Food review: New dishes at Sawadee Thai Cuisine are refreshingly unique

SINGAPORE — Sawadee Thai Cuisine can boast something not many Thai restaurants can – it has been around for 15 years, long before Thai cuisine became vogue here and deeply entrenched as a mainstream foodie option.

But while its counterparts are catching on the wave by going mass market and fuss-free, Sawadee’s young restaurant owners Michael Hong, 35, and Joel Li, 32, who took over the business three years ago, are determined to stick to their formula and shoulder on.

Hong and Li, who were previously from the finance industry, are hoping to provide more upscale Thai options that are true to the Thai dining experience, with dishes untampered with (typically done in most places to suit the Singapore taste buds).

It is here where you can find quirky options such as their signature Panaeng Red Curry Roast Duck and Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

The pair travels to Thailand with their Thai head chef regularly to get inspiration for new dishes, and have tried every single Thai restaurant in Singapore as well, said Hong.

Their new menu offerings, to commemorate the restaurant’s 15th year anniversary, is a reflection of all that work.

Expect tastes to be more intense and robust, just like how it’d be from authentic eateries in Thailand.

THE VIBE

The 60-seater restaurant, which moved to this location three years ago, boasts a contemporary interior with golden drapes hanging from the ceiling and gold leaf décor above its bar counter. Stylised Thai inscriptions drape around a pillar as well, and the walls are adorned with reed decorations. Dishes are served on hefty china to give an added elegance to your meal.

WHAT TO ORDER

While I’m not usually a fan of papaya salad, Sawadee’s new papaya salad appetizer (S$12/S$18), which comes with dried shrimps and chilli, was a surprising delight. Unlike those we have tried before, it does not have the tough raw taste typical to this dish. In fact, it is fragrant, refreshing, and packs a spicy punch that is not for the faint-hearted.

Our favourite picks, though, has got to be the new Pan‑seared Black Angus Beef Ribeye (S$32 for 220g) and the Grilled Kurobuta Pork Collar (S$22). Both boast a smoky, succulent and tender bite, thanks to the meats being cooked via a sous-vide method. If you had to choose one, go for the ribeye, which is cooked to the done-ness you want and pairs beautifully with its slightly-sweet homemade green curry sauce.

Pair those meats with its Superior Seafood Fried Rice that comes with crab meat, prawns and conpoy, topped with an interesting choice of rice crackers (S$18/S$28). Its addition manages to bring a satisfying crunch to the ordinary-sounding dish.

Desserts are usually an afterthought but this is one I can’t get my mind off. Sawadee’s new Mao Shan Wang Durian Sticky Rice (S$12) is absolutely heavenly with the fruit’s slightly bitter creamy flesh serving as a perfect complement to its sweet sticky rice. The durian flesh is painstaking peeled by its suppliers and transported to the restaurant every day to ensure freshness, so every spoonful is as authentic as biting off the meat from a durian seed (minus the inconvenience).

WHAT NEEDS IMPROVING

If you have only a limited budget (or space in your stomach to spare), give the more ordinary dishes such as the Fried Fish Maw with Beansprouts (S$14/S$20) and the Thai Style Otah on Clayplate (S$16 for seven pieces) a miss. Although comforting, they seem bland when placed next to the other recommendations.

VERDICT

Interesting dishes with a unique combination of flavours, Sawadee Thai Cuisine stands out with its attention to detail and creative tweaks. JOY FANG

Sawadee Thai Cuisine

Where:

9 Tan Quee Lan Street, TQL Suites #01‑01

Telephone: 62386833

Opening hours: Open daily, 11am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm