Central Thai

http://www.facebook.com/CentralThaiSG








Central Thai has flown somewhat under the radar, back when they used to be located in Orchard Central. Complaints of lacklustre and greasy food meant Central Thai was passed over when it came to choosing a Thai restaurant to dine at. Now that Central Thai has relaunched in Changi Airport, it seems they've improved the standard and quality of the food and service.

A major difference in the ambience now at Central Thai is the brightly lit and spacious interior. I like the clean lines and open space, as well as the Thai inspired decor. However, the open concept also means noise levels tend to be higher as compared to an enclosed restaurant. Also, the tables are rather small as compared to the size of serving dishes, and you'll quickly run out of table space if you order more than 4 dishes.

Service is quiet, but efficient. Staff don't really make conversation or ask for feedback, but they do greet you upon entering. Food is served very quickly, even if you order many dishes. Also, staff do take initiative to clear away empty plates, as well as top up rice if needed. When ordering, the manager of Central Thai is able to make recommendations, but not all staff here are capable of that.

Food at Central Thai is a mix of Thai street food, popular Thai dishes, and some Chinese influenced dishes. Dishes are noticeably less greasy as compared to the old Orchard Central outlet, and most of the dishes are tasty and flavourful. While some dishes were average bordering on good, the specialties really stood out. Dishes I would recommend include the Tom Yum Seafood Soup (Red), the Green Curry Chicken, the Thai Fish Cake and the dessert Tako.

Central Thai does seem to have improved itself since their last attempt, and I would encourage those who have visited their previous outlet to try this new attempt of theirs. The challenge for Central Thai is to maintain or improve upon their current standard, rather than slipping back down again.





Clean, spacious and bright interior of the restaurant. Can get rather noisy during peak periods though.

Central Thai Interior 01

Central Thai Interior 02

Central Thai Desserts Menu

Central Thai Order Sheet

The Hot Milk Tea was sweet, while the Ice Leamongrass Tea was cooling and refreshing. The Hot Milo was quite standard, but the Iced Pandan Tea was unique and interesting to drink... The taste was similar to water chestnut when chilled.

Hot Milk Tea

Iced Lemongrass Tea

Hot Milo

Iced Pandan Tea

Lime Mojito

There are unlimited refills of Steamed White Rice. The Phad Thai has was nicely balanced in taste, with sour, sweet and spicy, and the noodles had a nice wok flavour. But I thought that the proportion of noodles was too much compared to the ingredients.

Steamed White Rice

Phad Thai

I liked the contrast of taste with the Long Beans With Salted Egg. The Kai Lan In Oyster Sauce was average though. Some of my colleagues liked the Glass Noodle Seafood Salad, but I didn't like the overall texture of the noodles in this dish.

Glass Noodle Seafood Salad

Kai Lan In Oyster Sauce

Long Beans With Salted Egg

The Tom Yum Seafood Soup is the red variety, and authentically done with the proper spices. The seafood portion is generous and more importantly, very fresh, and is served steamboat style.

Tom Yum Seafood Soup

The Green Curry Chicken was delicious, and there is a good amount of chicken meat in the serving. While the Hot Plate Chicken was tasty, I thought it was only average and it's more of a Chinese style dish rather than a Thai dish.

Green Curry Chicken

Hot Plate Chicken

The Thai Prawn Cake had tightly packed prawns within a deep-fried exterior, but it tasted like something I could get from the supermarket. Surprisingly, the Thai Fish Cake was actually the best dish we had here, as my colleagues all agreed it was authentic and meaty.

Thai Prawn Cake

Thai Fish Cake

The Pandan Leaf Chicken is fragrant with the aroma of pandan, but isn't as tasty as it smells or looks. It still pretty good, but not among the better dishes in the restaurant.

Pandan Leaf Chicken 01

Pandan Leaf Chicken 02

The Mango Salad was surprisingly light and refreshing, as I expected it to be a lot more sour. The nuts added a nice texture, and the mango was fresh and crunchy.

Mango Salad

The Thai Red Ruby and Mango Glutinous Rice was only average, and if you skip them, you won't be missing out. The Thai Tapioca With Coconut Milk was actually quite delicious and unique, but the real star of the desserts is the Tako. It's hands-down the best and most well made Tako I've ever had in Singapore, and I highly recommend ordering this!

Mango Glutinous Rice

Thai Tapioca With Coconut Milk

Thai Red Ruby

Tako