Kin Leaw Chill Thai Food

Tanjong Pagar Road might be more of an address that is better known for the vast number of Korean dining establishments in the neighbourhood; that being said, it does seem that there has been some Thai dining establishments that had found home at the same address in recent times. Following the opening of NangLen that had opened in the neighbourhood not too long ago, there seems to be have been another Thai establishment that had also sprouted up along the same stretch of shophouses as well. Enter Kin Leaw Chill, which has been in operations for more than a month at the time of the writing of the post when we had made our visit there. Kin Leaw Chill is located at 26 Tanjong Pagar Road; the shophouse that it occupies being the same one that used to house the now-defunct location of Moc Cottage that was a brand by the same folks behind Moc Quan. Kin Leaw Chill hasn’t really changed up much of the interior of the space; in fact, much of the interior stays the same from its time being Moc Cottage with the exception of a few painted walls and some of the ornaments that adorn the space. There is still a rather old-school vibe that is chic and with a Southeast Asian flavour — this especially from the use of dark-coloured wood in its furniture and fittings; there is also a large collection of alcohol that is prominently displayed in the bar area that gives the space a somewhat opulent vibe. Much of its dining furniture though are reused — pretty much the same ones used by the former tenant of the space. Being an establishment that serves up more communal-style Thai cuisine, the food menu at Kin Leaw Chill is split into categories such as Thai Appetisers, Somtum Yum Yum, Kin Khao, Kin Sen, Eggs & Vegetables, Thai Soup, Curry Thai Thai, Seafood, Meat and Desserts. The range of non-alcoholic beverages would include the usual suspects such as the Iced Thai Milk Tea, Iced Thai Green Milk Tea, Iced Thai Milk Coffee and Iced Thai Lemongrass Honey — just to name a few; alcoholic beverages include a selection of beers as well.

One thing that has drawn our attention to Kin Leaw Chill so much that made us want to make a visit was the offering of the Khao Soi here — whilst most establishments in Singapore that serves up the Khao Soi serves a single variant that features only chicken drumstick, Kin Leaw Chill differs by offering its patrons three (3) different meat options to choose from; the Chicken Drumsticks, Softbone Pork and Beef. Our order was for the Softbone Pork variant of the Khao Soi. Turns out, we were told by the lady boss here that Khao Soi is one of their signature offerings here — Khao Soi being Northern Thai Coconut Curry Souo Noodle for those whom have yet to hear about the dish. Kin Leaw Chill does not describe the elements that goes into their Khao Soi here, but it does come with all the usual components including that of the crispy noodles that come above it — it also comes with its condiments such as lime, onions and pickles on the side; we were also recommended to have it with their dried chili as well. Khao Soi has always been known for being a flavourful dish on its own though also one that can get rather overwhelming really quickly due to its rich coconut curry soup that could also be somewhat described as a gravy due to its consistency. That being said, the Khao Soi at Kin Leaw Chill proves to be one that is easy to have — no doubt that it comes with sufficient fragrance and richness from the Thai Red Curry and the coconut milk that went into it in the cooking process; the soup also coming with a thick consistency that coats the broad egg noodles well.

With that being said, there was a good balance struck with the proportion of coconut milk that the entire ordeal did not feel particularly overwhelming — it also helped that the egg noodles here also was springy without carrying any noticeable hint of lye that is typically found in yellow noodles as well. With the addition of the chili and the other condiments, the coconut curry soup does pretty much come to life — the dried chili that is pretty much akin to the Lao Gan Ma-esque chili adds a hint of smoky and earthy note with a spicy kick that really antes up the flavour profile of the Khao Soi; all that while the pickles and onions helped add an element of crunch with a tang and zing that further cuts through the flavours of the coconut curry soup. The crispy noodles does add another dimension of textures with its crunchiness — all that without being particularly greasy, while the Softbone Pork does come with meat that comes off the flesh rather easily. Overall, one of the better Khao Soi that we have had thus far which was also easier to finish. Another dish that we were recommended to try during our visit to Kin Leaw Chill was their Prawn Cakes — available in portions of two (2) pieces or four (4) pieces, these were said to be made in-house and comes with a Thai sweet chili dip on the side. A bite into the Prawn Cakes and we were sold — whilst these do come in a slightly smaller size than what we are used to seeing at other establishments, these Prawn Cakes at Kin Leaw Chill doesn’t come with an overly thick, deep-fried breaded batter nor did the prawn filling come with too much filler. The golden brown deep-fried batter is crisp and light, while the minced prawn meat provided a good bouncy texture and a naturally sweet note; the use of actual prawns being evidenced with the real bits of prawn meat within.

The Thai Crispy Omelette with Minced Pork here on the other hand does seem to come a little thicker than that of usual Thai crispy omelettes that we have come across at other establishments — this makes for a fluffy but airy omelette that is still sufficiently crisp, yet also not as greasy as thinner ones that tend to soak up the oil around the edges. There is also no undesirable notes of overused oil with the Thai Crispy Omelette with Minced Pork, while the minced pork does seem to be more of clusters of minced pork that is hidden in several pockets around the omelette instead. The Basil Minced Pork with Green Noodles is one that is a rarer find here — the green noodles being the Jade Noodles which is also more commonly known locally as spinach noodles; the pairing making it the dish a less carb-intensive way to try out their Basil Minced Pork as compared to the Basil Minced Pork with Rice. With all being said, it does feel that Kin Leaw Chill is one of the few establishments around the island that serves up Thai cuisine with a character of its own; the variety of dishes available at Kin Leaw Chill does make them stand out from the many Thai dining establishments that are located all across the island — this is considering how it carries some rather unique dishes on their menu here. There is also a strong emphasis in serving up food that is made from scratch through the heart — the Prawn Cakes being a product that is testament to this. Prices of their individually-sized rice and noodles range around $8 to $19; the lowest-priced being the Pad See-Ew, while the highest priced item being the Crab Noodles. With its unique offerings and so much sincerity in its food coupled with its warm and friendly hospitality, Kin Leaw Chill is an establishment that is worth making a trip for especially for those whom are into Thai cuisine!