Northern Thai Restaurant 泰北 (Peace Centre)

Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4

I still remember my first visit to Northern Thai Restaurant 泰北 in 2011. Back then, this eatery was located in a coffeeshop along Tyrwhitt Road at Jalan Besar area and everyone at this coffeeshop was patronising this stall. I wanted to visit the eatery a couple of years back, but got to know that it shifted out from Tyrwhitt Road to Upper Paya Lebar Road. Hence, I was surprised to find see this stall at Peace Centre when I walked past it recently.

Northern Thai Restaurant is now located at level 1 of Peace Centre. It is located together with Isle Cafe. As its name suggest, the eatery serves Northern Thai cuisine.

The menu is pasted on the facade. Generally, they now focus on offering a fewer variety of dishes due to the difficulty in getting manpower. They no longer sell dishes such as Stewed Pork Leg, Spring Rolls and Fried Kang Kong.

Phad Thai $3.80 and Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4

I visited the stall on several occasions to try their food. During the first occasion, I ordered their Phad Thai $3.80 and Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4.

Phad Thai $3.80

The Phad Thai which is the Thai version of fried kway teow cost $3.80. It was fried with egg, beansprouts and prawns, and served with grounded peanut, chilli powder and lime. They were generous with the ingredients and this is a relatively cheap plate of Phad Thai as a similar portion elsewhere (e.g. other thai eateries - note not restaurant) would have easily cost $5.50.

While this plate of Phad Thai was quite well fried and decent in terms of taste, if I may compare, it lacks the taste (wok hei) and fragrant of the Phad Thai at Ah Loy Thai. However, for $3.80, I should not be complaining too much as its so value for money.

Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4

I remember that this is one of their signature dishes - Northern Thai Special Tom Yam Soup $4. This was quite a unique bowl of tom yam soup. It was cloudy and orangey in appearance and was served with fish slices. The fried fish soaked up all the essence of the soup!

Phad Hoon Sen $3.80

On another occasion I had the Phad Hoon Sen $3.80 and Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4. Both were quite well executed.

The Phad Hoon Sen $3.80 is a Thai stirred fried glass noodles dish. This is a dish that is not easy to execute and fire control is essential to ensure that the glass noodles are cooked to the right texture and not overcooked. This was delicious as taste wise, it was just nice and cooked just right too. The plus point was that it was not oily at all.

Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4

The Traditional Clear Tom Yam Soup $4 was not bad. Just that I found it a tad too sour. Could have been a little more spicy. 

Generally, the food here was not bad. Price wise, it was so value for money. During lunch time, it can be quite crowded and hard to get seats. If you intend to come on a Saturday, do give them a call as some of their popular items could be sold out as early as 1pm.

Northern Thai Restaurant 泰北 (Peace Centre)
#01-46 Peace Centre
1 Sophia Road
Singapore 228149
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm (or sold out)
                          Closed on Sun and PH
Tel: +65 9851 6386
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BaaMee Bangkok (Jalan Besar)

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

BaaMee Bangkok located in Jalan Besar along Syed Alwi Road opened in late 2014. It seems to be the only stall (besides the drink stall) in operation at that coffeeshop. Hence, there would be plenty seats available.

BaaMee Bangkok's menu is limited with just 6 dishes on the menu. The more prominent dishes are theThai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5 and Kaa Moo (Stewed Pig Trotters) $6.

 It seems that the food at the stall is dished by a Thai chef.

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

 I ordered the Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5.

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

 It was beautifully plated on a flowery bowl and served with a bowl of wantons and wanton soup.

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. This Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) was incredibly fiery (spicy). The addition of the chilli & pepper powder, garlic infused oil, pork lard, peanuts and garlic sauce lead to a complexity of taste. I was wondering why I did not find it very spicy. The spiciness set in half an hour after my meal, when I felt my stomach burning.

Although the slices of Char Siew was a little on the dry end, they were still tasty. As for the egg noodles which looked dry, they were surprisingly springy and tasty when well mixed.  

Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) $5

The wantons provided was bigger and plumper compared to other stalls. 

This bowl of Thai Tom Yum Baa Mee (Wanton Mee) was beyond my expectation in terms of taste. It was just so delicious and addictive. I had wanted to rate this as a must try. But on my second visit, I felt that the standard had dropped (or was inconsistent). Found out much later that they had opened another branch in Toa Payoh Central. I hope that the standard and taste is not compromised by this expansion as this could eventually hurt their business even at their main outlet.

BaaMee Bangkok (Jalan Besar)

45 Syed Alwi Road

Singapore 207636

Tel: +65 9636 0048

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 11am to 9pm

                           Closed on Mon

BaaMee Bangkok (Toa Payoh)

Blk 177, Toa Payoh Central 

Opening Hours: Tue to Sun 8am - 330pm 

                           Closed on Monday

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Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee 十九街雲吞麵 (Ang Mo Kio)

Thai Wanton Mee $3.50

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee 十九街雲吞麵 is a Thai style wanton mee stall that opened 2 years ago in Ang Mo Kio. If just seeing/hearing the name makes you think of the Bangkok's Saeb X2 Wonton Noodles, then you must be a foodie! The address of Saeb X2 is also Soi 19! 

According to makansutra, the owner of this stall is a Singaporean called Mr Ng Sing Chow who learnt how to cook Thai style wanton mee in Thailand. This stall in Singapore is not related to Saeb X2. 

The minimum order is $3.50 and customers have a choice to upsize, going up to $5. I have tried visiting this stall on a previous occasion, but the queue was just way too long (at least 15 to 20 people long). I was lucky on my second time when I visited on Sunday at 2pm. The queue was just 5 person long. 

Thai Wanton Mee $3.50

After waiting a good 15 minutes, we received our order. The Thai Wanton Mee was served with a bowl with 2 wantons. Customers can help themselves to the condiments such as dry chilli flakes, sugar, green chilli and fried pork lard.

Thai Wanton Mee $3.50

The bowl of Thai Wanton Mee consisted of egg noodle, vegetables, char siew, fried wanton and was topped with spring onions. Unlike our local style wanton mee, the Thai Wanton Mee was not accompanied with any sauce. Although it seems dry, once you mix this up, you would actually taste and find out that each strand of egg noodles was well 'oiled' with the pork lard fragrance. Although the egg noodles coupled with the pork lard oil tasted wonderful, it was a tad too oily for my liking. The other ingredients such as char siew, fried wanton and vegetables were really just average. 

Thai Wanton Mee $3.50

The soup with a little sweetish and salty. The two wantons in it did not wow me. 

Thai Wanton Mee $4

I bought back a packet of Thai Wanton Mee $4 for my family to try. 

From what I remember of my experience at SaebX2, the wanton mee at Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee tasted better. However, I would not queue for too long for this and would certainly prefer for it to be less oily. Do note the that this stall is only open from Thursday to Sunday from 730am to 3pm.  

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee 十九街雲吞麵 (Ang Mo Kio)

Blk 151 Coffeeshop, Ang Mo Kio Ave 5

Singapore 560151

Tel: 9613 3340

Opening Hours: Thurs to Sun 730am - 3pm

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Luk Chup and Pratunam Morning Market (Thailand, Bangkok)

Ironically, we were at the Pratunam Morning Market shopping for clothes when we spotted a cart selling Luk Chup. Let's start off with the Pratunam Morning Market first shall we? It deserves some air time.

 Pratunam Morning Market (in front of Baiyoke Sky Hotel)

The Pratunam Morning Market opens in the wee hours of the morning from 4am to 9am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (I am not sure if they open on other days). No I am not joking, they really open at such hours! This morning market consisting of makeshift stalls is located just in front of Baiyoke Sky Hotel stretching all the way to Ratchaprarop road and Indra Sqaure.

Pratunam Morning Market (in front of Baiyoke Sky Hotel)

Many tourists and locals would wake up early and visit this morning market because the clothes are fashionable! In addition, it is a wholesales market and the clothes are incredibly cheap! To get wholesales prices, customers would normally need to purchase 3 or more pieces of clothes from the same stall. It has been said that stall owners in other markets and platinum mall would purchase their clothes from this market. It may be true to a certain extent as we saw many locals purchasing and wheeling away cartons of clothes.

Pratunam Morning Market

We were pleasantly to find a Luk Chup stall in the Pratunam Morning Market. It is difficult to describe the location, please refer to the map below instead. With its bright, attractive and colourful products, this stall stood out among the other stalls.

Lup Chup is a Thai minature fruit shaped dessert made of mung bean, sugar and coconut milk, and kneaded into these cute little fruits. It is then painted in various colours using natural colours (I hope) and dipped in clear gelatin resulting in its glossy and bright exterior. Look at the variety of Lup Chup available. They were in the shape of carrots, chillies, cherries, mangosteens, oranges, mangoes, bananas, watermelon, pears, corns and more!

Luk Chup - 15 pieces for 20 Baht (S$0.83)

At 15 pieces for 20 Baht (S$0.83), these Luk Chup were so much cheaper than those found in the shopping centres. The Lup Chup tasted the same even if a different shape was chose. They are sweet and fragrant. Very addictive dessert / snack. If you are in Thailand, the Lup Chup is a must try!

Luk Chup and Pratunam Morning Market (Thailand, Bangkok)
Near Baiyoke Sky Hotel

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Rocking Doll at Asiatique (Thailand, Bangkok)

We went to Asiatique to catch the Calypso Cabaret Show (show by lady boys) and were looking for a place for dinner. A quick observation was that the food at Asiatique was generally more expensive which was expected as it was a tourist attraction. 

As we walked around, we noticed that there was an eatery called "Rocking Doll" which exceptionally crowded compared to the rest. In fact, it was full. Naturally, our instinct was to join in and give this a try.

Rocking Doll was a small eatery with limited seating capacity. The seats and tables were cramped side by side. To get to the seats in the centre, you would need to 'jostle' your way through with numerous "excuse me". In addition, if you have a shopping bags, you would need to either put them down on the floor or carry it on your lap while eating. Despite all these, this was easily the most crowded eatery with the most people queuing.

Rocking Doll serves Thai cuisine. It's menu came with both Thai and English languages with pictures of the item and prices clearly stated. After deciding what to order, you would need to approach the very young lady (but capable) at the counter (in the picture above) to place your order and make payment. Surprisingly, the young  lady was the most important person. She was the one who ensured that you receive the right change and the right order. She was like a lady boss. She stood at that position with the cash register behind her and did not move away from it. Even when she spotted customers requiring assistance, she would direct someone else to that particular group of customers. 

The seafood and meat were all displayed clearly displayed on a bed of ice.

Tom Yum Shrimps 180 Baht (S$7.50)

As the eatery was packed, we had to wait a fair bit before our food was served. The Tom Yum (Yam) Shrimps 180 Baht (S$7.50) was average with a good balance in flavour.

Sauteed Chinese Watercress with Crispy Pork 100 Baht (S$4.20)

The Sauteed Chinese Watercress with Crispy Pork 100 Baht (S$4.20) was surprisingly good. The vegetables were well fried and very tasty with a hint of spiciness. Although the pork was not crispy as its name suggested and the dish could have been less oily, it was well-worth the calories. Sinful but delicious.

Phad Thai with Shrimps 75 Baht (S$3.10)

We thought that the Phad Thai with Shrimps 75 Baht (S$3.10) would be the best dish. But well, we were wrong. The Phad Thai did not leave an impression and was mediocre.

Stir Fried Noodle with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10)

The Stir Fried Noodle with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10) fared better. It was very well fried with smoky wok-hei infused in it. In addition, preserved radish (chye poh) was added in it such each mouthful was flavourful and addictive. It was would have been perfect if it was a tad less oily.

Fried Rice with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10)

The Fried Rice with Seafood 75 Baht (S$3.10) was delicious. We ordered another plate after tasting it. The rice grains were soft and each rain was well coated with immense wok hei flavour with smoky aroma.

You may have noticed that there were prawns and squids in four out of the five dishes we ordered. The prawns and squids were fresh and nicely cooked. But there was just too much prawns and squids such that we had difficulty finishing them (like that also complain... hard to please! =P ).

Overall, the food served at Rocking Doll was not bad. Price wise, it was cheap compared to the other stalls. As for whether this is the best eatery in Asiatique? That I do not know. Service wise, there was no service lah, after all there's no service tax and this is not a restaurant. Do note the environment and ambience was not exactly ideal. Squeezy, crowded, narrow walking space and noisy would be the right description. With this, you can make a better informed choice based on your own preferences on whether to eat here or not.

Beverage Stall

While dining at Rocking Doll, we bought a few cups of Thai Traditional Ice Milk Tea from the Beverage Stall nearby. The Beverage Stall was actually located just 1 unit away from Rocking Doll. You can see Rocking Doll in the background of the above photo.

Thai Traditional Ice Milk Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25)

The Thai Traditional Ice Milk Tea 30 Baht (S$1.25) was one of the better ones we drank. It was fragrant and aromatic.

Rocking Doll at Asiatique (Thailand, Bangkok)
Asiatique The Riverfront (Warehouse 6)
2194 Charoen Krung Road, Wat Phraya Krai
Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok 10120, Thailand

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Ban Khun Mae Restaurant at Siam Square (Thailand, Bangkok)

Ban Khun Mae located at Siam Square is just across the road (Zebra Crossing. Yes, they do have Zebra Crossings in Bangkok!) from Mango Tango. It is also located less than 5 minutes away from Hotel Novotel.

Ban Khun Mae when translated into English Language means "my mother’s kitchen". The restaurant opened for business in 1998 serving authentic Thai food has impressed many locals and foreigners. On its website, it claimed that the food it serves is made from secret recipes passed down from generation to generation. We visited the restaurant on a weekday for lunch.

The restaurant dimly lighted was clean, rustic with its timbre furnishing and Thai theme decorations (ornaments and paintings). 

Their timbre chairs were huge and heavy! Had a little struggle trying to shift it inwards. 

Menu

Ban Khun Mae's menu was in both Thai and English languages with prices clearly stated. 

Deep Fried Marinated Chicken Wrapped with Pandan Leaf 120 Baht (S$5)

Deep Fried Marinated Chicken Wrapped with Pandan Leaf 120 Baht (S$5)

The Deep Fried Marinated Chicken Wrapped with Pandan Leaf 120 Baht (S$5) served with sweet dipping sauce was superb. The chicken was well fried. Each piece was fragrant and incredibly tender and succulent. 

Green Curry Chicken 120 Baht (S$5)

Green Curry Chicken 120 Baht (S$5)

The Green Curry Chicken 120 Baht (S$5) was also top notch. It was creamy and had an appetising aroma and unique flavour. It had the right balance of sweetness and mild spiciness which hits the right spot making it a perfect combination with plain rice.  

Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles 280 Baht (S$11.67)

The most expensive dish which we ordered was the Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles 280 Baht (S$11.67). The prawns were all underneath the grass noodles. 

Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles 280 Baht (S$11.67)

Look at big the prawns are. The prawns were very fresh and the meat was firm. The glass noodles were pretty ordinary. Although the glass noodles were moist and springy, they were just way too peppery such that we could not detect any other flavours.. T&K Seafood's version was much better.

Every evening, there would be live entertainment / performance at the restaurant and that's the period when the restaurant would be most crowded. Although the Baked Prawn with Glass Noodles was a disappointment, the other two dishes were real good. Price wise, it was quite value for money for the quality of food. As for service, it could be improved. Sometimes, it could be hard to get the attention of the staff.  

Ban Khun Mae Restaurant at Siam Square (Thailand, Bangkok)

458/6-9 Siam Square Soi 8

Rama 1 Road

Patumwan District, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Tel. 66 2250 19523

Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 11pm

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