Eminent Thai Cuisine and Seafood serve one of the most affordable Thai food on our list and they are hidden right in Marina Food House on Phillip Street. They serve excellent Thai food and we were so impressed after trying their food for the first time that we kept returning for more. The dishes gave us a homey feeling, as if your family member was cooking a comforting meal for you. The dishes here are not the mainstream Thai fare that you can find everywhere else, but hopefully, these unique dishes will make you go “wow”.
Here are our recommendations:
Thai Braised Pork Leg Rice [S$7.50] – The preparation method is different from Chinese-style braised pork as they don’t use any dark soy sauce. Their secret recipe makes it dark naturally. This is definitely one of the best Thai braised pork leg rice you can find in Singapore.
Spicy Stir-fried Sea Prawns with Rice [S$7.50] – This dish is very fragrant and appetising. Just this dish alone would have won our AroiMakMak sticker. The prawns are stir-fried with their Isaan-style nam jim jaew (Thai chilli sauce).
We highly recommend those who are working in the CBD to head down to support. Because of the coffeeshop’s operating hours, they are only able to serve the lunch crowd. Alternatively, you can call them to see if they can prepare your takeaway order and hand it over to you by the side of the road. Do check out our full review of Eminent Thai Cuisine and Seafood here.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 11am – 5pm; Saturday: 11am – 2pm
Address: 15 Phillip Street (Marina Food House), Singapore 048694 [Map]
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place / Telok Ayer
Contact/Whatsapp: +65 8817 7741
Un-Yang-Kor-Dai by Penlaos originated from Khao Yai in Thailand, where they are one of the must-visit restaurants, famous for their grilled chicken (gai yang). This sister restaurant in Singapore is also an award-winning restaurant (Michelin Plate, Thai Select Signature) which you should not miss. They are located along South Bridge Road and it is recommended that you make reservations because they are frequently fully-booked.
Here are our recommendations:
Ribeye Fried Rice [S$17.90] – If you are here alone for a quick meal, this is the dish that will leave you immensely satisfied. The fried rice is nicely done, topped with tender ribeye slices and drizzled with krapow sauce. So good.
Crispy Pork Belly (left) [S$14.50] & Penlaos Signature Grilled Chicken (right) [S$14]. Looking at the huge portions, we thought we would have leftovers to take away but we ended up finishing everything. The light crisp skin and tender meat of the pork belly and the flavourful signature grilled chicken are both must-orders here if you come in a group.
Thai Milk Tea Pudding [S$5.50] – It will be perfect to end your meal here with this Thai Milk Tea pudding which is rich and satisfying.
Opening Hours: Daily 11:30am – 2:30pm ; 6pm – 9:30pm (Closed on Monday)
Address: 57 South Bridge Road, #01-02, Singapore 058688 [Map]
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay
Contact/Whatsapp: +65 6787 8575
#3 Folks Collective
Folks Collective is a vintage restaurant inspired by retro train markets. Its chill-chill ambience makes it a great place for friends to gather and relax over food and drinks. Stepping into the restaurant transports you back to Thailand in an instant. No wonder the Thai community loves to hang out here.
They have popular dishes well-suited for Singaporean palates like this River Prawn Pad Thai [S$24.90]. You no longer have to travel to Thailand to enjoy fresh succulent popular river prawns.
Herbs & Chilli Seabass [S$35] & Spatchcock Chicken [S$24]. Both dishes were well-executed. We were particularly-impressed at how tender the chicken was.
There are also fiery authentic Thai dishes on the rotating chef’s menu such as Prawn Sashimi [S$22] and Seabass Tempura Yum [S$25].
As always, you need some Thai desserts to complete a Thai meal. Choose from Ice Cream Kati (Coconut Ice Cream) [S$6.90] or Red Rubies & Palm Fruit [S$7.90].
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 11pm (Closed on Sunday)
Address: 20 Cross Street, #01-25/26/27, Cross Street Exchange, Singapore 048422 [Map]
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place / Telok Ayer
Contact/Whatsapp: +65 6536 6739
Go-Ang is Bangkok’s most popular chicken rice shop in Pratunam. Their striking pink uniform differentiates them from their competitors along the same street. Go-Ang is very well-received in Singapore and they have just opened their 5th outlet at Cross Street Exchange.
Steamed Single Portion Chicken Thigh Rice / Roasted Single Portion Chicken Thigh Rice [S$5.80] – Go-Ang’s Michelin Bib Gourmand Thai-style Chicken Rice might seem ordinary but once you take a bite, you will know why it’s so famous. Their rice is good enough for you to savour on its own.
Another item that makes Go-Ang’s chicken rice unique is their founder’s in-house special sauce with ginger, garlic bits and chopped chillies. It pairs perfectly with the chicken and flavourful rice.
Double-boiled Bitter Melon Chicken Soup [S$6.80] – Another star from Go-Ang is their double-boiled soup, which complements their chicken rice. They also serve other mouthwatering Thai dishes such as the Steamed Sea Bass with Chilli, Lime & Garlic [S$28.80].
Thai Chendol [S$5.50] – If you crave something sweet, end off your meal with this satisfying Thai Chendol.
Opening Hours: Daily 11am – 10pm (Closed on Sunday)
Address: 20 Cross Street, #01-10/10A/11/28-30, Cross Street Exchange, Singapore 048422 [Map]
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place / Telok Ayer
Contact/Whatsapp: +65 6223 0291
Other Outlets:
#5 Issan Thai Food
Issan Thai Food is the only Thai hawker in Singapore with the prestigious Michelin Plate. Despite its name, they don’t actually serve Isaan food here but focus on Thai dishes that Singaporeans are familiar with. Note that they do not serve pork.
Basil Chicken Rice [S$5.50] – This is easily their most popular dish as at least 10 customers ordered it during my 30-minutes sitting right in front of the shop. The basil chicken is well executed and suited to the local’s taste. Thais might find it lacking in spice though you can always ask for more chilli if that’s your preference. Credit must be given to their beautiful Thai-style sunny-side up with crisp edges and runny yolk, which cannot be taken for granted in Singapore.
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 11:30am – 3pm ; 5:30pm – 8pm, Saturday: 11:30am – 5pm (Closed on Sunday)
Address: 6 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-13, Singapore 081006 [Map]
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar
If you make the effort to go down and try the food, do take a photo of your food or with our sticker and tag us at “#AMMRecSG”. We will be launching some campaigns soon and some of you might be able to walk away with some free meals or even dine with us!
Enjoy your AroiMakMak food and look out for our future recommendations, if we can find any new ones!
This content was originally published here.