Kin Arai Thai Kitchen

Kin Arai Thai Kitchen
100 Jalan Sultan
#01-05 Sultan Plaza

https://www.facebook.com/kinaraithaikitchen/

Basil Minced Pork With Rice & Egg (SGD $5.50)

Authentic, Affordable, Tasty Thai Cuisine

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 6
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $8 per person.


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Opened by a young, entrepreneurial couple in April 2016, Kin Arai Thai Kitchen is a rustic, home style coffeeshop stall serving authentic Thai dishes. Located in the sleepy Jalan Sultan area, between Lavender and Bugis, Kin Arai Thai Kitchen is headed up by Thai lady boss Sitang, who runs the kitchen, while husband Eugene helps out with marketing.

Ambience at Kin Arai Thai Kitchen is shared with the other stalls in this quiet coffeeshop. Set off the main road, the place is brightly lit, with functional plastic and metal furniture around. The stall has clear signage with an attractive menu. Being a hidden find, Kin Arai Thai Kitchen is mostly known to people who work in the area.

Service at Kin Arai Thai Kitchen is provided by the couple themselves, who can converse in English, Mandarin, and Thai. If need be, they can describe the dishes available. Orders are fulfilled very quickly, usually within 10 minutes even during peak periods. The main issue is the limited seating here, so you'll have to wait for a table if it's crowded.

Food at Kin Arai Thai Kitchen is rustic, home style, authentic Thai cuisine. Simple but flavourful, there is a wide variety of dishes on the menu. Portions are big for individuals, and best shared between at least 2 people. Prices are very affordable, with individual dishes costing between SGD $5 - $7 each. Budget about SGD $8 per person for a full meal here.


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Kin Arai Thai Kitchen Facade

Love their hand made Tod Mun Pla / Fish Cake (SGD $7) here. The uneven shaped fish cake are bouncy and light in texture, with good sweet savoury spicy flavour from the fish meat, herbs, and chili. Pairs well with the sweet chili dipping sauce. Good value for money too, with a total of 8 pieces per order. Highly recommended!

Tod Mun Pla / Fish Cake (SGD $7)

The basket of Deep-Fried Pork With Garlic (SGD $7) makes a perfect bar snack with beer. Crisp outside, yet tender inside, the pork is savoury and moist, with the garlic lending a wonderful fragrance. Highly recommended!

Deep-Fried Pork With Garlic (SGD $7)

The Som Tam / Green Papaya Salad (SGD $6) is properly sour spicy in taste, with good juicy crunchy texture. Featuring strips of young green / unripe papaya, long beans, tomato, chili, and heaps of crushed peanuts. Looks rustic, but tastes pretty good.

Som Tam / Green Papaya Salad (SGD $6)

The Tom Yum Talay Nam Khon / Tom Yum Seafood Creamy Soup (SGD $6 / $12) has a rich soup / broth, with solid savoury spicy sour flavour. Filled with fresh straw mushrooms, tomatoes, chunks of fish, squid, and prawns / shrimp. While I wish there were more prawns / shrimp, at least the seafood is fresh. Good!

Tom Yum Talay Nam Khon / Tom Yum Seafood Creamy Soup (SGD $6 / $12)

Loved the well balanced Kaeng Khiao Wan Gai / Green Curry Chicken (SGD $6 / $12) here. Floral with good earthy savoury taste, and the coconut milk isn't overpowering. The generous portion of boneless chicken chunks are tender, the string beans lend a slight crunch for texture, and the pea eggplants burst delightfully. Highly recommended!

Kaeng Khiao Wan Gai / Green Curry Chicken (SGD $6 / $12)

A simple Thai Khao Plao / White Rice (SGD $1), steamed and served with other dishes. Rather expensive though.

Khao Plao / White Rice (SGD $1)

The Khao Pad Sapparod / Pineapple Fried Rice (SGD $5.50) has a good smoky flavour from wok hei / breath of the wok, and the juicy sweet pineapple chunks lend good flavour. The vegetables however, are the run-of-the-mill frozen variety, but at least it lends colour. The pork floss lends some texture, while the prawns / shrimp within are fresh. Good!

Khao Pad Sapparod / Pineapple Fried Rice (SGD $5.50)

The Pad Kra Pao Moo Sap / Stir-Fried Holy Basil With Minced Pork (SGD $5.50) has decent white rice and a over done egg, but the star is the savoury salty tender minced pork. Nice chew, complemented by the string beans, I love that the meat has a tinge of spicy heat from the chili.

Pad Kra Pao Moo Sap / Stir-Fried Holy Basil With Minced Pork (SGD $5.50)

The Pad Thai / Stir-Fried Thai Rice Noodles (SGD $5.50) is tasty, but was quite filling for me, with its generous portion of fried noodles. Rather dry, the savoury rice noodles tend to stick to each other, forming clumps. The garnishes of bean sprouts, fish cake, eggs, fried beacurd tofu, prawns / shrimp, and crab stick meat lend texture, though the crab stick meat feels out of place here. Flavour is not well balanced, being more savoury. Not that great.

Pad Thai / Stir-Fried Thai Rice Noodles (SGD $5.50)

The Khao Niao Mamuang / Mango Sticky Rice (SGD $5) here features a sticky glutinous rice that is home made daily, and actually has decent coconut flavour on its own. Served with a medium sized mango, which is sweet and juicy, and a floral earthy coconut milk. Good!

Khao Niao Mamuang / Mango Sticky Rice (SGD $5)

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