After settling into its humble abode on Tan Quee Lan Street, Sawadee Thai Cuisine is back with a vengeance to win over palates with their display of cuisine originating from the Land of Smiles. In line with its 15th Anniversary this October, it has launched a refreshing new menu that has injected a breath of fresh air into the run-off-the-mill Thai cuisine that we all too familiar with.
No detail is unaccounted for at Sawadee Thai Cuisine and everything from the cheerful Thai Jazz music to the freshly imported young Thai coconuts are put in place to charm you. We begin the meal with the popular Pomelo Salad ($12/$18) - the perfect balance of bitterness from the fruit and the acidity from the dressing warming up the palate for the feisty dealings to follow
As if walking into the household of a charming Thai family, you are greeted with a warm bowl of soup. And not just any bowl of soup at that, Sawadee Thai does an amazing Thai Coconut Chicken Soup ($13) served in a carved out coconut for the extra theatrics. Chock full of bruised lemongrass, tender chicken chunks and mushrooms; the clear soup goes a long way in wrecking havoc on the palate with sneaking introductions of heat. Warning: very addictive!
Curry is my shortcoming and Sawadee Thai does a really unorthodox rendition with sweet lychee to propel the assertive mix. The Panaeng Red Curry Roast Duck ($17) is built on a strong basis of legendary roast duck hailing from Chinatown; it's good on its own, but BETTER slathered on white rice. Highly rated but hardly impressive is the Thai Style Otah on Claypot ($16 for 7 pcs) - the otah are steamed on the claypot dish, hence the usual benefits of the searing claypot imparting no benefits whatsoever to the fish cakes (I would have preferred it to have a slight char for textural differentiation). Definitely style over substance.
If meat is your calling, make sure to order the Pan-seared Black Angus Beef Ribeye ($32 for 220g) or the Grilled Kurobuta Pork Collar ($22) both stellar offerings providing sufficient bite and texture from the crumb and crust evolved from the separate cooking methods. I'm particularly fond of the pork collar, it's marbled origins absorbing smoky hints from the grilling of which melts in a tumbleweed of pleasures on the tip of the tongue (note: sauce not necessary).
Fillers come in the form of the Fried Fish Maw with Beansprouts ($14/$20) and Superior Seafood Fried Rice ($18/$20). The former picking up real fanfare at the table with its predominant wok-hei on the tender fish maw bits, however the large proportion of fried egg sets to tip the balance. The Thai's answer to comfort food is the Seafood Fried Rice, complete with crispies galore and loads of prawns and crab meat to feed the fantasies.
And if that ain't enough, you can graduate to a haven of desserts firstly with the Mango Sticky Rice ($10/ $30 for a sharing platter) where the sweetest and most luscious cubes of ripened mango attempt to bust your calorie bank; or get down and dirty with the Mao Shan Wang Durian StickyRice ($12) - more worldly, the pyramid of fragrant durian pulp is laced with coconut milk. It is warm, bristling and submits just enough to the tea spoon, then springs back with a punch of flavors at the back of your mouth.
Will you remember Sawadee Thai after an epic dessert such as that. I most certainly will.
Sawadee Thai Cuisine
9 Tan Quee Lan Street, TQL Suites
#01-01, S(188098)
p.s. @fundamentally_flawed will be hosting a GIVEAWAY via Instagram and Facebook so scoot on over for more details on how to win $50 vouchers to dine at Sawadee Thai Cuisine NOW
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