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
Facebook

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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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Black Canyon Coffee at Indra Square (Thailand, Bangkok)

Black Canyon Coffee is a well-known Thai restaurant chain incorporated in 1993 in Thailand. The restaurant chain specialises in more than just coffee. Besides offering a variety of coffee such as espresso, cappuccino, mocha and latte, Black Canyon Coffee also serves food (ranging from Thai to Western cuisines), sandwiches, desserts (ice cream) and other drinks.

Today, Black Canyon Coffee is a leading global coffee and foods restaurant chain with more than 240 branches in Thailand. In Thailand, it is the largest operator and serves more than one million cups of coffee annually. In addition, it has 45 branches in 8 countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Laos and Philippines). In Singapore, Black Canyon Coffee is located at Fusionopolis at Connexis Tower. 

Black Canyon Coffee is virtually everywhere in Bangkok, in nearly every shopping malls. Everywhere you go, you are likely to see it. We visited its outlet at Indra Square, which is near our hotel; Baiyoke Boutique Hotel for breakfast. Black Canyon Coffee at Indra Square is located just next to KFC and is open 24 hours daily!

Hot Mocha 70 Baht (S$2.92)

At Black Canyon Coffee, one cannot leave this place without trying their coffee. Its tagline is "Black Canyon Coffee: A drink from paradise... avaliable on Earth".

The Hot Mocha 70 Baht (S$2.92) a classic chocolaty espresso with hot milk was served with alphabet shaped biscuits.

Cappuccino 70 Baht (S$2.92)

The Cappuccino 70 Baht (S$2.92) was also served with alphabet shaped biscuits.

Mocha Choc Chip Frappe 80 Baht (S$3.33)

The Mocha Choc Chip Frappe 80 Baht (S$3.33) was one our favourite. It was sweet with a distinctive coffee aroma and flavour and the chocolate chips made it so addictive and at the same time gave a different texture.

Ham and Cheese Supreme Sandwich 95 Baht (S$3.96)

As this was for breakfast, we ordered some sandwiches to share. The Ham and Cheese Supreme Sandwich 95 Baht (S$3.96) was served with fries. It was a pretty decent sandwich which was hard to go wrong as long as the ingredients were fresh. The sandwich was also toasted slightly such that it had a crisp exterior while the interior was soft and warm. I thought that they executed this sandwich well, even thought it seems to be something simple. The fries were ordinary.

American Club Sandwich 125 Baht (S$5.21)

We also ordered an American Club Sandwich 125 Baht (S$5.21) which was recommended on the menu to share. This sandwich was also served with fries.

American Club Sandwich 125 Baht (S$5.21)

The American Club Sandwich was not bad too. The vegetables (i.e. lettuce and tomatoes) used were fresh! This maybe quite a mouthful for some as there's 3 layers of bread in it.

Thai Style Fried Noodle with Prawn (Pad Thai) 97 Baht (S$4.04)

The staff highly recommended the Thai Style Fried Noodle with Prawn (Pad Thai) 97 Baht (S$4.04). Black Canyon Coffee was the winner of the Pad Thai World Championship back in 2009.

To be frank, the Phad Thai was disappointing. We had high expectations for this dish. The Phad Thai was too sweet and tangy, tasted as if too much tomato sauce or ketchup was added. We all agreed that it was not our cup of tea.

Stir Fried Noodles with Chicken (Kua Gai) 78 Baht (S$3.25)

The Stir Fried Noodles with Chicken (Kua Gai) 78 Baht (S$3.25) fared much better. The kway teow (wide flat rice noodles) was well fried, each piece was tasty and had a slight smokey aroma.

Well, as this is a restaurant chain, the prices charged for the food is considered reasonable. Food wise although the Phad Thai was disappointing, the rest of the food were decent. This may not be a die die must try restaurant, but its certainly worth a try if you do not know what to go for and would like to avoid street food.

We also visited Black Canyon Coffee located at the basement of Platinum Fashion Mall. If you need a break from all the shopping or caffeine, you know where to go.

Left to right: Blackpuccino Frappe 75 Baht (S$3.13), Black Canyon Frappe 75 Baht (S$3.13) 

We ordered Blackpuccino Frappe 75 Baht (S$3.13) and Black Canyon Frappe 75 Baht (S$3.13) and had them in takeaway cups so that we could drink and shop!

Ordering the Blackpuccino Frappe was a big mistake as it had a strong bitter after taste. On the other hand, the Black Canyon Frappe was a hit among us. It was refreshing. The aroma and richness of the coffee was unmistakable and had us longing for more of it.

Having tried their coffee on two occasions, I can now understand why they have so many outlets in Thailand! 

Black Canyon Coffee at Indra Square (Thailand, Bangkok)
1st floor of Indra Square (next to KFC)
120/126, Ratchaprarop Road
Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 686 0118
Open Hours: Daily 24 Hours
Website

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Shell To Fry at Platinum Fashion Mall Food Centre (Thailand, Bangkok)

Going to Bangkok, Thailand? Watch this space! With this post, it marks the start of a series of posts on what to eat / makan in Bangkok! If you are keen to know what to eat, what not to eat or what is a die die must try in Bangkok, this series of posts will be very helpful to you!  

As we stayed at Baiyoke Boutique Hotel, (naturally) Platinum Fashion Mall's Food Centre was the first place in Bangkok we stopped over for a quick late lunch. The mall was 10 minutes walk away from the hotel, provided that you do not get distracted or tempted by Pratunam Market or the many street stalls while walking to this mall. 

Platinum Fashion Mall

The Platinum Fashion Mall, a shopping haven place would most likely be on most foreigners' itinerary. It is Thailand largest wholesale and retail fashion mall with many shops selling clothes, accessories, bags and shoes at wholesale prices.

Platinum Fashion Mall Directory

The Food Centre (Food Court) is located at Zone 2, level 6 of Platinum Fashion Mall (as seen in the above directory) which is the same level as where the all the souvenirs are.

Place to purchase Coupon Card

Before you can purchase your meals, you would need to buy the Pre-loaded Card. You can decide on the value to purchase. If you have balanced unused money (value) left in the card, you can proceed to the counter to get a refund. 

The Food Court is huge with many stalls selling a wide variety of food. In addition, there are lots of seats and tables. Each table had a box of tissue on top of it. If only this concept (tissue box) can be replicated in Singapore.  The other incentives of visiting this food court was that it was clean and air-conditioned. 

The Stall P11 - Shell To Fry was one of the several stalls which was widely raved about. As its name suggest, the stall specialises in fr food such as Fried Oyster, Fried Mussel and Fried Noodle (including Pad Thai). This stall is conveniently located at the centre of the food centre. 

Prawns, oysters and mussels

This was one of the most popular stall in the food centre. Even though it was past 4pm, this was the stall with the longest queue (around 7 person) gathered in front of the stall. Some were waiting for their food while some were trying to order. It was quite chaotic ordering the food as there was no proper queue. 

Fried Oyster (Hoy Tod) 75 Baht (S$3.13)

Fried Oyster (Hoy Tod) 75 Baht (S$3.13)

The Fried Oyster (Hoy Tod) more commonly know as Fried Oyster Omelette was executed differently from what we taste in Singapore. The Fried Oyster Omelette instead of being in small pieces was served as a whole piece. It was crispy at the edges while the centre was soft accompanied with a generous amount of oysters. Underneath the egg mixture, there were lots of crunchy beansprouts. Sinfully addictive. If you are a fan of Fried Oyster Omelette, you should try this. 

Pad Thai with Prawn 75 Baht (S$3.13)

Pad Thai with Prawn 75 Baht (S$3.13)

The Pad (Phad) Thai with Prawn did not disappoint. It was quite well fried. The chilli flakes, crushed peanuts, sugar, spring onions and even beansprouts are placed near the counter to allow customers to add according to their preference. We added the chilli flakes and crushed peanuts, and mixed it with the Phad Thai. The Phad Thai was unique its ingredients included oyster and mussel. The Phad Thai was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it although the prawns were not fresh. 

Give this stall (Shell To Fry) and let me know if  you like the food. It is one of the best stall in Platinum Fashion Mall Food Centre

Shell To Fry at Platinum Fashion Mall Food Centre (Thailand, Bangkok)
Stall P11, Zone 2 Level 6  Platinum Fashion Mall Food Centre
222 (Pratunum) Petchaburi Road
Ratchathevee, Bangkok, Thailand
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 8pm

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Sawadee Thai Cuisine (Sembawang Road)

Sawadee Thai Cuisine is located along Jalan Legundi (opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre). In fact, it is just opposite Sembawang White Bee Hoon and next to Sum's Kitchen & Hong Kong Roasted Meat.

Pictures of celebrities and their latest promotion - Thai Style Steam Fish at $13.80 Nett (usual price $25). 

Quite and homely ambience.

Menu (a)

Menu (b)

Menu (c)

Sawadee Thai Cuisine Menu along with prices.

As there were not a lot of customers, we were served our food within 10 minutes of ordering.

Hot & Spicy Seafood Soup (Tom Yam Talay) $8

The Hot & Spicy Seafood Soup (Tom Yam Talay) was served in a claypot.

Hot & Spicy Seafood Soup (Tom Yum Talay) $8

The waitress served the Tom Yam Soup into small bowls. Nice gesture of good customer service.

The soup was clear, slightly cloudy and did not look spicy. It was not fiery red in colour nor was there any chilli oil. But upon tasting it, it was indeed spicy and sour with lemon-grass and galangal fragrant. Ingredients include prawns, fish and mushrooms. The prawns were firm and fresh! 

Pineapple Rice (Khao Ob Sup Pa Rot) $8

When this dish arrived, I was not convinced that it was the Pineapple Rice I ordered as it was different from the picture displayed in the menu. Had to ask the waitress twice to confirmed that it was Pineapple Rice. 

The Pineapple Rice (Khao Ob Sup Pa Rot) was fried with eggs and diced pineapples. After which, it was served with Pork Floss and Prawns. Prawns were again very fresh; bright pink and firm meat. There were very few pieces of diced pineapples, as a result the pineapple flavour was lacking. Despite that, I like this dish. It was well fried! It should be renamed fried rice =)

Rice Noodle Fried Thai Style with Seafood (Kuay Teow Phad Thai) $10

This is actually Phad Thai, Thai version of fried kway teow. It was fried with egg, bean sprouts, dried tuakwa and prawns. It was served with chilli powder, grounded peanut bits and lime. Tasty and fragrant dish. I suspect that they used salted fish and preserved vegetables as their ingredients too.

Pandan Chicken (Kai Hor Bai Toey) $7.50

After having tried the Pandan Chicken at Ah Loy Thai, I was determined to order it over here.

The Pandan Chicken cost $2.50 each. Sawadee's version had its chicken mixed with corn and spices wrapped in pandan leaves and deep fried. I was disappointed as it was not as tasty as I hope. The chicken was not well marinated and the pandan flavour was not infused in the chicken. '

Overall, Sawadee Thai Cuisine serves quite good Thai Cuisine items. Moreover, the items are quite affordable (other than pandan chicken). In terms of ambience, it is quiet and cozy. Suitable for gatherings when one has craving for Thai food.

*Edited on Apr 2014*
Sawadee Thai Cuisine (Bugis)
9, Tan Quee Lan Street #01-01
Singapore 188098
Tel: 6238 6833
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 230pm 
                                  6pm to 1030pm

Sawadee Thai Cuisine (Sembawang Road)
5 Jalan Legundi (opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre)
Tel: 6756 2369
Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 230pm
                                  530pm to 10pm

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