Nakhon Kitchen

I live near this neighbourhood hangout and have eaten here a few times.  The first time, we were definitely impressed.  The next few times, not so.  Perhaps it was because I had a low-salt diet at home, and my taste buds had changed. I was determined to try it again, but with specific request for less salt.  Lo and behold, the cooks obliged, and I wasn't disappointed.  

Previous reviewers recommended the fish cake ($6) and mango salad ($5).  These you must definitely try. The mango salad, to our surprise, also came with whole cashew nuts on top! My own favourite it the seafood tofu soup ($6), which comes with egg tofu, fish slices, one big prawn, and veggies. It's both healthy (relatively), and tasty. I don't take prawn, so I can't testify to its freshness.  

On previous reviewers' recommendation, I also chose the chicken cashewnut ($6)and the kai lan mushroom ($6) dishes.  They're quite average, really, but I did like the thick mushroom slices, which were tender and juicy.  However, I do wish the Thai cooks would learn to do with much less oil.  

Three of us had a plate of rice ($1), much more ample portions than previously -- and we finished everything!  

Previous reviewers had complained of feeling thirsty after the meal, probably because of MSG they said, but it wasn't a problem with me.  Perhaps telling the cooks to cut down the salt did the trick.  

On the whole, would come back -- and perhaps try the pandan chicken, which has been recommended by HGW reviewers. 

Total cost for five dishes, plus rice: $32 for three people. Reasonable, and we were quite full. So we didn't order the red ruby dessert, which we had thoroughly enjoyed before. 

Tables at this casual restaurant are hard to come by, and queues can get very long, especially at mealtimes on weekends. Hence it was that my bridge partners and I called to order our dinner on Saturday - you can ask for recommendations, specify what you want and also the time you'll come to pick up the food. While the food won't taste its best, it's certainly better than waiting in the queue and envying those who are already seated (not to mention making them feel uncomfortable). There were at least 20 people in the queue when we collected our food (and this is a small eatery!), which was ready at the agreed time.

This was my 4th time eating food from Nakhon, and once again I wasn't disappointed. Due to a heavy lunch, we only had:

1. Red curry pork. Generous slices of pork, and the meat was tender without tasting artificial (as it tends to get if too much tenderiser is added). The curry was also well-done, with the right combination of depth and spicyness.

2. Green curry chicken. This dish seems to feature on every trip to a Thai restaurant. I think they could make theirs a tad spicier, but it's otherwise fine. Unlike the pork, there weren't many pieces of chicken, although we saw lots of aubergine and green beans in it.

3. Thai fish cakes. This was the one dish we all thought wasn't very good. Indeed, it was kinda odd, but none of us could say what exactly was wrong with it. There was perhaps too much flour, and the fish was perhaps not chopped finely enough.

4. Pandan chicken. Easily the best dish of the night. Very aromatic chicken, seasoned just right and bursting with flavour. Wonderful!

5. Stir-fried kailan. There were bits of carrot and mushroom in this one. The kailan had been sauteed for just the right time, so it was still green and crunchy. A bit too much oil and gravy though.

If you're in the neighbourhood and are short on ideas, this is worth a visit, but again, only at odd hours or if you're packing home.

Other dishes worth trying (from previous trips) here are: their clear tom yam soups, deep-fried sweet and sour fish, and tapioca dessert. I wouldn't recommend the minced pork and basil, though - very oily and no kick to it. The beef in curries also tends to be tough and chewy. The kangkong belacan is nice, though also oily and comes in meagre portions.

In this Thai cuisine deprived north eastern corner of this little island we call home... Nakhon Kitchen is like an oasis for those thirsty of tom yums n curries...(yes yes i'm ignoring Thai Express for reasons too obvious to type)

It's a small eatery hidden away from the Kovan crowd and is hidden from me as well till i was let on this little secret..There's alwaz a line but it moved fairly quickly.. The menu's comprehensive with very standard Thai fare..

We started with the mango salad as i wanted something to whet up my appetite as i wasn't hungry... it was pretty refreshing n e mango aint too sour but i tot there should have more what-nots of onions, nuts, chillis etc to have a more dimensional dish..

The tom yum clear with seafood is pretty well executed.. spicy yet flavourful n is quite appetizing with prawns mushrooms fish etc...

Surprisingly i didn't really liked e minced pork with basil which i tot is more chinese than thai.. the basil n chilli wasn't really infused into e dish which ended up more like e minced pork with soy sauce i get from any porridge stall..The pineapple fried rice is juz average with e frozen peas/corns/carrots n a sprinkling of pork floss..

Overall it's a nice little place that serve up some decent Thai fare at friendly prices... I'm pretty sure they serve up much better stuff than what we've ordered judging by e regulars so i might b back to pry but a couple of things i did noticed is e speedy serving of food (i got all my dishes in 5 mins after i ordered n this place is crowded!) n not so hot food which makes me speculate that some items are already pre-cooked so i'm crossing my fingers i'm wrong!

Great place for those who want some Thai in e area but not a place u would specifically cross-country for..

My family feel so blessed that Nakhon opened in this good-Thai food-deprived, North-East region of S'pore!

To me, it's like the First Thai (similar good, cheap Thai food eatery, albeit at Purvis Street) of Hougang.

We enjoyed the food so much, we've eaten Nakhon about 5 times in 2 short weeks!

We've tried both take-aways and dine-in. And it seems like no matter how busy it is, (ok, so far we're quite lucky, have only been in queues 3-4 groups deep, at most), the turn-around at the tables are pretty fast. And they've come up with this system of taking your orders while you're in line, so within less than 5-minutes of settling in your table, voila! the first 2-dishes (usually appetizers lah) are served! Takeaway service is pretty swift too. And though the staff are probably overloaded with long queues of customers and orders, service is never rude, but sufficiently polite and efficient too. And when the cute boss (sorry ladies, but he's taken! by a hot wife, to boot!;p) serves you, he can be pretty friendly and thoughtful too.

My 2 favourite dishes so far:
- Tom Yum seafood soup - thick base (have tried both clear and thick, and the thick base, as rightly recommended by the staff, is so much more yummy!)
- Prawn Cake (more expensive but also much tastier, compared to the fish cake. Recall it's around $12 for 4, as compared to the fish cake at $6 for 4? But the prawn cakes were so delish, they reminded my sis of her days munching on prawn cakes in Krabi, waaay back in 2003! And since then, she has yet to find sufficiently tasty prawn cakes in S'pore, till she tried Nakhon's!)

I've yet to try the green curry yet and so many of the other main dishes, cuz we usually stuff ourselves silly with the yummy starters and salads. So, here's looking forward to more visits to Nakhon (just thinking about it, warrants a visit tomorrow already!) and boy, am I glad that when the Tom Yum soup craving hits me, I need not settle for the neighbourhood Thai Express any longer (besides, Nakhon is definitely better value-for-money compared to Thai Express)!

I never expected Hougang to have a place like this. A Thai restaurant in a coffee shop setting ... would have expected this in Golden Mile. No aircon, basic no frills.

The Pineapple rice was decent and for $6 enough for 2. The tom yum was also good and about the same price.

The meat and veg dishes - well, these were all nice (minced pork with basil, mixed veg, deep fried chicken, etc) were mostly between $6 - $10. Nice BUT ... servings are rather small, each able to fill about a rice bowl (large rice bowl i,e.), so the value of such items is not as good as say Ah Loy, which charges less but gives you more in an air cond environment.

Another negative is that the MSG addition was quite significant, and I felt really thirsty after the meal despite downing 4-5 glasses of water before, during and after the meal.

Had always been driving by this little food shop that always fetches a long waiting queue outside.So curious about the food standard, therefore
decided to park my car and start queuing. The shop was pretty small but well organised, theres around +/- 40seats i think. it took me 30 mins to get seated. With the servers are all thai and the thai songs in the background,it makes us feel as if we are in thailand...lol

What i ordered,

1. Mango salad, the mango is not so sweet and it really opens up your appetite.
2. Stir fry asparagus with prawns, similar to stir fry vegs from che char stall. it has good taste but i think the prawns are frozen prawns, it will taste better if it is fresh one.
3. Stir fry pork with basil leaves, for this i think the basil essence is not rich enough.
4. Clear Tom Yam soup, the soup was very nice, served with mushroom and assorted seafood. Although its clear soup but its equally spicy to the regular tom yam soup we see locally.
5. Pineapple rice is average but goes very well with the dishes.i had better ones before.

The service is quite fast, we didnt waited long for the food and the servers are friendly...

All in all, i see now why so many ppls are queuing,its definitely worth the queue, very value for money...go very early or very late to avoid the q!!!

been here many times. always ordering a standard few dishes, occasionally trying some new ones.

food-
the quality of food is rather consistent. but i am not a fan of their rice and noodle dishes. they are tasty, but somehow does not taste very thai to me. the appetizers and salads are definitely what i always return for. i especially love the vermicelli & seafood and mango salad. stuffed chicken wings are excellent too. clear tom YUM soup definitely gives you a kick, enough spice and sourness. green curry was average, too watery to me. jungle curry (supposed to be curry without coconut milk) was a little weird to me, too many types of vegetables in questionable gravy. beef/pork in hot basil leaves are average too. the sauce is too sweet for my liking.

prices-
i like the serving size, it's great for sharing between 3-4 people and also allowing you to order a wider variety at the same time. affordable place, average amount spent per person is $10-$15. no service charge and gst too. :D

service-
service is efficient. since word has got out about this place, the queues keep coming. you can see the queue still there even when past 8pm. you order when you are in the queue and food is served rather quickly when you get a seat. they are fast in refilling your cup of plain water too.

ambience-
can get rather chaotic considering the small place and long queues. not very suitable for large groups of above eight as the tables are rather small. although they have not kinda expanded by placing more tables outside. not suitable for lingering at dinnertime, considering the people in the queue will be glaring daggers at you if you do that.

Quite crowded for a weekday night when I was there 8pm.
Perhaps, the food's good, perhaps the place is quite smallish...
anyway, ordered 1st, then seated.
Was a bit suprised tt we were served pretty quick...which was good.
Food wise...I'd say it's good, and for the price, value's good too.
Tom yum prawn: For me, it's not tt spicy and flavourful enough to make it enjoyable. 4 med prawns which were fairly delicious n fresh.
Green curry chicken: gravy was nice and when added to rice, made me eat more than i should. But chicken was limited to a few small pieces quite hidden in the gravy. can be better
2 veg dishes: kai lan, asparagus with prawn: not bad, tasty enough, no complaints.

Servers were dressed like some of us there ie: t-shirt, shorts etc except they look more thai. (prob thai too)
Service was pleasant with a smile, and quite responsive. Unlike some place...which I shouldn't mention

Dishes are standard in size btw.

Overall, the bill came to $28 for 4 dishes above with rice. Reasonable.
no gst, no ++ taxes. Which adds to the value...
Oh ya, water free

If you ever drive past Hougang Avenue 1 or Hougang Street 21 during lunch or dinner time, you'll notice a little establishment with a queue outside. And it would have to be Nakhon Kitchen.

I frequent that area very often, since many of my good friends live around that area. So I've seen the different eateries that have sought to set up shop in that particular space over the years. Sadly, none have survived thus far. Until now.

Nakhon Kitchen is a small establishment but they serve up good and value-for-money Thai Food. I brought my family there the other day because Mom had noticed the long queue outside the shop each time she passes by on her way back from work.

So one evening we decided to have dinner there. We went there at about 6.15pm, to avoid the crowds, and we managed to get a table rather quickly.
(One thing to note: Nakhon doesn't take any reservations)

We ordered:

1. Garoupa with mango sauce
You know how some food places like to serve their not-so-fresh fish when you order fried fish, and it comes really dry and tough? Well, not this place. The garoupa flesh came out easily. And I love the little bits of sweet mango in the sauce.
Plus, it was only $22. My mom said that in chinese restaurants, a garoupa that size would easily cost $70-$80. Not bad eh?

2. Mango Salad
I'm not a mango salad fan. I like my mangoes sweet. But my parents loved it.

3. Tom Yum Seafood Soup
We ordered the orange-coloured one. I couldnt help but compare it to the Tom Yum soup i ordered a few days before at a foodcourt, which looked like tom yum but sure doesn't taste like it. This is Tom Yum alright. It was quite a small portion for the 4 of us to share. But it was (tom) yummy while it last.

4. Fried Seafood Tang Hoon (Vermicilli)
Very generous portions and tasty.

5. Fishcake
Home made. I love the long bean bits in the fish cake, and the dipping sauce.

6. Kangkong
Very salty. But I like it. I usually only eat kangkong with sambal only. But this. This was very good.

7. Chap Chye
It was ok. It's quite a small dish. When i was in Bangkok and I ordered chap chye, I was really amused. They used one of each type of vegetable in the chap chye dish (it was like they used the scraps to cook up that dish). And this one at nakhon, reminded me of it.

8. Green Curry
I'm a convert now. I hated green curry since trying my friend's homecooked green curry for the first time. (I hope she doesn't read this) But this curry was really good. I can say the best green curry I've tasted thus far (since this is my second time having green curry).
I also like that they serve it piping hot. I like my gravies and soups piping hot. Haha

9. Iced Lemongrass Drink
It reminds me of cold sweet potato soup (without the sweet potato). Quite nice, if you like lemongrass.


I think this place is really value for money.
I paid $78 in total for all of that and alot of rice.

Nakhon serves up a competent version of Thai food at value prices, in a no frills, open air surrounding.

Arriving at 6pm on Sunday, all tables were taken! Well, it doesn't seat more than about 40 anyway - so be warned, it's not conducive to big groups. A few minutes later, at least two tables finished their dinners - looks like early dinner is in fashion here.

The orders for the day were:

Tom yum prawn - you have a choice of clear soup or not. The taste was ok, decent as far as tom yum in Singapore goes.

Basil pork - was competently done with the taste of Thai basil well blended into the minced pork.

Crispy garoupa with Thai chilli sauce - the fish was indeed crispy, and the flavours of the sauce went well with it. Decent dish.

Kailan with mushroom - I picked this because I didn't like the limp look of the kangkong that I saw on others' tables. Sad to say, the kailan used was no good, making it difficult to chew. Wasted.

Coke - comes in the old reusable 280ml bottles - nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember these bottles. This is the โค้ก bottle you find in Thailand, no less.

With rice, this cost $44, half of which goes to the fish. Good value.

Nakhon is mainly staffed by Thais from Isaan. Thus, when it gets busy (which is almost all the time), take it easy and exercise some patience. Adding stress doesn't help. Things will work out eventually.

The cooking here is good, delivering good smells and flavours. However, cooking skill won't overcome mediocre ingredients. That sums up my experience here - good, but could reach a higher level if higher grade ingredients were used. That's why I reckon they're good but can't match my regular choice, P&P.