Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Thai restaurants are a dime a dozen in Singapore these days, so it’s pretty hard to stand out. TOMYUM MAMA caught my eye purely because of my love for the famous instant noodles.
The newly-revamped eatery is hidden in Upper Thomson and now boasts creative murals on the walls. The friendly atmosphere is perfect for enjoying affordable Thai dishes that feature authentic recipes from the 1970s.
We started our meal off right by ordering recommended drinks including Thai Iced Green Milk Tea ($2.90) and Thai Milk Tea Float ($4.90). I really enjoyed the Green Milk Tea which actually tasted a bit like bandung.
The Thai Milk Tea Float was thankfully not too sweet, and the addition of a scoop of vanilla ice cream made it even more creamy and delicious.
The star dish of the restaurant is the Signature Claypot TOMYUM MAMA ($12.90), which uses the popular Thai instant noodles as the base. Served in an actual claypot, the dish is best enjoyed while hot and is filled with fresh ingredients including prawns, clams, squid and pork.
You can even customise the ‘spice’ and ‘sour’ levels and choose from level one to three.
This may look spicy but we actually had a mild and more sour broth. The MAMA flavours that I know and love came through, and the portion size could feed two people.
Get this to share and order some of the other authentic Thai dishes to try. This signature dish was truly an elevated version of my go-to comfort food.
One of the dishes that really surprised us in terms of flavour was the Isan Spicy Crab Claw Meat Fried Rice ($9.90). This is definitely not your average plate of fried rice — the portion was loaded with a generous amount of actual crab meat (thankfully not crab sticks!).
The rice was spicy and not too greasy, once again making for a great dish to share or to even just have on its own.
We were told that we HAD to try the Moo Ping (3 sticks, $5.90), which is essentially BBQ Pork Skewers served with a sweet chilli dip.
The meat tasted like bak kwa, so what’s not to love? It was well-charred and with a caramelised exterior that covered the tender meat.
The Homemade Prawn Cakes (2 pcs, $5.90) appeared rather simple when served, but don’t be fooled; this was one of the highlights of the meal. Perfectly seasoned and made using actual prawns, the crispy side dish was extra delicious when dipped in sweet chilli sauce.
TOMYUM MAMA is a celebration of authentic Thai flavours and even just the signature claypot noodles make it worth a visit. Do check out the Set Lunches ($7.90 nett) that the restaurant offers as well, from Monday to Friday, 12pm – 3pm.
If you’re a student, the set lunch prices go on all day! MAMA noodles fans, you need to check this place out.
Expected damage: $8 – $20 per person
