Soi 60: Authentic Thai food with a twist

Newly opened in August, this upmarket Thai restaurant and bar, located along the waters of the bustling dining and drinking enclave of Robertson Quay, is Singapore’s latest go-to spot for authentic, fresh Thai food and drinks with a stylish and modern twist.

Australia-based award-winning Chef Martin Boetz of the reputed Longrain Restaurant & Bar (Sydney and Melbourne), whose speciality is modern Asian cuisine, proves that Thai food isn’t only about its spiciness, as he carefully conceptualized a contemporary menu that pays homage to Thailand’s multifaceted cuisine – basically an artful combination of sweet, sour, spicy and salty essences.

Working closely with Chef Boetz is 27-year-old Chef Nam Pongpanich, who grew up in Thailand and trained at the Culinary Institute of America before being hired by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud in New York. Needless to say,  this top-tier combination makes for an explosive one. With Chef Boetz dearth of experience and Chef Nam’s intimate one of Thai food, patrons can expect signature Thai dishes laden with a modern, sleek touch, complementing Soi 60’s décor and music.

We had the chance to try out dishes from an exclusive degustation menu and while all dishes were write-home-worthy, here are five of our favourite picks that stood out, for good reasons of course:

Appetiser:

Grilled Pork shoulder with papaya salad

Delicate and succulent, the tender pork shoulder slices were easy to chew and went delightfully well with the sweetish sauce it was served with. The papaya salad was another light and welcome addition to this starter.

Mains:

Red Curry with Duck and Pineapple

We expected this to be a spicy, messy affair but were pleasantly surprised both by the mildness of the dish and by how well it complemented the tender pieces of duck. Whilst most red curries we have tried have been dense, extremely filling and have had to be had with at least three glasses of icy water, this red curry had just the right amount of spice, along with having a light composition and was laden with tomatoes and other vegetables – meaning we still had some room left over afterwards. It tasted even better with some rice.

Stir-Fried Beef with Green Peppercorn

Another Thai signature dish that did not disappoint, the lightly stir-fried beef, tastefully infused with green peppercorn tasted as good as it smelt.

Crispy Fish with Green Mango Salad

A unanimous favourite amongst the various media that were present at the tasting, this snapper, infused with tangy, sweet and sour sauce would convert anyone who dislikes seafood. Lightly crispy skin, bursting with flavour on top and tender, juicy and lightly flavoured flesh underneath. Almost as if we had suddenly become cooking aficionados, we found ourselves asking for the recipe at the end of the tasting.

 

Dessert:

Banana with Fritters with whipped Coconut Cream and Chocolate Ice Cream

Heavenly is an adjective that we tend to reserve only for those uniquely spectacular dishes we come across once in a while but this dish is so deserving, we can hardly help ourselves. The banana fritter, which you can tell was lightly fried because the skin wasn’t too crispy or drenched in oil, almost melted in our mouth after two or three bites. Mixed with the rich chocolate ice cream it created an almost orgasmic sensation on the tongue. The blend was almost too perfect. You can’t leave without giving this a try.

Cocktail-lovers won’t be disappointed either when they visit Soi 60, as the bar serves up some great cocktails, infused with traditional Thai flavours.

Soi 60 is located at 60 Robertson Quay (#01-04 The Quayside, Singapore 238252) and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 5:30pm to late and Sunday from 12 to 3pm and 5:30pm to late.

Diya-Maya Tsering Bhalla