Not your usual pad thai th

Restaurants are widening the range of Thai flavours, with fusion dishes, regional specialities and even tingkat meals

- Tan Hsueh Yun

With travellers venturing beyond Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai on their holidays, Thai restaurants here have been upping their game in the flavour stakes.

Some go the fusion route, some serve regional Thai food, others serve everyday meals for people who want a more adventurous daily diet. Restaurants are also importing ingredients from Thailand, whether it is shallots and garlic or giant river prawns and fish sauce.

New restaurants looking to make an impression include Im Jai by Pun Im at Icon Village, serving set meals; Nampla at Marine Parade Central, offering tastes of south and central Thailand; Fourgather at Suntec City, with a kids' menu and pasta dishes with Thai flavours; and Jungle in Ann Siang Hill, which sources artisanal ingredients.

Restaurants that have been around for longer are also levelling up. Sawadee Thai Cuisine, which opened 24 years ago, reopened in January after spending $220,000 on renovations starting in late 2024. Head chef Suthasinee Deerob, 39, is from Si Sa Ket in northeastern Thailand and she has been introducing diners to flavours from her home town.

Singaporean owner Andrew Chew, 41, says the food in that part of Thailand is spicy and sour, with fermented ingredients and grilled meats featuring strongly.

The restaurant started out as a neighbourhood eatery in Sembawang with familiar dishes. When it relocated to Tan Quee Lan Street in Bugis in 2013, it went more upmarket, with ingredients such as Australian wagyu and Kurobuta pork from Japan.

About half the menu is new, and the restaurant is drilling down to details, importing ingredients such as shallots and garlic from Si Sa Ket.

Chef Suthasinee uses smoked snakehead fish from her home town for a new dish, Tom Khlong Soup ($14 a bowl), which is flavoured with lemongrass, tamarind and chilli.