It’s been a while since we’ve flown to Bangkok, but that hasn’t stopped us from getting our regular fix of Thai dishes like tom yum soup, basil pork, papaya salad, drunken noodles, pandan chicken, claypot vermicelli prawns, etc.
Chang Thai at Bishan Street 11 was a very good neighbourhood eatery that we used to frequent, but unfortunately it shut down after a few years. It used to be my first meal whenever I returned home from regular business trips to Tokyo.
Because even though Japanese food in Japan is super oishii, nothing there is truly spicy. And after being deprived of capsaicin for a couple of weeks, I start getting major withdrawal symptoms.
“But aren’t there also Thai restaurants in Tokyo?” you might ask.
As a matter of fact, yes, there are several. I’ve tried some of them, and they, well, weren’t particularly good. For someone who’s used to almost native levels of spiciness, Thai food in Japan clocks in at probably 2 chillis, on a scale of 1 to 10. The same can be said of Indian food there, but that’s a whole different story.
Coming back to Singapore, ever since Chang Thai closed, our purveyor of choice has been Pok Pok Thai at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. While we’ve physically been there several times, most of our orders have arrived at our doorstep, courtesy of Grabpandaroo.
Recently, another restaurant appeared on our radar — Khao Hom by Rung Mama, located inside the smallish Djitsun Mall in Ang Mo Kio Central. It’s conveniently and prominently situated on the ground floor, just beside the main entrance of the mall. The space is bright and airy, with a high ceiling and well spaced-out tables.
We’ve actually been there three times over the past several months, once on our own and twice with extended family members. It’s safe to say that we really like the food there. In fact, it’s now the default place we think of whenever a craving for Thai food hits us.
So far, we’ve only visited during off-peak hours, either for a late lunch or early dinner, and haven’t had issues getting seated immediately. However, they get really crowded during regular meal times, and the queue can get quite long.
Their website states that they’re open daily from 11am to 10pm, with no breaks in between. You can make a reservation online, but only for non-peak hours and even then, you’ll have to wait for them to contact you before it’s officially confirmed.
Looks like business is really good. If you’re planning to eat there, either go when they’re not too busy, or be prepared to camp out there a bit.
The menu at Khao Hom includes the usual suspects for a Thai restaurant in Singapore. Enticing photos are littered throughout their hardcopy menu to help you decide what to choose. If you’re the indecisive type though, it can actually work against you, as everything looks so aroy mak mak.
You can scan a QR code at each table for their softcopy menu, and also order directly from there. This pandemic-induced feature is getting fairly pervasive in restaurants throughout the island, with some opting to completely do away with hardcopy menus.
We would typically order prawn or fish cakes as appetisers, but deferred to our aunt and cousin, who wanted to try the Crispy Stuffed Chicken Wings (S$12) and Grilled Pork Salad with Herbs (S$12).
Both were excellent choices.
The chicken wings were crispy on the outside but moist and juicy on the inside, with generous amounts of minced meat stuffing. And of course it came with Thai sweet chilli sauce, the classic condiment for any deep-fried dish.
I’m not that adventurous when it comes to Thai salads, and usually end up with som tam. Having nam tok moo was a totally new and different experience for me. The flavour from the grilled pork slices, shallots, herbs and spices was so dynamic that you have to try it at least once to appreciate the taste explosion.
One item that I always have to order is the classic Stir-fried Basil Pork (S$10). To me, it’s the quintessential Thai dish. It’s spicy and savoury with a sweet undertone, sitting in addictive jus that’s wonderful when drizzled on white rice. The texture of the crunchy long beans contrast nicely with the juicy minced pork, with herby holy basil leaves elevating the flavour of the entire dish.
The version at Khao Hom is one of the best I’ve eaten, and they even allow you to choose your desired level of spiciness. Be warned that they don’t hold back their punches, so choose the highest level at your own risk. Pair it with the creamy and relatively milder Green Curry Chicken (S$12) to even out the excitement.
When having Thai food, it’s almost mandatory to order a Tom Yum soup. You can choose between the seafood or prawn only version, and they come in regular (for 2 pax) and large (for 4 pax) sizes. The prawn only for 2 pax comes in at S$15. Again, you’re given the option to upsize the spice level, and again, I urge caution.
There are two different versions you can order — Red or Clear. You might assume that the red version is spicier, but you would be wrong. It’s the clear one that really sets your tongue on fire, and burns all the way down your throat. Between the two, we definitely prefer the latter for its cleaner and punchier taste.
A couple of interesting items on the menu caught my eye, namely the Crab Meat Omelette with Rice (S$12) and the Char-grilled Squid (S$20).
I was keen to try the omurice because it was a cost-effective way to test the quality of their shelled crab meat, which I assume they would also use in their Chunky Crab Meat Omelette Roll (S$30). While the omelette itself was nice and fluffy, there was a slight fishiness to the crab meat.
Dipping it into the accompanying spicy seafood sauce helped mask it, but it marred the overall dish. We were initially thinking of ordering the bigger omelette roll next time, but after this disappointing experience, I’m not so sure anymore. We’ll see.
The grilled squid took a while to be served, and the first impression was good. It came on a black stone slate and looked very fancy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as hot (as in temperature) as we had expected, even though it was supposed to be straight off the grill. Perhaps it sat for a while in the kitchen before it was brought to our table. Taste and texture-wise, it was quite decent.
This less-than-ideal serving temperature happened again for the Slow-braised Pork Knuckle (S$18), something that the meat-loving Old Folks insisted on ordering. They were slightly put off that it didn’t arrive piping hot, but they enjoyed the dish nonetheless.
Luckily, our Steamed Fish with Chilli and Lime Sauce (S$30) came simmered in bubbling broth. The fish-shaped dish was made of metal and tea-lights were lit underneath to ensure that it was kept consistently warm.
The seabass was meaty, generously sized and cooked just right. There’s always a good chance of overcooking fish, but the one we had was moist and flaky. Of course, as it continues simmering, the meat will firm up, but that can be addressed by demolishing it as quickly as possible, which we did.
One tip is that if you end up ordering this dish, you can actually skip the clear tom yum soup. The broth is quite similar in taste, and there’s more than enough to go around.
For our obligatory fibre, we ordered the ubiquitous Stir-fried Water Spinach (S$8). The vegetable goes by many different names, including kangkong, morning glory, eng chai and the unwieldly water convolvulus. But you’ll recognise it when you see it, due to its characteristic hollow stem.
It was alright, nothing to shout about, but the superior vegetable dish is the Stir-Fried Kai Lan with Pork Belly (S$12). We actually got this item free, as part of a lucky draw from our second visit, which added to our enjoyment.
The kai lan was stir-fried just enough to cook out its grassiness while maintaining a delightful crunch. Adding roast pork belly was perhaps cheating a bit, because it makes everything taste better, but we definitely weren’t complaining.
Despite the large amount of food we had already consumed, we had to end the meal with some sweets. This came in the form of a Mango Sticky Rice (S$15) and Sweet Tapioca with Coconut Milk (S$8).
You can tell from the presentation that the chef is quite playful. Because the mango had cross-hatch cuts on its surface and was topped with a V-shaped cut pandan leaf, making it look like a pineapple. I especially appreciated this whimsical touch.
It also helped that it tasted as good as it looked, with the sticky rice served warm (as it should be) and the coconut milk lightly salted and served in a cute petite jug. I had high hopes for the sweet tapioca, but unfortunately it was hard and stringy. I finished it anyway, but wouldn’t order it again.
I can understand why Khao Hom is so popular, and while we haven’t visited their other branch in Katong, I assume that it would be equally crowded. It provides an avenue for us to enjoy authentic Thai food in Singapore at an affordable price.
Of course, it’s not quite as good as the real deal in Thailand, but it does help to manage our occassional cravings until we finally make a trip there in the near future.
