Spicy Thai-Thai Cafe: North-Eastern Thai Food

I’m really glad for the variety of international cuisines which we can find in Singapore these days. The cafes, restaurants and other eateries will try their very best to make their dishes taste authentic yet localize to suit the taste buds of Singaporeans. So you don’t really have to travel all the way to Bangkok just to satisfy your Thai food cravings. And if you love spicy Thai street food like I do, you should check out this eatery called Spicy Thai-Thai Cafe which is located at Aljunied Ave 2.It is about 15 minutes walk from Aljunied MRT or Paya Lebar MRT. You can also opt for a bus ride which is exactly 2 stops away from Aljunied MRT.  It is accessible by public transport but you will still need to make a small walk from the bus-stop to the eatery itself which is near the Swimming Complex.

Spicy Thai-Thai Cafe specializes in Northeastern Thai cuisine which is slightly spicier than the usual Thai food fare. And if you are game for it, come on down to see whether you can take their spicy level. However, if you can’t take spicy food, you can request for the food to be less spicy. The folks there are pretty friendly and don’t worry, they wouldn’t stuff your throat down with chili padi.

Northeastern part of Thailand is also known as Isan province and it is in close proximity with Laos and Cambodia. The two staples of Isan cuisine is glutinous rice and chili peppers. Now we know why dishes are usually spicier than central Thai cuisine. Dishes like Som Tam or papaya salad is originated from Isan too.

They’ve got both indoor and outdoor seating area. It is definitely cooler to sit indoors as they have coolers and fans around but if you are having Mookata, it is best to sit right outside.It is more like a Zi Char or Chinese food stall which serves a range of dishes to be eaten with rice. Their menu is as thick as an ELLE magazine and in it, there’s a comprehensive list of Thai dishes. There’s just too many to choose from and mind you, there are still expanding their menu too!

Have you ever come across at 32-pages menu?

The portion size of each dish is perfect for about 3 to 4 people.  As compared to the usual Zi Char stalls, their servings are slightly smaller.

It’s a no-brainer for me when I saw that they offer wheatgrass under their beverage menu. It is a refreshing drink really helps to cool the body.

The first dish we tried was the deep fried kang kong. These kang kong are deep-fried with a layer of flour to make it every more crunchy and crispier. If you hate vegetables, you might like this for its texture and taste. It will make you forget about how much you hated eating greens.Thankfully, it is not too oily otherwise, my body might start to reject it. And it is an interesting way of preparing spinach.

You can’t miss out on eggs when you are eating Zi Char. This Chao Om or Thai Dill omelet has Thai Dill leaves in it just for that extra aroma and taste in the eggs. Thai Dill isn’t as fragrant as the usual dill you eat at western restaurants. It is lighter in taste and it goes really well with fried eggs.

Northeastern Thai Style Mango Salad with Fermented Fish & Crab  ($10)

If you wanted to try something more local and tradition to North-eastern Thai culture, you should try this Northeastern Thai Style Mango salad with fermented fish and crab.It smells so ‘fishy’ that you would want to try it for yourself to see what’s the hoo-ha about. Not everyone can take the high spicy factor of this salad. The flavors are intense and it’s sure to set your nerves on the alarm. I will be wide awake if I consume this at 3am.

This dish seems to be everyone’s favorite. The reason being is the sweetness of the soup which has all the seafood flavor from the clams mixed into it. Because the sauce is delicious, the bee hoon which is coated with the sauce tasted divine too.

My other favorite is their Tom Yum Soup which is so sour and spicy that it awakens my senses. I love the tanginess of the soup that really whets my appetite.

Another of their signature dish is the Hommok or Thai Style Otak which is contained in an empty coconut husk. It’s super spicy, thick and creamy. It is best eaten with some rice.

This is their new dish which consists of spinach noodles stir-fried with meatballs. It can be eaten alone as a dish and I wouldn’t mind having it for lunch. It is actually a common street food in Thailand.Maybe the emerald color of the noodles might not look very appetizing but it’s actually very delicious. The noodles are cooked to al-dente – almost like Italian pasta. Is this the so-called Thai version of pasta? I bet it is.

If you crave for more meat, there’s this BBQ Pork belly to satisfy your meat cravings.

The soup must be really piping hot that even the catfish starts to walk! It’s a funny name to call it!
It is quite generous as this fish is meaty. And the spicy lemon soup base is the bomb.

Want some seafood? You can get yourself a plate of BBQ squid. Generally, I find their BBQ dishes are not too bad. People living in the Northeastern part of Thailand likes to have their meat grilled.

For desserts, you got to try their tapioca in coconut milk which is served nice and warm. If you prefer something chilled, you can go for lemongrass jelly or their red ruby which is pretty similar to ice-kacang.These desserts would help bring down the fiery heat of spiciness trapped in your body.

And if you still don’t find the food spicy enough, you can bring up the heat with more chili sauces which are found at the tables.It is one of the better places to have a family dinner or friends gathering over some Thai food.

Do check out their website for more details.

Blk 115 Aljunied Avenue 2

#01-35

Singapore 380115

Tel : +65 6747 8558

Opens Daily from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.