Jane Thai at Orchard Towers

Jane Thai at Orchard Towers is my new favourite place for authentic spicy Thai fare. The dishes have this rough and ready homemade quality, and yet in my book, they qualify as some of the best Thai food in Singapore. I'm only kicking myself for not coming here earlier. It's been around for 11 years!

Stuff here sure is spicy. I'm not kidding. I'm the sort that likes chewing chili padi, and even I was defeated. Your nose will run and your tears will follow. But joyfully so. It's so delicious, you keep reaching for more.

Take for example, the Yum Woon Sen (S$10) - Seafood Vermicelli Salad (above). The tanghoon and seafood had absorbed so much killer chili heat, but only let it out after a while. After a few mouthfuls of other stuff, you're left wondering which dish did you in!



We also started with some Thod Mun Kung (S$10) - Deep Fried Prawn Cakes. Very good. Sweet and tender minced prawn inside the crispy batter. This one's safe for children.



Of course, we have to have some Tom Yum (S$10) - Spicy Sour Red Soup (seafood here, other options include fish and prawns). It's a well-balanced soup, and you do get to enjoy all the flavours of sweet, sour, savoury and umami, before the chili hits you.



What's also good here are the fried chicken wings. Seems like all the fat's been rendered out from the skin, leaving it thin and crisp. Really fragrant and savoury Peek Gai Thod (an absolute steal at S$5 for 3 pieces).



Phad Pak Bung (S$6) - Kang Kong is decent, but not stellar.



Khao Nam Liap (S$10) - Olive Minced Pork Fried Rice. I was so glad at least the rice wasn't spicy, and could be used as a base to temper all that hot food. It's quite tasty on its own, with mild nutty flavours.



Phad Thai (S$5) - Fried Thai Flat Rice Noodles. Probably the only let-down of the evening. The noodles are a little too soft and sweet for my liking.



Ka Pao Moo (S$10) - Stir Fried Pork with Basil. I am always amused to see that Thais use "moo" to refer to pork. I wonder what their cattle would say. Anyway, this tasty dish goes best with white rice.



What's really cute here is that the rice comes in heart-shaped mounds. The portion is a bit small, so each of us needed extras.



Moo Yang (S$10) - BBQ Pork. It looks and tastes a tad dry, but the marinade is great. Lovely flavour.



We finished off with some more salad. Som Tam (S$6) - Papaya Salad. It's another killer just like the Yum Woon Sen. That odd combination of cold and hot. Searingly fiery hot. We were downing glasses of lime juice and Thai iced tea.

Well, it looks like a lot of food, but hey, we're food bloggers (Keropokman and Momo, plus a HungryCow). And it only came up to S$25 per person.


Jane Thai is up on the fourth floor. Turn left after the escalator, and you'll see the little cramped eatery. There are now Chinese mainlander waitstaff, who can help you in Mandarin, where previously it was largely Thai with limited English. Picture menus still help. There's also a display case of more "exotic" Thai foods that the native Thai workers here flock to. Try some if you dare.


JANE THAI
400 Orchard Road
#04-30 Orchard Towers
Singapore 238875
Tel: +65 9174-1616
Open Mondays to Saturdays 6pm to 4am
Sundays 5pm to 3am

P.S. They have opened a second outlet at a less seedy place - out East at Simpang Bedok, but they've had to tone down the spicy levels for the residents there.

Share: