Dee Tongue Thai by Rung Mama: Authentic Thai Food By Real Thai Cooks With Raving Reviews Hidden At Golden Mile Complex

When I was trawling through Bangkok in January to find the best eats in the area, I remember visiting bustling markets such as Rot Fai Market and Wang Lang Market. However, the eateries that struck the deepest impression were those located along the roadside, with metal chairs and tables, and Thai food cooked with love by real Thai locals.

And that’s when I heard about Dee Tongue Thai by Rung Mama, a Thai-owned and Thai-run restaurant in Golden Mile Complex. Since it’s been getting awesome online reviews for dishing out authentic Thai cuisine (just like good ‘ol Bangkok food), we decided to try it out.

While I’m no stranger to Golden Mile Complex, it took me a good 10 minutes to find Dee Tongue Thai.

It was situated on the second floor, away from the supermarket and mookata shops, and tucked away in a corner. I actually walked two rounds around the entire floor before finding the shop!

The seating area is split into two spaces.

The first, which was on the right and is where most of the cooking is done, was dimly lit and filled with blue plastic chairs. It instantly reminded me of Bangkok’s infamous makeshift roadside food stalls.

The second dining area, located on the left, was brighter, more spacious and had modern vibes with its wooden tables and chairs.

Just like authentic Thai restaurants, each table had its own stack of utensils and a tissue roll. However, condiments such as chilli sauce, ground peanuts, sugar and dried chilli flakes, are placed in plastic containers and shared amongst everyone.

The first order of business: to order some drinks while flipping through its extensive menu.

My dining companion and I ordered Iced Milk Tea (S$2) and Iced Milk Coffee (S$2). All it took was one sip from each drink for me to know that it tasted absolutely authentic, just like those you’d get from roadside hawkers or night market vendors.

Both the Iced Milk Tea and Iced Milk Coffee were fragrant and sweet. I personally preferred the Iced Milk Tea because I could taste the characteristic caramel-like richness of the condensed milk, which mellowed out the sharp astringency from the black tea.

The one staple dish that I’ll always order at Thai restaurants is Stir-Fried Pork with Basil Leaves and Rice (S$6), a.k.a. Kao Pad Kra Phrao Moo.

If you’d like your dish topped with a fried egg, it’ll cost you an extra S$1.

I was happy to note that the egg yolk was runny and soft while the egg white was firm. I ended up mixing the egg yolk into the rice, which gave each spoonful of rice and basil pork a silky texture.

When I first bit into the basil pork, my first impression was that it was incredibly sweet, like the chef had accidentally put too much sugar while cooking. However, after I continued eating, I noticed that the pork bits became quite salty and the taste of soya sauce became quite overpowering.

While the pork bits were springy, I would have liked for the minty basil taste to come through a little more. Honestly, it was a tad confusing for my tastebuds, because the taste of the basil pork went from sweet, to salty, to spicy and then finally to smoky.

The second staple I ordered is the Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Prawns (S$7/small, S$10/medium, S$15/large), a.k.a. Pad Thai.

The chefs deliberately left out the crushed peanuts and dried chilli flakes, so you can choose to add the amount you want from the shared condiments tray. This is especially great for people who don’t like or are allergic to peanuts!

I was surprised by how soggy the noodles were, as if it had been cooked too long or drenched in sauce when cooking.

However, I was quite impressed by how delicious it tasted. There was an initial sweetness from the tomato sauce, a strong wok hei taste, and a mild saltiness from fish sauce.

I really liked how generous Dee Tongue Thai was with its seafood. The prawns in my Pad Thai were not only huge, but they were sweet, firm and fresh as well.

I counted two to three large prawns in my Pad Thai (S$7/small), which was enough to leave me feeling satisfied.

The minute our Clear Tom Yum Seafood (S$15) came, I could smell the citrusy lemongrass, which immediately made my mouth water. I couldn’t wait to dig it!

This was easily my favourite dish out of the entire meal. The tom yum soup was surprisingly spicy, and the biting heat caught my dining companion and me off guard. We were coughing and reaching for our drinks.

After from the initial spiciness, I found the tom yum soup fragrant and appetising thanks to the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, with a tangy sweetness from the seafood.

I also ordered the Chicken Garlic & Pepper (S$12), a.k.a. Gai Tod Kra Tiem, which was a recommended dish on its menu.

Honestly, this dish left me feeling underwhelmed. The chicken bits weren’t crispy at all, not like deep-fried chicken, and the meat was dry, hard and thin.

I suppose this dish would go well with beer, especially if you just want something salty or savoury to munch on. The saving grace of this dish would be the fried smashed garlic, which was piquant, smoky and peppery.

While some dishes were underwhelming, such as the Chicken Garlic & Pepper and Stir-Fried Pork with Basil Leaves and Rice, I definitely found a few gems, like the Clear Tom Yum Seafood and Pad Thai.

There’s no doubt that this Thai-run establishment is authentically Thai through and through. Its menu had English and Thai translations for each dish, and its Thai servers were even crooning Thai songs while cleaning tables and serving food.

Considering Dee Tongue Thai has such an extensive menu, perhaps I’ll give the rest of its dishes a try the next time I’m back.

Expected Damage: S$6 – S$25 per pax