Celine Chiam | Singapore Lifestyle, Beauty and Travel Blogger: openricesg
[Invited tasting by Openrice and Baan Khun Nai]
Thailand cuisine is already making many appearances in the Singapore Food Scene, and I’m very pleasured to try out another hidden gem in the East courtesy to OpenRice.com. It was a small comfortable group size and we were served 9 dishes in total, satisfying my Thai food cravings ever since I came back from Bangkok. 
This time we’re here at Baan Khun Nai Authentic Thai Cuisine, to try out some of their well-known dishes like Tom Yum Soup and Green Curry Chicken. The chef comes from the Northern part of Thailand and thus the food served here are surely authentic!
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| Left: Iced Milk Tea Right: Iced Lemongrass |
I’m not a fan of lemongrass so no comments on this. My friend who ordered this enjoyed it quite a lot too. She claims that it wasn’t too sweet like how other restaurants would prepare.
For the Iced Milk Tea, it wasn’t awful but it wasn’t mind-blowing either. I could easily forget about the drink. It just doesn’t taste like those Iced Tea I tried in Thailand. Perhaps this version was much less sweeter than that of Thailand’s, unfortunately or fortunately, you decide.
Left: Iced Milk Tea | Right: Iced Lemongrass
Lychee Iced Tea
Halfway through the dinner, i ordered another drink to give it a try. And boy was I bought over by this Lychee Iced Tea. It gives a very fruity taste thanks to the real lychee placed in the drink. Then again, there was a slight tea bitterness in it, which perfects the drink in good balance.
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| Mango Salad S$7 |
To start off a sumptuous spread of dinner, we had the Mango Salad (S$7) that does nothing but triggers my hunger even more. The sourness in this dish was definitely the addictive factor. I love the toppings of cashew nuts to add a nutty flavor to the spicy and sour Mango Salad. Comes with cherry tomatoes, peanuts and topped with dried shrimps which added a crunch to it.
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| Mango Salad S$7 |
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| Glass Noodle Salad S8 |
Glass noodle salad (S$8), also known as the Thai Vermicelli Salad was another wonderfully prepared appetizer. In fact, it can easily act as a main considering the bountiful amount of seafood drowning the vermicelli under. All the seafood ingredients look so juicy and huge, I can’t stop drooling by looking at the photo.
Glass Noodle Salad comes with chicken chunks, juicy prawns and chewy cuttlefish, rested in a pool of chili lime dressing.
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| Tom Yum Soup S$8 |
Who doesn’t know about Tom Yum Soup (S$8)?
As usual, the soup comes with abundant seafood that fills the soup up to the brim. To my surprise, Baan Khun Nai’s version of Tom Yum Soup seems to be a little towards the sour side, rather than extreme spicy. But for those non-spicy taker, probably don’t try your luck with it because some of us managed to feel the spiciness after a few mouthfuls of delicious soup.
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| Tom Yum Soup S$8 |
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| Non Spicy Grilled Pork S$11 |
The Non-spicy Grilled Pork (S$11) certainly stole the limelight that night, especially when it was wiped out almost immediately upon serving. The specialty of this dish was none other than the Special Thai Sauce that was prepared by the Thai Chef herself.
Looks like the sauce was very meticulously prepared with Thailand herbs and spices, which the owner explained that they were imported from Thailand directly.
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| Non Spicy Grilled Pork S$11 |
Finally, my long awaited green curry.
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| Green Curry Chicken S$8 |
You might be laughing but this is my very first time I try Green curry (S$8). I was very skeptical about it because of the… color, sigh. All my friends were raving about how the green curry was addictive and palatable, and I must say I didn’t regret trying it! As for Baan Khun Nai’s version, I thought it was a little too creamy that resulted from the coconut milk. I’m not too sure if green curry is supposed to be that creamy, so I’ll leave the discretion up to you. Nonetheless, the first few spoonfuls were great before it gets to nauseous for me cos of the milkiness.
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| Olive Fried Rice S$8 |
The Olive Fried Rice (S$8) was nothing but fragrant. The fragrance that comes from the stir-fried olives caught many scooping spoonfuls of fried rice to their own plate. I like how the rice are prepared to a slight toughness. It wasn’t too soggy nor moist.
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| Claypot Tung Hoon with Prawn S$16 |
Another delectable dish was the Claypot Tung Hoon with prawns (S$16). The vermicelli has very much locked in the savoury taste from the soy sauce, giving it a brownish colour. Compared to the glass noodle salad, the vermicelli (Tung Hoon) is much softer and less crunchy, yet maintaining the moisture in it.
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| *Boing boing* |
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| Dry Curry Pork S$8 |
This dish was the culprit that left every diner that night guessing what meat was it – Pork, Chicken or Fish? Well of course, the guessing game was before we taste it ourselves.
All in all, I would say this is another favourite that night! The Dry Curry Pork (S$8) was incredibly tasty. It wasn’t too liquid and the pork very much locked in the curry flavor, impressing all the meat and curry lovers out there.
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| Thai Style Steamed Seabass (S$29) |
Calling out all fish lovers, the Thai Style Steamed Seabass (S$29) is for you!
The fish certainly taste fresh and not at all fishy. The Thailand sour and spicy sauce drizzled over it perfected the fish, adding an extra taste to the fish although it was good enough if served as a steamed fish by itself. 
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| Mango Sticky Rice S$6 |
And lastly, the dessert.
When we talk about dessert plus Thailand, we immediately think of Mango Sticky Rice.
The Mango Sticky Rice at Baan Khun Nai was served very differently. The Mangos are slightly chilled, while the rice are thoughtfully heated up to a comfortable warmness. Put a piece of both into your mouth and enjoy the marriage of both temperate and sweetness.
I would recommend Baan Khun Nai to you for the affordability and decent food quality. The ambience is alright because it’s situated along some shop houses and it stays away from the hustle and bustle of the city. However, the place is a little secluded so I have my reservation.
Food to try:
Glass Noodle Salad
Mango Salad
Claypot Tung Hoon Prawn
Non Spicy Grilled Pork
Mango Sticky Rice
Dry Curry Pork
Baan Khun Nai
The Odeon Katong, 11 East Coast Road #01-22, Katong 37844
6346 6247
Celine Chiam