Nakhon Kitchen
Arguably one of the more authentic Thai restaurants in Singapore, Nakhon Kitchen has been gaining popularity in Singapore of late and now have 3 outlets in operation.
Prices are very reasonable, with main courses averaging $5 - $6. Serving sizes are a tad smaller than usual, but that also means getting to try a little of everything if you go with a group of friends! Dishes are served quickly and mostly together, which is great for avoiding the first-dish-getting-cold-by-the-time-the-fifth-dish-arrives problem.
I can't take spice very well but spice-lovers will love Nakhon Kitchen. Even with the care taken by my friends and I not to order too many spicy dishes, I was reaching for my iced water constantly over the course of the meal. Not that I'm complaining about that - considering the quality of food here, I'm definitely coming back for more!
Stir-fried minced pork with hot basil leaves $6 - This was the spiciest dish we ordered and it lived up to its name. Basil is not inherently spicy, but in Thai cuisine 'basil' dishes always come with generous portions of chilli. I loved the savoury flavour of the meat and beans, but eating this was a struggle for me because of the spice, even as I drained every spoon I took of the gravy. Great news for spice lovers.
Stir fried kang kong Thai style $6 - We thought we could try something different from the standard sambal kang kong you normally encounter in neighbourhood coffee shops. The kang kong was cooked with chilli padi - if I'm not wrong - so it was still spicy, but in a subtle way that crept up to my tongue. I loved that it still held a crunch to it; cooked for the right duration and not too long.
Deep fried red fish with Thai chilli sauce $12 -This was my favourite out of all we ordered. I love fish and I normally opt for healthier cooking methods, but I cannot resist Thai deep fried fish. The savoury crisp on the outside and hot tender meat on the inside makes this dish a winner. The generous serving of Thai chilli atop the fish was like icing on the cake. It means you could spear a chunk of fragrant fish and sink it into a pool of sauce to drench the whole chunk in sauce. Thai chilli is slightly sweet, which makes it one of my favourite sauces, but again, this sauce was slightly too spicy for me. I'm fairly certain I could eat one whole plate on my own still.
Honey chicken rice $6 - Before I begin, let me just add a disclaimer that I am not inclined towards food that is battered, deep fried, and bite-sized. It could be for this reason that I was disappointed with this dish, and others may disagree. I found the batter too thick and the meat too little, though the honey coating was delish. As of now, I still prefer the honey chicken rice in Thai Express.
Phad Thai noodles $5 - One of Thailand's most popular signature dishes, Phad Thai here is a must-try (hey that rhymes). The soft flat noodles are stir-fried with prawns, beansprouts, and spring onions, and served with a scattering of peanuts and chilli flakes at the side for optional mixing - encompassing the whole spectrum of taste and texture (soft, crunchy, chewy) in gastronomy. The key factor (in my opinion) for good Phad Thai is the moisture and flavour of the noodles, and I was happy with Nakhon Kitchen's.
Tom yam soup (clear base) with chicken $6 - Another one of their signature dishes, the tom yam soup here is also highly recommended. It has the right combination of sourness and spiciness, and comes with an amazing amount of meat, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Hooray for wholesomeness!
Thai iced tea $3 - This is good, so says my friend who drinks Thai iced tea more often than I do. It's worth a try, but my palette disagrees with the sticky-sweet aftertaste of this drink.
Nakhon Kitchen
27A Lorong Liput Holland Village Singapore 277738
Tel: (65) 6469 6862
Daily: 12 - 3pm, 5:30 - 10pm
136 Bedok North Avenue 3 #01-166 Singapore 460136 Tel: (65) 6245 5548 Daily: 12 - 3pm, 5:30 - 10pm
212 Hougang Street 21 #01-341 Singapore 530212 Tel: (65) 6286 8785 Daily: 12 - 3pm, 5:30 - 10pm
