It’s a good thing everyone knows Pornsak Prajakwit from his TV work, or else they might be tempted to head somewhere with a classier‑sounding name for dinner. Orchard Towers, perhaps. That would very much be their loss, as on the strength of PP’s latest venture, it won’t be long before you hear Jamie Oliver referred to as the English Pornsak. Styling itself as Sexy Thai Food, Porn’s strips classic dishes of all pretence, with the result that, more than once, we overheard fellow diners announce, “Ah, so this is what it’s supposed to taste like.” We were guilty of that ourselves, too, not least with the tom yum goong, which packed a powerful lemongrass punch, and whose clear, spicy broth reminded us that most food looks better when not drowning in a sea of artificial orange. The Thai green curry was similarly impressive; tender chicken strips (and plenty of them) in a rich but never overpowering gravy. But it was the very simplest dishes that really stood out: Stir‑fried kangkong sprawled across whole garlic cloves, with the barest hint of dried shrimp; a Pad Thai hor kai with done‑just‑right noodles encased in what alone could pass for a great omelet elsewhere; and fried stuffed chicken wings, with a minced meat, vermicelli and roasted chestnut filling which, though seeming strangely more appropriate for an English winter, had us shifting plates around the table in an attempt to make room for another order. We did so by rushing our drinks, which was a shame as both the lemongrass juice and the thai roselle and lime were nicely refreshing. The décor sticks to the same back‑to‑basics theme; from the white walls (and playful graffiti), to the glass roof that turns the back half of the restaurant into a kind of budget, though still‑rather‑enticing patio. Open barely a month, there are inevitably a few niggles still to be worked out, but everything here is done with such good grace (the wait staff even offered to move us to a bigger table just to accommodate our ever‑growing pile of dishes) that it’s hard to register a single serious complaint.
If you’re craving Thai curries, papaya salad or just stir-fried pad ka prao (basil leaves and minced pork), this list of what is arguably the best Thai restaurants in Singapore got you covered.
