Thai

Pictured: 𝑺𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒐 ($9.50++)

TBH I'm puzzled about why Un-Yang-Kor-Dai gets listed as Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery. It wasn't bad (except the pork neck; I was struggling to finish that - & only because I hate wasting food), but certainly wasn't amazing either.

Seems like other people really love this place, though. It was packed on a weekend dinner, even though it was a late (8+PM) one. If you want to check them out, reservations are highly recommended (deposit required).

Sweet treats to end our night - because no thai meal is complete without these quintessential Thai desserts:

🔸 𝑹𝒆𝒅 𝑹𝒖𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒕 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒌 ($7.00++, pictured)
🔸 𝑺𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒚 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒐 ($9.50++)

Again, these were okay. I don't get the hype. Were there better dishes to order? Can someone tell me?

In the 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒏𝒔 ($16.00++), the prawns were indeed fresh, I'll give them that. I particularly enjoyed how fluffy the omelette was without being too oily.

The mains fared better; but again, I wouldn't consider them mind-blowing. I enjoyed both the 𝑷𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒊 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒏𝒔 ($17.50++, pictured) & 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒏𝒔 ($16.00++) equally.

The prawns were indeed fresh, I'll give them that.

The other starter that we ordered were the 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒚 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝑺𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒔 ($14.90++)... These were alright, with a sizeable juicy prawn inside & a crispy, flaky exterior. Was it a strong start, though? I wouldn't say so... This was just fine.

Pope Jai Thai's menu is pretty extensive. They have set meal deals (main + drink), a la carte mains, zhi-char style dishes for sharing, appetizers, & dessert too of course.

I was happy with the food I ordered:
· Phad Thai Set (Seafood) with Thai Lemon Tea (Cold) - $8.80 nett
· Stir Fried Tanghoon Set (Vegetables) with Thai Milk Tea (Cold) - $8.80 nett
· Homemade Thai Prawn Cake (3 pieces) - $8.80 nett
· Clear Tom Yum Glass Noodle Soup (Seafood) - $8.80 nett
· Garlic Honey Chicken (Large) - $15 nett
· Garlic Baby Kailan (Medium) - $11 nett

I usually don't like paying for delivery, but their $5 delivery fee (min. $20 spend) is reasonable. Delivery service was also satisfactory; my food arrived on time (within the 30 minute window - in fact, at 12:22PM when I requested for 12:15PM delivery!).

My soup was shrink-wrapped at the top to avoid spillage, & the dispatch rider had stored my food in an insulated bag (warm & cold in 2 separated bags) during the ride 👍🏻

Would order from them again & when circuit breaker period is over, I'd like to pay their dining establishment a visit too - they're conveniently located at *SCAPE.

I learnt about Pope Jai Thai from a friend - admittedly drawn in by the perk of a free mango sticky rice. She then shared with me about their cause & what they stand for.

Pope Jai Thai is a F&B-focused social enterprise that employs a range of disadvantaged groups; underprivileged & marginalized individuals make up 90% of their workforce. During the COVID-19 outbreak, they've also created new job opportunities (since they offer islandwide delivery) for taxi drivers & dispatch riders who have been affected by this pandemic.

I'm not going to put myself on moral high ground here. But I'm happy to support a meaningful social cause like this. & eat delicious food while I'm at it.

Delivery is an affordable $5, & if you quote BUIBUISUPPORTPJ when ordering (min. spend $30), you get a FREE mango sticky rice on your first order! Valid until 4 May 2020.

The Mango Sticky Rice ($5.80) had GREAT MANGOES: Ever so slightly sour, it was perfect with the sticky rice & slightly sweet coconut cream. However, I wish the sticky rice weren't so... Coagulated? If that makes any sense. I know it's meant to be sticky (duh), but I would've preferred the individual rice grains to be a bit more separated than ketupat-style.

One thing to note: Service was very slow on a Saturday night - so if you're rushing for time, I'd advise against coming here during popular/peak hours. After we were done with our meal, we ordered 1 Mango Sticky Rice to wait the crazy thunderstorm out... & it took, like, 20 mins to arrive. Not sure if we were forgotten about, or they were just too busy trying to handle the massive order from the huge family sitting next to us. Our dinner lasted 90 mins in total.

💷 Cash only
☀️ Al fresco seats only (coffeeshop)
⛔ No service charge or GST

The Green Curry Chicken ($10) was, by far, the one dish that we were most satisfied with that night. A good balance of creamy & spicy, we were happy to both drink the curry on its own & drizzle it over rice.

💷 Cash only
☀️ Al fresco seats only (coffeeshop)
⛔ No service charge or GST

Expectedly, the Basil Minced Pork ($12) & Sambal Long Beans ($9) both need to be paired with white rice, because they are doused in a flavourful sauce that almost borders on oily. I don't eat minced meat much, but this is an exception & it didn't disappoint. The long beans have a great crunch to them & were very addictive. Also, these being the size of small portions surprised me - they took forever to finish! Am glad we didn't order the larger variant.

While Maggie Thai isn't worth travelling all the way to Jurong West for, I'd return here again for the good variety & dishes that have that home-cooked feel. Sure beats that other Thai food place nearby that was laden with MSG & is barely edible.

💷 Cash only
☀️ Al fresco seats only (coffeeshop)
⛔ No service charge or GST

For some reason, the Tom Yum Seafood Soup ($11) was more sour than spicy - nothing hot hit the back of my throat at all. I would've honestly liked this to be at least a little spicy. But since it wasn't, I was slurping this like a mad woman without having to stick my tongue out & take a break. Oh, & there's plenty of seafood in here, woohoo.

💷 Cash only
☀️ Al fresco seats only (coffeeshop)
⛔ No service charge or GST

If you're looking for the super spicy, cry-your-eyes-out kind of Thai food, this isn't the place for you. For me, it's so lovely to find delicious Thai food in a coffee shop in a location that's convenient for me.

The Pad Thai ($4.80) was quite ordinary - I liked that it wasn't too sweet. However, I think I'll have to try this again, because it cooled down really quickly in the rainy weather, so when I had my first bite, it wasn't piping hot. There's something about it that makes me want to try it again, though. Perhaps the springyness of the noodles? The nicely cooked seafood?

💷 Cash only
☀️ Al fresco seats only (coffeeshop)
⛔ No service charge or GST