore
103 Irrawaddy Road
#02-07, Royal Square At Novena
Singapore 329566
Tel: +65 9111 7852
Daily: 11am – 3pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Novena

This post is brought to you by Baan Ying Singapore.

Thai food is versatile, a myriad of flavours, and generally a whole lot of fun for chefs. And Rochor Thai’s Chef Owner Joel Ong—who lived a year in Thailand to learn about the Central Thai cuisine—was determined to bring the best of Thai dishes to Singapore.

While most Thai eateries and restaurants in Singapore serve more North-Eastern Thai fare, Rochor Thai specialises in Central Thai Cuisine—which is a lot more balanced, less salty and no less delicious—and it does not use any MSG at all.

Rochor Thai prides itself in its meticulous preparation and the use of fresh ingredients to ensure the authenticity of its food, with flavours found nowhere else in Singapore.

Making his mark in 2012 at Rochor Centre, Rochor Thai’s inception saw overwhelming success and has brought them to where they are today. Today, they are located at Novena Regency, with a more modern and swanky look. They have rocketed to the top of our list and is now among our favourite Thai restaurants.

From now until 15 March 2017, simply quote ‘ladyironchef’ to enjoy 30% off your bill—valid from 6pm to 10pm on Mondays to Thursdays, except PHs.

THE BEST VARIETY OF AUTHENTIC TOM YUM SOUPS

Depending on your preference, Rochor Thai has a decent variety of tom yum soups for you to choose from. What we like about Rochor Thai is that they choose the best meats or seafood to go with each type of soup base. Some Thai restaurants confuse you with too many options, but Rochor Thai picks out the best combinations for you.

We had a taste of two different types of tom yum soups, Red Tom Yum Prawns (Tom Yum Goong, S$15) and Clear Tom Yum Super (S$15).

Some people prefer a milkier consistency, hence the former is an excellent choice, the soup is packed with generous amounts of fresh prawns and we really loved the spicy red soup base—just the right balance of sour and spicy, without burning our throats.

However, the Clear Tom Yum Super is actually their speciality and it comes with chicken wings and feet inside. But you have been warned—this soup is extremely spicy. Not for the faint-hearted!

REFRESHING SOM TUM KAI KEM – THAI PAPAYA SALAD

In every Thai restaurant, you need a good Som Tum or Papaya Salad. This Som Tum Kai Kem (S$12) hit all the right spots for us.

It was crunchy, refreshing and more importantly, the tamarind sauce really wowed us. It comes with salted egg, carrots, long beans, garlic, chillies, dried shrimp and peanuts.

BEAUTIFUL PAD THAI WITH SUCCULENT PRAWNS

Another classic Thai dish is the Pad Thai. The Pad Thai Rochor Thai (Pad Thai Song Krung, S$14) was impressive, to say the least. We liked that the noodles were not overly cooked; they were a little al dente, and the plate of noodles was sweet, flavourful and bursting with wok hei flavour on the whole. One of the best

CLASSIC VERMICELLI WITH BAKED PRAWNS

The Baked Prawns in Claypot (Goong Ob Woon Sen, S$19) is something you really have to try! Clear glass noodles are tossed in peppercorns, garlic and coriander; the dish exuded a distinct aroma.

THE BEST STIR-FRIED CABBAGE EVER

This is the most unassuming dish on the menu and before you skip it, you have to know that this is THE BEST STIR-FRIED CABBAGE EVER. So much so that we would eat an entire serving on its own with a bowl of steamed rice and we are satisfied.

The Cabbage with Fish Sauce (Kalum Pad Nampla, S$12) is a unique dish and it took Chef Joel 3 months to perfect it.

Sure, you might be skeptical, because it is ‘just veggies’. But it is almost unexplainable; the umami flavours become stronger with every bite. There is something about the combination of garlic and fish sauce tossed with crunchy and fresh cabbage.

TENDER, MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH GRILLED PORK

The Grilled Pork Collar (Kor Moo Yang, S$19)—Rochor Thai’s best-selling and signature dish—lived up to all the hype.

Marinated perfectly, the tender pork is grilled to a beautiful tenderness. When served, the pork collar slices are so almost melt-in-your-mouth. Eat them with a homemade Issan-style sauce.

Thai-style grilled pork has got to be one of our favourite ways of eating pork.

VALUE-FOR-MONEY WHOLE SEA BASS

If you are coming in a group of 3 or more, then you should really order the sea bass. We fell head over heels in love with the Orange Curry Fish Broth (Thai Assam, Gaeng Som Pla, S$32 Whole Fish 800 – 900g).

The fish is deep-fried whole, then orange curry broth is drizzled all over. The broth is spicy with a hint of sourness, but it paired up well with the crispy fish. The fish stayed nice and crispy even after awhile and for S$32, it is a steal!

FLAVOURFUL DRUNKARD’S PRAWNS

These prawns are aptly named Drunkard’s Prawns (Pad Kee Mao Goong, S$19).

According to Chef Owner Joel, they adapted an old Thai recipe based on a true incident. It was a rainy night when a drunk man was walking home after a night of drinking, and he stopped by a small street food stall for some supper. The dish was so spicy and flavourful that it jolted him up, hence the name.

POPULAR THAI SWEET TREAT – MANGO STICKY RICE

Lastly, we ended our amazing Thai meal with the best way we know how to—with Thai Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niew Ma Muang, S$8).

The sticky rice was served to us warm and the rice was chewy with a nice al dente bite to it.

Apart from the typical Thai dishes such as Green Curry Chicken, Pad Thai, and Thai Basil Stir-fried Pork, Rochor Thai serves authentic Thai dishes that are strong-flavoured yet well-balanced. It is a lot more dimensional than the spicy and sour Thai food that most of us are familiar with.

Chef Owner Joel hopes that diners get to experience a true taste of Thailand—for a lack of a better phrase. The prices might be slightly higher than the usual Thai restaurants in Singapore, but what you get is quality Thai food that will transport you to the Land of Smiles.

Don’t take our words for it, make a trip to Rochor Thai and find out for yourself. Remember to quote ‘ladyironchef’ to enjoy 30% off your bill—valid from 6pm to 10pm on Mondays to Thursdays, except PHs.

And the next time you are throwing a party for a special occasion, you will be keen to know that Rochor Thai also offers complimentary venue usage with a minimum spending on Food and Beverage, as well as catering for events. Their tea reception buffet starts from as low as S$9.80 per guest. You can see the buffet catering menus from Rochor Thai’s website.

Rochor Thai
275 Thomson Road
#01-03, Novena Regency
Singapore 307645
Tel: +65 8797 7080
Mon to Thu: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9.30pm
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Novena

This post is brought to you by Rochor Thai.