“Basil leaves you clamouring for more”
The newly opened Kallang Wave Mall brings to us yet another batch of divine food choices, with Basil by Thai Express standing out prominently as a go-to destination for exceptional Thai food amidst the influx of different foodie haunts there.
The semi-industrialistic setting with a touch of green sets an inviting mood for patrons to dine-in and relax after a day of family fun. The cosy vibe is enhanced by not-too-harsh lighting, and it all comes together to provide one with a comfortable dining atmosphere for conversations and great food.
Papaya Salad ($9.90). As the starting appetiser, this proved to be quite a refreshing dish. The papaya slices were a good base for the citrusy zest blend of lime, tomato and nuts among others. It was a little spicy though, so it may not be too suitable for the young ones. But if you’re an avid fan of spicy food like me, you’re sure to love this dish. I felt the price was a little steep though, and wasn’t that justifiable.
Songkran Chicken Wings ($10.90). Part of their special Songkran menu this season, be sure to try their chicken wings. Inspired from the local dish of Chiang Mai, their chicken wings are one of the best I have tried.
Flavourful spices coat the crisp exterior of the wing, and each bite entails a subtly sweet yet savoury mouthful of tender, juicy flesh. Topped of with some basil leaves with a fragrance that lea(f)s you begging for more.
Stir-fried Phuket Bee Hoon with Tiger Prawns ($16.90). This dish wasn’t one that impressed me as much here at Basil. A tad on the salty side, the noodles seemed a little too wet for my liking, and tended to clump up together. But perhaps because we could’ve left it sitting for a little too long… The other dishes just seemed more impressive.
Thai-Style Salted Egg Calamari ($10.90). To me, this was just a pretty average dish, but still pretty delectable nonetheless. Fried calamari rings always seem to please, and what more, coated with the Singaporean favourite ingredient: salted egg yolk. This should definitely be for sharing though, as it may come off a little too heavy to some. I also felt the calamari rings could be fried just a tad more crispier for it to be perfect.
Nam Prik Ong ($8.90). One of the more uniquely impressive dishes here at Basil Thai Kitchen. It being a lesser known Thai comfort food from distant provinces, I don’t think any other Thai restaurants have brought this to Singapore, and well, I definitely urge you to try it out for yourself.
It baffles as well as saddens me to know what I have been missing out on so far, and boy am I glad Basil brought this dish here to Singapore. A tomato based minced meat dish, it proves to be comforting yet savoury, with a touch of spice. You definitely have to try it for yourself.
Grilled Beef Salad ($10.90). One of my favourite dishes from their menu so far. The grilled ribeye beef slices were semi-coated with roasted rice, bring out interesting textures to the mix. Tossed with chilli, basil leaves and lime dressing, it brought out zesty flavours with a tender bite of the beef, and was definitely well worth-it, with a generous portion of beef slices.
Fresh Prawn Omelette ($8.90). You have got to try this. An egg lover myself, I fell in love with the crispy fried layers of omelette sprinkled with a dash of bite-sized prawns. The egg was fluffy, but yet with enough bite to be substantially delicious. I would have preferred the diced prawns to be bigger though, but well, you can’t complain, the eggs itself stole the show.
Black Olive Fried Rice ($10.90). The fried rice had a fragrant wok aroma to it, distinctive to a good fried rice. The rice grains were pretty flavourful, and was consistent to every bite. With plump rice grains and its fragrant aroma, rice lovers will surely be delightly.
Mango Sticky Rice ($6.90). Yes, the classic Thai Dessert. Almost all Thai Restaurants here carry their own rendition of this dish, but can they always do it well? I guess Basil’s version was pretty good, but still bordering on average. Plus points to fresh mango and fragrant sticky rice, but not that amazing to leave you ordering more than a plate for dessert.
Homemade Lod Chong ($5.90). Basil prides themself on making the green slices you see here in-house, and kudos to them for taking the special effort to make it without artificial colouring and all that chemicals. Apart from that, the difference was pretty great, with the Lod Chong being softer and much chewier.
Overall, I really liked the food over at Basil, and I felt that it was much more of an upgrade to your usual Thai Express lunch. I would definitely recommend it for Thai food aficionados seeking out a good Thai restaurant, as their dishes presented were pretty uniquely delicious.
Expected Damage: $25 – $35 per pax
