Jok Jok Mor: “Rice” To The Occasion With Singapore’s 1st Thai Claypot Porridge In Farrer Park

Ever tried traditional Thai claypot porridge?

Jok Jok Mor at Rangoon Road brings something new to the table. It’s a refreshing change from the usual mookata, pad thai and tom yum we are accustomed to.

The location is super convenient, as it’s only a five-minute walk from Farrer Park MRT.

Early bird or night owl, who cares? Porridge can be consumed at any time of the day.

Upon entering, we were greeted with a quirky arrangement of colourful license plates, neon signs and rattan baskets hanging from the ceiling.

Almost all the furniture, including the tableware, were imported from Thailand. What a way to have an authentic experience!

Doesn’t this cosy upper level look like the perfect hangout spot?

Ray, the owner, shared that he may potentially transform this space into a cocktail or bar area, so stay tuned.

Peer down at your fellow patrons, but don’t be a creep, obviously.

Ice-cold drinks to combat the merciless heat? Yes, please.

We got the ball rolling with mugs of Iced Lemongrass Pandan Tea (S$2.90), Thai Iced Tea (S$2.90), and Thai Iced Green Tea (S$2.90). They were mild and sweet, but otherwise pretty unremarkable.

You could go for a safe choice of Chang Beer (S$5.90), but you ought to give the exclusive Muay Thai Beer (S$8.90) a try. It was crisp and light, with a fruity finish that was right up my alley.

As always, beer goes hand in hand with all things deep-fried.

Ray prepared a tasting platter of the following items for us to try: juicy chunks of Crispy Pork Moo Krob (S$6.90) with crisp, crackly skin, Fried Sesame Chicken (S$6.90), and savoury Fried Turmeric Chicken Wings (S$6.90). The wings, in particular, were extremely well-seasoned.

We dipped almost every piece of chicken into the invigorating housemade Thai chilli sauce.

We would never have expected the chunky Otah Hor Mok (S$7.90) to be that spicy. The buzz of heat even lingered for a couple of minutes. Thank goodness for beer, am I right?

Ordering the mains is a simple three-step process. All you have to do is choose your Soup, Main and Topping Set. 

Regardless of which soup you opt for (with the exception of tom yum), you pay according to the topping sets.

First up was the coveted Tom Yum (additional S$2) Porridge with Seafood (S$14.90). I had high expectations for this — fresh river prawn, fish, mussels, squid, egg, and broccoli swimming in a sweet and sour broth.

The generous sprinkling of crunchy lard cubes did little to distract me from the mild spice. It tasted more like a trace of tom yum, which wasn’t satisfying enough for me.

On the bright side, we rectified the situation by simply adding in extra chilli. I suggest you do the same if you want that tom yum kick.

Mak Kum is an assam-based (tamarind) broth, developed locally at Jok Jok Mor. It was sweet and tangy, with a subtle herbal aftertaste, similar to that of Malaysian Klang bak kut teh.

We added on Mama instant noodles (additional S$1) and a Veggie set (S7.90). The enoki mushroom, oyster mushroom, carrots, sweet corn, and broccoli imparted a delicate freshness to the broth.

The springy noodles would’ve fared even better with tom yum broth.

Last but not least, the See Ew Kao (Thai Light Soy Sauce) Porridge was truly a dark horse.

It went wonderfully with the Pork set (S$8.90); the pork ribs, minced pork, pork balls, egg, and crunchy radish made for a hearty all-in-one meal.

This is a wholesome bowl of comfort for a sluggish afternoon.

Although the porridge itself had a smooth mouthfeel, it was still slightly chunkier than Cantonese-style congee.

I must commend the hard-boiled eggs. Those soft, wobbly gold-hued yolks were marvellous.

Can’t be bothered with individual portions? Larger groups can opt for the Seafood Special (S$59) or All-in-One Special (S$49) sets.

Ray’s efforts to create an authentic space offering honest-to-goodness Thai cuisine have certainly paid off.

Thai cuisine purists may not agree with the flavours and spice levels that have been tweaked to suit local palates, but let’s not nitpick.

Jok Jok Mor is something different, and for that I am thankful.

Expected Damage: S$15 – S$20 per pax