Quite contrary to “popular beliefs”, ThaiExpress is not a fast food chain. It is a restaurant chain, yes, but its casual dining style is what makes the household brand so popular and affordable. With more than 20 outlets island-wide, ThaiExpress is the number one Thai casual dining chain restaurant in Singapore.
The chefs here take their Thai food very seriously, and the kitchen is kept busy all day through because every item that is served on the table is prepared in-house with fresh ingredients and homemade sauces – cooked to order in each kitchen daily.
Sticking true to the Thai culture and taste preferences, ThaiExpress offers an expansive menu of appetisers, soups, mains, one-dish meals and desserts. There is always something to eat and to satisfy every craving. You’d be happy to know that the price tags are superbly friendly, too; think home-style cooking in an air-conditioned and casual environment.
We will also be sharing the Sanook set lunches that are so value-for-money, they make just the perfect lunch option when you need something hearty. And of course, evergreen dishes that never go out of style, and the bestsellers of ThaiExpress.
The standout dish – and something that you must order when dining at ThaiExpress - is the Massaman Curry. There are debates about the origins of the dish, but what we can say for sure is that it is an immensely satisfying and incredibly rich Thai-style curry that is great with a bowl of rice, or Thai-style pancakes.
At ThaiExpress, the Massaman Curry is painstakingly made from scratch with more than 20 ingredients and spices, and it takes the chefs 12 hours to prepare it! So much thoughts go into every pot of curry, and the sheer amount of ingredients may sound complicated, but what you get is a bowl of flavourful and smooth curry that is mildly spicy and superbly gratifying. There are two variations – Massaman Chicken Curry (S$13.90) and Massaman Beef Curry (S$14.60); both come with Thai-style pancakes which are perfect to mop up the curry.
With so many appetising starters on ThaiExpress‘s menu, you will be hard-pressed to decide on what to order. We have this problem too, but there are items that we return to and can never get bored of. For one, you cannot go wrong with their Thai Mango Salad (S$8.90). A very quintessential Thai appetizer, this spicy one will whet your appetite. Our all-time favourite? The Prawn Toast (S$8.90). We’ve had it for many years, and its recent improved version features a sesame crust that adds a layer of fragrance. Warning: highly addictive.
Most Thai restaurants in Singapore tend to tone down the spiciness to please local palates, but this is not the case at ThaiExpress. The Tom Yum Talay (S$8.30) – better known as the clear tom yum soup – is kick-ass spicy and tastes exactly like the ones that we’ve had in Thailand. A variation that also pleases the crowd is the Tom Kha Gai (S$8.30) – chicken soup with coconut milk. Rich and sweet, just the way we like it.
Phat Thai is our utmost favourite Thai dish and we are glad to say that ThaiExpress’s Phat Thai Talay (S$12.90) is always consistently good no matter which outlet we go to. That is another amazing part about ThaiExpress. Every outlet has their own kitchen with different chefs, but they can maintain its high standards – every plate of Phat Thai is beautifully sweet and well-fried, complete with plump prawns and a generous dash of ground peanuts.
For rice lovers, ThaiExpress has the classic dishes such as Pineapple Fried Rice with Seafood (S$11.90), and our favourite Rice with Stir-fried Spicy Minced Chicken with Thai Basil (S$12.90), but the one that is not to be missed is its Rice with Soft Shell Crab, Egg and Onion Curry (S$12.90). Yes, the price tag is unbelievable. And for that price, you get whole soft shell crabs copiously covered in egg-y curry.
Among the dessert choices, the best-sellers are the Mango Sticky Rice (S$6.80) and the Thai Chendol (S$6.80) – a wonderful blend of jackfruit slices, chewy flour bits, coconut milk and Thai palm sugar.
VALUE-FOR-MONEY SANOOK SETS
To celebrate the New Year, ThaiExpress has launched 3 brand new Sanook Sets which are priced not more than S$10.90++. Our favourite is the Sweet Chilli Fish Set (S$9.90++) which comes with Jasmine rice, Tom Kha Mushroom Soup, and Sweet Potato with Ginger Slice Dessert.
If you need your poultry, then go for the Honey Chicken Set (S$9.90). It features some very succulent chicken that is well-marinated, with fragrant rice and Tom Kha Mushroom Soup. Yes, a serving of the same dessert, too.
For something lighter, we have the Thai Chicken Glass Noodle Soup (S$10.90++). Cooked in a thick chicken broth and topped with shredded roast chicken, this is one satisfying bowl, especially on a rainy day. As part of the set, you also get the Mini Prawn Toasts (3 pcs) and Red Bean Dessert.
There is an optional add-on of S$2 for Thai Iced Tea/Iced Lemon Tea, or additional starter of Mini Prawn Toasts (3 pcs)/ Rice Crackers with Chef’s Special Dip. The next time you want an affordable yet satisfying lunch, drop by ThaiExpress for their Sanook sets. You might have just found your perfect lunch answer.
But of course, we say do not miss out on adding on for more Prawn Toasts. ThaiExpress’ Prawn Toast all day, every day.
For the latest updates, go to ThaiExpress.com.sg, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
This post is brought to you by ThaiExpress Singapore.