I enjoy Thai food served in Singapore, which generally is closer to the Thai Chinese version. So when faced with a proposal to dine at Sabai I could not decline the offer. Once we entered, the darken ambience and large space between tables made it clear that it was a fine dining environment. .

We started with the chicken wings which were had a nice crispy but yet not too oily skin with its meat remaining tender. Next I tried the Morning Glory (Kang Kong) which was very authentically spicy.

I then tried the Red Duck Curry which was thick and flavourful, intense with lots of coconut milk and not recommended for those weak at the heart. The duck pieces were a little overdone but still not too hard to consume.

The only disappointment was the Steamed Seabass which was not very fresh.

Service staff were generally Thai and was at tip top condition.

Mmm... Sabai is quite good.

The Mieng-Kum (roasted coconut, dried shrimp, ginger, red onions, peanuts, chili, tamarind sauce) is served with each ingredient in a separate little bowl. You must assemble your own lettuce wrap. I was skeptical of this at first as I don't like to work for my food, but it was delicious and very fresh.

The seafood Pad Thai is yummy. Flavorful and light, with thinner noodles than I usually see at Thai restaurants. Unique and delicious. Pra Ram chicken, my go-to Thai dish, was also quite good. Thick peanut sauce with a little zing, fresh spinach, and juicy chicken breast.

The atmosphere is more upscale than your average Thai place, and you pay for it with higher prices on the menu. The service is also a bit slow, especially when you're hungry and everything smells so good. Despite these minor annoyances, though, the food at Sabai Thai Cuisine will keep me coming back.

I like my Thai food any way - street-hawker stuff, mass-market steamboat and of course haute cuisine like Sabai Thai tries to serve up.

This is a place to splurge if you had a nice little bonus or having an expense lunch.

Most appetisers start at $16 and go into the $20s for fish or seafood dishes. The servings are also really small, enough for 4 at the maximum. For a party of 2, we ordered 4 dishes, including a noodle dish and we polished them off easily.

The tom yum goong ($18, $8) here is the clear version which i prefer. A misleadingly clear broth hides a spicy kick that has just enough heat and tangyness. Add to that 2 massive, superbly fresh and crunchy prawns and this makes it one of my favourite tom yum soups around.

My other favourite dish is the stuffed chicken wings ($16 for 4) which are perfectly fried. The meat stuffing remains very juicy and the chili sauces served on the side complement it very well.

We had to have some green curry since we order that at every Thai meal. We tried the roast duck version ($20) which came with pineapple and lychees - a very good combination but a little on the sweet side.

Again, we have to have phad thai ($16) at every Thai restaurant we go. This particular version was just average - needing more peanuts and more "wok-hei" to let the flavours really meld together. Definitely better versions elsewhere.

Service is above average with very polite and attentive staff. Beverages are refilled quickly and servers extremely accommodating and refined. Except when it hits 2.30pm and some of the service managers sit down at one of the tables for lunch together, which is slightly disconcerting in such a fine dining place.

They also have a very extensive vegetarian menu which is surprisingly tasty for a meat-lover like me. The taste of the vegetarian curries and stir-fries are not compromised which points to the quality of ingredients and cooking.

Overall, a really good place for Thai food when budget is not an issue.

This must be the poshest Thai restaurant I've ever been in.

The tom yam soup was served in a sizeable heated silver tureen, with a tiny flame underneath and all. The soup was hearty and spicy (which was great for me and not so great for my fiancee who couldn't take more than a bowl, so again great for me). Pretty good value - I would say there was probably enough there for 5 bowls of soup, and they weren't too stingy with the ingredients either.

We also tried the stuffed crabs, which looked and sounded great on the menu but turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. We weren't expecting monster crabs but those shells were smaller than the the palm of my fiancee's hand.

The stuffed chicken wings which they are apparently famous for, really are good though. Having said that, many zi char places charging a fraction of the price also serve up excellent prawn paste or stuffed chicken wings which taste just as good. In that context, the stuffed wings at Sabai are good but not nearly good enough to justify the difference in price (I do accept that the comparison is harsh - I have no doubt the rents at Takashimaya are many times that at Lengkok Bahru or Geylang Lorong X).

We also had the duck in red curry, which was reasonably good. The duck was succulent and juicy but the red curry (being a touch too sweet) just didn't have enough pep to work for either of us. Towards the end, the curry got a bit jelat and was bogging the meal down. Then again, perhaps that's just a matter of individual preference.

Like Chicken Rice Man says, I might consider coming here if I had a foreign guest or client with a craving for Thai food - otherwise, I'm not quite sure that this place is worth the price given that there are more competitively priced places all over town.

Then again, that's just the possibly biased opinion of someone who isn't crazy about Thai food anyway.

Well.....u must be wondering why I made such a bold statement...coz I have been patronizing Thanying restaurant for more than 10 years. The original owner sold her share and started this restaurant, bringing her entire crew of ex-thai royal family chefs !

One of my all time favourite starter is their " Yam Plak Dook Fu" aka Thai fried catfish....this is a dish u must have on your table prior to the arrival of your first main dish ! The catfish is served all finely grinded to bits, then fried, and served with very thinly sliced mangoes...and complemented by a sour sauce that really wet your appetite.

Next, order their stuff chicken wings or "Poo Jar" aka stuffed crab....always an all time favourite for most diners. And not forgetting the "must have" red or green curry beef or chicken....your choice...but red or green curry and whatever meat you choose...the taste is both rich and very tasty.

Sabai also serve very fresh Thai fish....ask the captain to recommend you...there's one that's steamed ( can't remember the exact name )...a very traditional dish well liked by all Thais and locals alike !

If you still have stomach for desserts....check out their wide selection...I'm sure u will be burping away after you've finished your meal...and happily telling your kakis that former chefs from the Thai royal family cooked for you : )