Baan Khun Nai Review: Affordable Thai Set Meals From $7.90 At Novena

Whether it’s fresh salads, fortifying noodle soups or spicy curries, every meal has a vast spectrum of explosive flavours to keep your taste buds on their toes. I’m not alone on this, and the rising popularity of this South-East Asian cuisine means that Thai restaurants have become a dime a dozen on our shores.

Baan Khun Nai is a new entrant to the competitive scene, and its central location and affordable set meals swayed us to make a trip down. Food at Baan Khun Nai Impressive caramelisation was evident from first glance in our Basil Minced Pork Set ($7.90) .

Basil pork or chicken is one of the most common Thai dishes, so we hoped for a version that stood out from the pack. The subtle floral aroma of this Thai staple would have been a valuable counterpoint to the torrent of strong flavours residing in the other components.

From sour to spicy to sweet, tom yum is beloved for its gamut of flavours. That said, this version went overboard on the sour scale, and was more similar to a lime-tamarind broth.

It lacked the smoothness of coconut milk, chilli heat, and lemongrass funk to balance that pungent acidity. Pad See Ew is the Thai interpretation of char kway teow, commonly seen as hangover food.

Thus, we hoped for assertive flavours in our Pad See Ew Set ($7.90) , robust enough to clear a roaring headache. Thai cuisine is actually home to an array of other spicy gravies though, with red, yellow and Massaman curry being some other notable club members.

That signalled the flood of coconut that enveloped our mouths from first spoon, shining more prominently than the curry powder. This coconut savour transitioned to salty and spicy curry for an explosive and complex mouthful.

As we continued munching on our tender, curry-drenched chicken chunks, the deluge of coconut, salt and spice gradually became overbearing. A possible solution would be scaling back on creamy coconut milk and salt in exchange for a stronger dose of curry powder. On that spicy front, this rendition was lighter than versions I’ve tasted in Thailand, which seem to be rougher in texture with a greater proportion of spices.

It checks the boxes for savour, accessibility and affordability, but not convincingly enough for us to make another trip down. The market for Thai food in Singapore is congested, and any new challenger needs to excel to achieve recognition.

That said, if you’re in the area and craving for some piquant Thai flavours, this is a good spot to head. If you’re like us and can’t get enough of those addictively sour and spicy Thai flavours, check out our reviews of Im Thai Kitchen and Basil & Mint , or our list of affordable Thai eateries with mains under $10 . 10 Affordable Thai Food Places With Mains Below $10 For Your Next Squad Outing Let us know your favourite Thai restaurants in the comments below!