Ying Thai

Ying Thai is an establishment that may be still be considered as not quite as well-recognised to most in the F&B scene. Whilst they are not particularly new and have existed for quite some time now, not many may have known its roots of being the operator behind the Thai cuisine that was previously sharing a space with Thong Aik Coffee at the foot of the HDB block at Blk 78 Indus Road. They have since vacated their previous space at Blk 78 Indus Road, and have since moved into a stall within a coffeeshop at Blk 122 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3; the stall being housed in the same coffeeshop that has an outpost of Tanjong Rhu Wanton Noodle, as well as a stall named Clementi 308 Fried Chicken & Burger as well. Taking over the former premises of a now-defunct Japanese cuisine stall named Gohan Bento Set, Ying Thai now occupies a rather spacious stall that is located to the side of the coffeeshop — it offers quite a decent variety of Thai dishes that are mostly great for individual diners; think the likes of Tom Yum Soup Chicken/Seafood with Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork/Chicken/Seafood as well as Pad Thai and Thai Noodles Soup Pork/Beef. Ying Thai also offers a small variety of side dishes as well, such as that of Mango Salad, Prawn Cakes and Moo Ping; just to name a few.

Whilst we have had their Pad Thai and their Basil Rice Pork the previous time when we dropped by Ying Thai during their days at Thong Aik Coffee, we were really more intrigued by the Green Curry this time round considering how we have heard some nice things about the dish — we had also noted that the bulk of the folks ordering their food during its days at Thong Aik Coffee were also ordering their Green Curry as well. Available in different meat options such as that of chicken or beef here, it is also noted that Ying Thai also serves up a Prawn rendition of the Green Curry as well — we found ourselves going for the Green Curry Chicken eventually. Coming in a decently-sized bowl, the Green Curry Chicken came with a chock full of ingredient — think quite a good portion of strips of chicken, carrots, long beans, basil leaves and eggplant. Going straight for the Green Curry here, we really liked how balanced the Green Curry itself was — it’s sufficiently rich without being jelat; creamy yet aptly savoury without having to be too salty. The Green Curry could also be enjoyed by those who have lower tolerance to spiciness, but we also loved how the chicken chunks that came with it were particularly tender; the various greens included helped to provide a multitude of textures with varying levels of crunch and bite — all that whilst the basil leaves help to add that extra hint of fragrance to the dish. One could only imagine how good the green curry was especially when had with the plate of white rice that is served on the side — we found ourselves wiping out all the contents in the bowl and the plate in no time.

Having also gone for the Pad Thai during this visit to their relocated stall at Blk 122 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, it is noted that the Ying Thai has managed to maintain some sort of consistency with regards to the quality and execution of the food — the Pad Thai was everything that we remembered it to be; not too dry nor too wet, whilst carrying a good balance of tanginess against spiciness with a decent portion of seafood such as sotong and prawns. Now that we have also tried the Green Curry Chicken, we must say that Ying Thai does seem to be capable of churning out some really stellar Thai fare that would surpass the standards of most other Thai establishments of the same setting, or even that of standalone eateries serving up the same fare. Given how they are located within a coffeeshop, prices do seem pretty reasonable nonetheless — the prices of the mains ranging from $5.50 to $7. For those whom have tried them out before whilst they were located at Thong Aik Coffee, as well as those looking for some pretty solid but wallet-friendly Thai fare to go for in the neighbourhood — Ying Thai is that spot to visit!

From Ying Thai, which co-shares a space with Thong Aik Coffee which had also recently opened its doors just slightly before the Circuit Breaker at Blk 78 Indus Road.

While only Ying Thai’s offerings are available during dinner service with only a pretty limited variety of individually portioned dishes available, we left Ying Thai more impressed than our initial expectations before walking in.

The Basil Minced Pork with Rice may be a fairly standard Thai dish to most but the execution here makes it a winner — amidst that all familiar flavours of stir-fried minced pork in fish sauce that provides the popular Thai dish with its savoury note, there is a slight pepper-ish hint that binds the sauce together with the spiciness provided with the chili. That punch of spiciness, along with the pepper-ish notes gives the dish a punch even at “normal” spiciness level (there is also a Extra Spicy option that sounds exceptionally shiok), while the basil lends its signature aroma to provide the dish with its distinct flavour. Liked how the various ingredients are also seemingly well-portioned here to give enough bite and crunch for a variety of textures — absolutely delightful with the sauce going oh-so-well with the rice and providing it with ample flavour.

Noticed how everyone who did takeaways during our meal there have ordered their Tom Yum Soup with Rice (available in chicken and seafood) — probably something to try out the next time I end up here. A new kid on the block that’s definitely worth looking out for!