Talk about authenticity – Thai food in a rustic coffee shop stall cooked up by a Thai chef. Does it get any better?
Somboon Thai Cuisine is located in a coffee shop in the Beo Crescent, in the same kopitiam as the busy No Name Beo Crescent Hainanese Curry Rice.
Do not mix this up with another Somboon Thai Restaurant at East Village, 430 Upper Changi Road though.
Look out for an eye-catching bright yellow signage carrying the name of the eatery. Also imprinted on it is the likeliness of the owner holding a ladle, so it should not be hard to miss.
Somboon is apparently the name of the owner-chef, who hails from the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand.
It is pretty much a one-man show, so be patient especially if the customer in front orders a lot.
What is served includes the eternal Thai classics, all at a very affordable price that one would expect from a neighbourhood eatery.
By yourself, grab the Thai-style Omelette Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice or Tom Yum Fried Rice.
I had the unassuming-looking Omelette Rice ($3.90) or “Khao Kai Jeow” which has rice wrapped up in a fluffy, slightly crispy envelope.
The basic dish starts with $3.90, but you can add chicken ($5.50) or prawns ($6.50) as the main protein for a heartier version.
Or else, Basil Rice ($5.50) never goes wrong. Choose from Tofu, Chicken, or Pork for this one. I appreciate the vegetarian choice of tofu, which is not a particularly common accommodation.
The portion size for the basil rice is quite generous for its price.
It comes with a spread of stir-fried meat that has pieces of long beans and chilli scattered throughout, with a runny fried egg to top.
Similarly, the Tom Yum Soup ($6) comes packed with ingredients. I had the prawn version, which I counted four whole crustaceans in the soup, in addition to pieces of tomatoes and mushrooms.
The sides that Somboon cooks up are equally solid. Special shoutout goes to the Moo Ping ($5.50), which is nostalgic of a trip through a Thai night market, picking up these skewers as I walked along.
At this price point, I got three meaty skewers with a good char and delicious sauce.
Other sides include Spring Roll ($5), Fish Cake ($5), Deep Fried Chicken Wing ($5.50) and Omelette ($7).
Remember to keep things healthy with some vegetables, in particular the Stir Fried Kai Lan ($6) and Stir Fried Kang Kong ($6).
The only items at a high price point are the fish dishes, such as the Thai Style Steam Seabass ($19.9) and Deep Fried Seabass with Thai Chilli Sauce ($19.90).
Somboon Thai Cuisine is an under-the-radar entry into the Thai cuisine scene, and good to show some support if you are at this part of Havelock.
Somboon Thai Cuisine
40 Beo Crescent, Singapore 160040
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 4:30pm – 9pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
Other Related Entries
Soi 47 (Clementi Ave 2)
Korat Thai Cafe (Orchard Towers)
87 Just Thai (Lor Mambong)
HUE Restaurant (Jalan Besar)
Slurp Noodle House (Aperia Mall)
* Written by Dean Ang and Daniel Ang. Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
