Entree Kibbles: Un-Yang-Kor-Dai - A Michelin Plate Restaurant Serving Thailand Isaan Cuisine in Singapore #michelinplate

Saturday, June 25, 2022

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai - A Michelin Plate Restaurant Serving Thailand Isaan Cuisine in Singapore #michelinplate

I remember walking along South Bridge Road after having ice cream at Dopa Dopa Creamery and noticing a pretty crowded restaurant with an interesting name "Un-Yang-Kor-Dai".

To be frank, I wouldn't have known, by its name, that it serves Thai food. More interestingly, it's actually not Thai cuisine we would be having. With recipes coming from the the northern eastern region of Thailand, it's generally known as Isaan cuisine.

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai is also a 2021 Michelin plate eatery and has been conferred Thai Select premium award by the Thai government! Given that any dining establishments with Michelin would likely see a queue, it's best to make a reservation via here.

We didn't reserve as it was a last minute decision and our wait was almost an hour! Thankfully, we visited Koh Grill & Sushi Bar earlier and hence, weren't too hungry.

Initially, we thought we had to wait so long because there were limited seating capacity. Turned out there was another area with more tables! What it means? Un-Yang-Kor-Dai's business was really good!

Order sheet! Please refer to the menu, which I would share at the end of this post, on signature dishes and those that would fall under the Isaan cuisine. I guess Singaporeans are not as well accustomed to Isan food and it makes total sense to have our usual Thai favorites on the menu.

Awaiting our food!

Prawns and Scallops Cake - a signature starter and said to be served with green curry paste. Latter didn't seem quite right as the only green appeared to come from cucumber.

Whatever the case, this was delicious! Deep fried to a crisp and served fresh from the boiling oil, the filling was otah-like but softer and better tasting. Dip it into the "I don't think it's green curry paste" for an additional layer of zestiness!

Pork Neck Fried Rice - An Isaan signature dish, it did seem as if the slices of pork neck were not well cooked. In real life, the colour wasn't as pinkish. Anyway, I took an immediate liking to the fried rice; the grains were fluffy and flavourful. A tad spicy though.

The pork neck had a nice grilled aroma and taste but not something I would purposely order if there are other options like pork ribs, pork belly etc.

Shrimp Paste Fried Rice with Isaan Grilled Chicken - Isaan cuisine focuses on "less curries, more grilled meats, and spicy salads" and it would have been sacrilegious if we didn't have a bite of the signature grilled chicken!

I enjoyed the chicken with its moist, tender meat, and a thinly grilled skin marinated with fragrant herbs and spices. Appetizing! The fried rice had that iconic shrimp paste flavor but wasn't as nice as the Pork Neck Fried Rice. A perfect combination would have been the fried rice from Pork Neck Fried Rice and the grilled chicken from Shrimp Paste Fried Rice with Isaan Grilled Chicken.

Thai Milk Tea Pudding - as some of you would know, I am not a fan of Thai milk tea as they are usually too sweet for my liking!

In pudding form, I thought it was still too high in sugar. The Great Kon loved the smooth texture and that it would literally slide down your throat! I am biased; it might be better for me if they have flavors other than Thai milk tea.

Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango - my last trip to Bangkok was in January 2020 and since then; I had yet to secure a single morsel of their absolutely amazing mango sticky rice!

Took a scoop of the rice and a slice of the mango for my personal indulgence; mmmmm, combination of the sweet, non-fibrous mango with the warm glutinous rice, soaked in sweetened coconut milk and then sprinkled with crispy mung beans, brought me to heaven! Definitely one of the better ones I had in Singapore!

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Honestly, this isn't quite the conventional Thai cuisine and you know who would likely enjoy the food? My mom! Maybe we can arrange this for her birthday in September. Yes, I would note to reserve. p.s. Many thanks to the Great Kon for the birthday treat!