Tasty Thai food at a shiny new location.
Keen on Thai food? I know I am. I love the heat, the spice, the lemongrass and the fresh vegetables and fish. If you feel the same way that I do, you may be familiar with a little place called Rochor Thai. If you are not familiar, let me tell you a little bit about it.
First things first, Rochor Thai has left their previous home over on Joo Chiat road and are now located on a shiny new block of mainly under construction store fronts at Novena Regency, just off of Thompson Road. Secondly, Rochor Thai is a place that serves classic, straight forward, quality Thai cuisine at an affordable price.
The interior of the space is extremely bright and cheery with a bold orange and red color palate and pops of black accents. You can tell the space is brand new and put together with care. The overall atmosphere is relaxed and casual, yet very upbeat and welcoming.
As I was the first person in the restaurant during the lunch hour, I was expecting a low key vibe reminiscent of a newly opened restaurant. However, soon thereafter legions of Rocher Thai fans poured in the space and quickly filled the small tables and row of chairs lining the bar – surely a good sign for what was to come.
In true Thai fashion, we kicked things off with an Thai Iced Milk Tea ($5.80). This drink was as good as it was pretty to look at. The taste was exactly what one would expect in the classic Thai drink – cold, slightly creamy and with a strong tea flavor. It was the prefect accompaniment to the hot and spicy dishes and Singaporean heart outside.
Cabbage with Fish Sauce Salad ($8.00) is served steaming hot and made with Beijing round cabbage, garlic, fish sauce and a touch of sugar. Although cooked hot, the vegetables were still crisp and fresh making for an enjoyable vegetable side or starter.
The Drunkard’s Prawns ($18.00). According to the menu, the dish gets its name from the legend of a man eating this dish and then waking up from his drunken stupor because it was so good. Based on appearances I expected my bite to be spicy, but in fact the sauce had a very sweet taste. The prawns were large in size and the sauce had an enjoyable mixture of flavors.
Grilled Iberico Pork Collar ($19.00) uses meat hailing all the way from Spain. The side sauce and dusting of fermented rice gave the meat a nice salty flavor. The pork collar was not the most tender cut of meat I’ve ever had, but the execution of the dish had an overall nice balance of salt and spice.
Another popular dish at Rochor Thai is the Orange Curry Fish ($19.00). The dish is served piping hot in a ceramic pot filled with a sweet and sour broth, fresh vegetables and large chunks of fall-apart battered barramundi fish and an acacia omelet.
Fish and accompaniments aside, I would have been satisfied with the spicy broth alone. This is a dish I highly recommend trying while at Rochor Thai.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the freshness, flavors and execution of the classic Thai dishes. Rochor Thai is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but focuses on perfecting the Thai dishes at hand. I suggest stopping in for casual, yummy, traditional Thai dishes that will leave you full and satisfied.
Expected Damage: $24 – / $32 per pax
