E-Sarn Thai Corner (Upper Thomson)

For the complete post with uploaded pictures, please view:

http://thefoodnomads.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/e-sarn-thai-corner-upper-thomson-road/

Located along the highly concentrated food haven that is Upper Thomson, E-Sarn Thai Corner is one of the numerous outlets in the E-Sarn group. And recently as you might have noticed, I have been trying many Thai places. I wonder is it just me or are Singaporeans in general really into Thai food these days. As it is, I am going to allow my tummy a hiatus from the stinging spiciness of Thai food.

Catering primarily to families living around the area and the occasional large crowd, E-Sarn was pretty crowded the evening we were there. Sparsely designed and in an open, airy space, this unpretentious place where people come looking for good authentic Thai food.

Don't be fooled by it demure clear appearance, this seafood Tom Yum soup packs a significant punch. This clear soup hit my tastebuds with a searing spiciness that was deliciously tangy. Coupled with the fragrant lemongrass and Thai lime juice, the soup was a heady combination of spicy and sour. Personally, I felt this was one of the best Tom Yum soups I have tried recently as it was light and fragrant, yet spicy enough to be considered authentically Thai.

Though some may consider it boring, I always must order a green mango salad at a Thai eatery as it is one of my favourite appetizers. Light, refreshing and tantalizingly spicy, the crunchy slices of fresh raw mango was sweet with a hint of sour and went well with the occasional sharp tang of chili.

The green curry dish was also pretty well-executed. Just the right balance of coconut milk and curry, the dish was fragrant with just a mild hint of potent spice. The chicken pieces were tender and the baby brinjals well-braised.

Pad Thai, yet another of my favourites, was a hit as well! Having achieved the right level of moistness, the noodles were of great texture and flavour. Not overwhelming salty from the use of fish sauce and allowing for the flavours of the other ingredients to stand out, the Pad Thai is better than the ones found at other casual Thai eateries such as Ah Loy Thai and Porn's.

Curious when I saw this item on the menu, - decided to give the Tom Yum Noodles a try and wished secretly that it'd be scaldingly spicy. Thankfully for my tongue, it was decidedly milder and went well as a soup base for the rice vermicelli.

Compared to Porn's, Tom Yum Kungfu and Ah Loy Thai, E-Sarn Thai Corner does most if not all its dishes better and is the most authentic of them all. While Ah Loy Thai overcaters its flavours for the local tastebuds, E-Sarn stays true to the flavours of Thai cuisine. Not surprisingly, this comes with higher price points and although I enjoyed my meal there, some may feel that the dishes are not worth their money with a Pad Thai more than 2 times the price of one at Ah Loy Thai. Nonetheless, if one is looking for good hearty authentic Thai cuisine, I'd suggest you give E-Sarn a go!

I love the food here. I discovered it pretty late but have been going back again and again. The food is different from the normal Thai food found in other restaurants. I have worked in Northern Thailand before and find the food authentic. The herb salad and the grilled pork is awesome. For those more used to the Southern Thai food, this will reqire some adjustments.

Service is great too, not in the friendly western way, but they are polite, smile a lot and generally try to accede to every request from seating area to extra sauces and BYO drinks etc etc.

Awesome place and highly recommended.

I was quite a fan when E-Sarn was at 6th avenue, so on one evening I actually took a 45 minute bus ride to check out one of its latest outlet at Upper Thomson.

An open air concept with no air condition, it was a laid back setting.

I started with the Tom Yum Soup ($8.50) which had a rather spicy and had a seafood after smell to the soup - which makes it authentically Thai.

I then tried the Thai Vegetable Omelette ($9.50). While the picture showed a red hot sambal on the side, the dish actually came with a prawn paste sambal. Nonetheless, I felt that the prawn sambal was good match for the egg and gives this dish a thumbs up.

The Red Curry Chicken unfortunately was a disappointment. The coconut milk overpowered what was left of the curry and it tasted like coconut milk chicken instead.I am aware that the Thai red curry does have a high concentration of coconut milk but the level here is just a little too much.

Overall, I felt that the quality at this branch is not the same and standards have dropped. Service was okay.