AROI MAK

Returned to Kra Pow as I was around the area; the last time I visited the Drunkard Pork Noodles set an impression, and I decided to try something different yet forever familiar this time: Pad Thai ($9.90). As usual, I opted for chicken over prawn because I just can't with the latter. 😅

To be honest, it is a yummy plate of noodles but not particularly outstanding. Chicken tastes fresh and the dish isn't too salty with half a lime to squeeze for some kick of sourness, although I kind of feel you can get similar standards elsewhere with more affordable prices; I believe the Drunkard Noodles are still a better, more unique albeit saltier tasting (and mad spicy if you don't request for no chili) option to order here, although portion size might be slightly smaller than the Pad Thai.

Would love to know where you've had a stand-out plate of pad thai (in Singapore please) - feel free to share in the comments! 😁

I looooove Thai honey chicken but the Deep Fried Chicken with Honey Sauce ($6.80) did not impress for one simple reason: the texture of the chicken was inconsistent and some pieces were just too tough! 😵 Honestly, the sauce was tasty but the potential jaw breaking action was a major turn off.

That said, this was the only dish that I felt quite strongly about, everything else was pretty decent, such as the Deep Fried Pork Collar with Thai Chili Sauce ($7.50) which I thought was one of the better meats. Guess I can't complain about the price point either as majority of the dishes are less than $10, similar to Nakhon's price point. As if that's not enough, I used @entertainersg (read: not a sponsor) to enjoy 1-for-1 dishes on my mains here. 😁

Regardless of my experience, there was a dinner crowd so I am guessing this place is a pretty popular dinner spot, also like Nakhon, so don't head down too late, else happy waiting! 🤭

What I did not expect was a very affordable set lunch menu at Diandin Leluk for less than $10 that include a main dish of your choice (from a selection of dishes), a drink of choice, dessert and soup. 😱 Wasn't even sure if I was gonna make it through the meal but still went ahead with it anyway!

Ordered the Pad Thai that comes with Green Curry - an admittedly odd pairing because I'd think green curry is usually enjoyed with rice because it can get extremely jelat having it on its own, while pad thai itself is rather flavourful to have green curry doused over, or maybe that's just my preference - or lack of. 🤔

What I also did not expect: the pad thai was pretty sweet, not enough to be cloying in that aspect but definitely sweeter than any other I can recall trying. Take for example Nakhon's pad thai - I usually still mix in some sugar, so this is definitely another level of sweetness for pad thai for me! Portion is not huge, so that, to me, balanced out the sweetness factor. Chicken had a rather strong taste which made me question the freshness of it, although dishes like the basil chicken tasted perfectly alright.

The Green Curry was delicious at the beginning but I just could not force myself to stomach it to the very end - too much of an overkill in jelat-ness. 😂

For the drink, I ordered the Thai Green Milk Tea which I really liked for its sweetness, and the dessert was standard for all: Bobo Chacha, which is rich in flavour as well.

Nothing too fantastic overall, to be honest, but definitely a satisfying and super ideal lunch option if you are around the area and don't wish to break the bank for a filling meal!

Something you might not see at just any Thai eatery or restaurant in Singapore, this Drunkard Noodle with Pork ($7.50) from Kra Pow is surely an attention grabbing dish from its intriguing name...for me at least.

No alcohol content in the noodles, this dish uses broad kway teow noodles and is cooked with a light soy-like sauce and minced pork. It is believed to have its unique name due to people consuming it after drinking alcohol or while recovering from hangovers.

Like most unaltered Thai dishes, this is indeed very intense in spiciness, but that can be important as the dish can taste pretty salty the more you eat it less chili - I know because I ordered mine without any spiciness, yet there was still quite a mild kick from the pepper.

I suppose I still prefer my Phad Thai, but this shouldn't be skipped on especially if it is your first visit to Kra Pow. At its inexpensive price, this is a pretty satisfying dish that packs a pow to your taste buds. 👍

While it lacks any sauce like in our local rendition, the noodles are really fragrant and flavourful! However, the star of the dish is obviously none other than the glistening pieces of char siew, each with the perfect balance of tender meat and fatty goodness. Let's not get started on the colour as well. 🤤

Overall, this palatable dish surely hits all the right notes and is way worth the $3 to $5 price tag. Go for at least the $4 as you will get fried wanton that's crisp and yummy! 😋

If you are not already aware of April Bakery, they are a chain of pastry shops that originated in Thailand.

Other than their newly released vegetarian pies in Singapore, they have their classic sweet pies, with flavours such as Thai Milk Tea, Coconut, Taro, Pumpkin and the classic Custard. For just $2 each, the crust of each pie is similar to wife biscuits from Hong Kong, and if you are a fan of the mushy type of filling, you're gonna love this, and there's a generous load of that. I personally like the TMT flavour the most, followed by the Green Tea (not pictured), and I must say the taste of each flavour comes out rather strong. I also like that every flavour has a distinct appearance to it, thus making it easy to identify each flavour. 😊

You can get your hands on these pies at Tampines MRT, Raffles City and Chinatown Point.

Thank you @aprilbakerysg for the pies! ✌️

April's Bakery is a pastry shop that hails from Thailand.

It has opened 3 branches in Singapore, with its latest one at Chinatown Point, along with two others at Tampines MRT station and One Raffles Place. Adding to their range of pies are their vegetarian pies, namely the Mock Char Siew Pie and the Shitake Mushroom Pie ($3 each). I was a little held back before eating the former savoury pie, because I don't really know what mock meat tastes like. However, after taking a bite, I was surprised - it tastes like the real deal! Sure, there's a chewier texture to the mock char siew meat, but the flavour is pretty nice, somewhat like a char siew pau but instead encased within a thin and flaky crust.

The Shitake Mushroom pie is also not too bad itself. There's a slightly sweet flavour to it, and if you like mushrooms, you should have no issues with it. 👌

If savoury pies aren't your thing, you can go for the 'sweet' pies, such as matcha or Thai milk tea. 😊

Special thanks to @aprilbakerysg for the pies! 😁