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Thailand
Can’t make it for a trip to the Land of Smiles? Never fear, Im Thai Kitchen at Tampines Hub Hawker Centre is here for all your Thai food cravings.
Tucked away in the bustling Tampines Hub, Im Thai Kitchen serves all your yummy Thai favourites at an affordable price. Run by a Thai immigrant, Ms Car Toon (yup, that’s her real name), you can be sure the Thai food here is legit.
What I tried at Im Thai Kitchen
With any good Thai feast, we have to begin with a classic Pandan Chicken (S$7 for 5 pieces). You know the drill: these fragrant pieces of chicken are marinated and then deep-fried.
I tore open these green parcels to reveal tender and succulent pieces of chicken within. Dangerously addictive, you’ll be asking for seconds when you try these tasty morsels.
Another Thai staple you have to order IS the classic Tom Yum Goong. If you know your Tom Yum soup, you know there are two main variations. The Tom Yum Goong Nam Khon is creamier and thicker with the addition of coconut milk, while the Tom Yum Goong Nam Sai is a clear broth with seafood (my personal preference).
Naturally, I chose the Tom Yum Clear Soup (S$6). For only S$6, you get quite a generous serving of seafood, including two sizeable prawns and sweet clams.
The soup tasted clean and light with a familiar spicy kick. The lemongrass and galangal were quite prominent throughout the broth, bringing out that tangy goodness I loved. Fresh and sweet, the prawns and clams made every slurp taste even more satisfying than the last.
Ms Toon tells me that she is quite accommodating to her diners’ tastes. So if you can take the heat, by all means, let the staff know, and they will be more than happy to kick it up a notch.
Pots & Prawns: New authentic Thai seafood tanghoon that burnt my hand
Up next is Im Thai Kitchen’s pièce de résistance, the Steamed Sea Bass (S$24/28). This beauty was prepared with a blanket of glorious chilli, coriander, lime and garlic.
To ensure the freshness and quality of this dish, you have to order this dish one day in advance. That also means that this fish is as fresh as you can get. It comes in quite a substantial portion, so I suggest sharing this dish.
Given the quality of the previous dishes, I couldn’t wait to try this. In each mouthful, you get light herbaceous notes from the coriander, a good spicy touch from those fiery chillies and a citrusy punch from the bright-green limes.
Even though there seemed to be a copious amount of garnish, it didn’t overshadow nor did it overpower the sea bass. My dining companion is usually quite averse to fish, but she found the sea bass quite scrumptious indeed.
Still on the seafood train, Ms Car Toon recommended her Stir-Fried Prawns With Garlic (S$9/16). These were no ordinary prawns; these were tiger prawns, which, as you know, are much bigger and more flavourful.
Sweet and sticky, these prawns are worth getting your hands dirty. While they were not life-changing, I would say these prawns were pretty decent and made for a good addition to the meal.
When it comes to Thai favourites, I have to mention Phad Kra Pao Moo or your Phad Kra Pao Gai. Loosely translated, these are stir-fried minced pork and chicken with holy basil, respectively.
At Im Thai Kitchen, their Minced Meat with Hot Basil Leaf comes at S$5.50. You get a mound of steaming white rice, a gleaming fried egg and lip-smacking spicy pork or chicken.
I like the richness and fattiness that minced pork provides me, so I always go for stir-fried pork.
Simple and unapologetically Thai, I would gladly eat this hearty and satisfying plate for the rest of my life.
Final Thoughts
Besides our own local food, you have to admit we love our Thai food quite a bit, too. I’ve eaten my fair share of Thai food both in Thailand and in Singapore, and Im Thai Kitchen certainly does not disappoint.
If you want excellent Thai food without burning a hole in your wallet, head to Im Thai Kitchen.
Expected Damage: S$5.50 – S$24 per pax
