Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) Tasting Session
57 South Bridge Road #01-02
Opening Hours:
Tue - Sun: 11:30am - 3pm (Lunch), 6pm - 10pm (Dinner),
Closed Mon
https://www.facebook.com/uykdsg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Chubby Botak Koala, msginginly, and Purple Taste.
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| Meal Flat Lay |
Hearty Thai & Issan Dishes
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 7
Value for Money: 7
Budget about SGD $42 per person.
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Hailing from the Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima / Korat province in Thailand, where it was established by former lawyer Panchana Vatanasathien in August 2016, Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) is a mid-range restaurant whose name translates to 'anything goes'. Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) specialises in the regional North-East Thai cuisine known as Issan, serving up authentic dishes that are bold in taste and spicy in profile.
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| Un-Yang-Kor-Dai Signage |
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| Un-Yang-Kor-Dai Logo |
Ambience at Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) is casual, comfortable, and eye-catching. The modern functional furnishings, in shades of grey and wood, are neatly laid out in the warmly lit space. The standouts however, are the collections of paintings, murals, porcelain works, faux hanging greenery, and other distinctly Thai decor, which lends the place a charming character. Atmosphere is buzzing, and conversation from the next table carries over.
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| Un-Yang-Kor-Dai Exterior |
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| Un-Yang-Kor-Dai Interior |
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| Seating |
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| Seating |
Service at Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) is friendly, happy, and efficient. Per their founder's philosophy of giving back to the community, the employees are people of all ages, treated equally regardless of their background, be they elderly, impoverished villagers, or students. They're provided aid to tide through difficult times, and work in the restaurant here. Staff exhibit the polite, friendly manner of their people, and work quickly, from taking orders to cleaning up. Few are conversant in English though.
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| Counter |
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| Porcelain Scooter |
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| Porcelain Merlion |
Food at Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) is distinctly North-East Thai cuisine, also known as Issan cuisine. Issan dishes are characterised by strong sour and spicy flavours, and the dishes here reflect that. Hand made with generations-old recipes, using fresh ingredients, result in a consistently good quality. Portions are sized for communal group dining. Prices are higher than elsewhere, but you're sort of supporting the needy. Budget about SGD $42 per person for a meal here.
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| Meal Flat Lay |
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| No Talk |
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| Us |
The chilled Lemongrass & Pandan (SGD $4.80) features boiled lemongrass and pandan / screwpine leaf, blended with white sugar and water, served with a lime wedge. It has a distinct floral herbal earthy sweet sour tangy flavour, and is light and refreshing.
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| Lemongrass & Pandan (SGD $4.80) |
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| Lemongrass & Pandan |
The pretty Butterfly Pea Flower With Lime (SGD $5.50) features butterfly pea flower infused fizzy beverage, served with a wedge of lime. As you squeeze the lime juice into the drink, it slowly turns from a vibrant blue to a bright purple colour. This picture-perfect beverage has a light floral sweet sour zesty flavour.
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| Butterfly Pea Flower With Lime (SGD $5.50) |
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| Butterfly Pea Flower With Lime |
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| Butterfly Pea Flower With Lime |
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| Butterfly Pea Flower With Lime |
A straightforward Thai Milk Tea (SGD $5), served chilled. It has a milky earthy sweet flavour, and I like that it's balanced in taste.
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| Thai Milk Tea (SGD $5) |
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| Thai Milk Tea |
The Jasmine White Rice (SGD $1.50 per bowl / $7 per pot) is a classic staple to accompany any meal here. The white rice is lightly fragrant, with a faint grainy flavour, and a moist sticky soft texture. This allows it to quickly absorb any gravy or curry poured over it.
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| Jasmine White Rice (SGD $1.50 per bowl / $7 per pot) |
Served in beautiful hand woven rattan baskets, the Glutinous Black & White Rice (SGD $2) features a mix of white rice, black rice, and red rice. Although all of it is glutinous rice, I find the texture less sticky and clumpy than other versions elsewhere. Has a lovely deep earthy grainy flavour.
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| Glutinous Black & White Rice (SGD $2) |
The PenLaos Signature Grilled Chicken (SGD $12 Half / $21 Whole) uses a time-honoured recipe from the Khao Yai region of Thailand, marinating the spring chicken in a blend of white pepper, black pepper, garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh coriander. Roasted to perfection, the result is an incredibly succulent, juicy, and tender spring chicken, whose meat pulls off easily from the bone. Delicious smoky savoury sweet salty peppery spice flavours abound. Loved every bite of this. Highly recommended!
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| Signature Grilled Chicken (SGD $12 Half / $21 Whole) |
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| Signature Grilled Chicken |
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| Signature Grilled Chicken |
The Red Curry With Grilled Chicken, Lychee, Tomato, Sweet Basil (SGD $16.50) features the same succulent, delicious, Issan grilled spring chicken, in a tangy sour sweet savoury red curry that has mildly spicy heat. Completed with herbal sweet basil leaves, chunks of tomato, and lychee, which burst with juicy sweet flavour. The red curry is rich with a medium thick texture, and pairs really well on white rice. Good!
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| Red Curry With Grilled Chicken, Lychee, Tomato, Sweet Basil (SGD $16.50) |
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| Red Curry With Grilled Chicken, Lychee, Tomato, Sweet Basil |
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| Red Curry With Grilled Chicken, Lychee, Tomato, Sweet Basil |
A classic Issan dish and the house signature, the Leng Zaab (SGD $28 / $43 / $68) is a must-order. Flambé tableside, the mountain of chunky pork ribs are doused in a spicy and sour clear broth loaded with Thai herbs and chilies. Boldly enticing, the pork rib meat slides off the bone so easily, lending its meaty savoury flavour to the piquant broth. Deliciously appetizing. Highly recommended!
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| Leng Zaab (SGD $28 / $43 / $68) |
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| Leng Zaab |
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| Leng Zaab |
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| Leng Zaab |
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| Leng Zaab |
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| Leng Zaab |
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| Leng Zaab |
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| Leng Zaab |
The Stuffed Squid With Tom Yum Fried Rice (SGD $23.90) was alright. The skewered and grilled whole squid has a light bouncy chew to texture, with delicate sweet savoury smoky flavour. The stuffing of tom yum fried rice makes this dish really filling, and has a light sour savoury herbal flavour, but seems to lack the signature smoky aroma I'd like in a fried rice. Could be improved.
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| Stuffed Squid With Tom Yum Fried Rice (SGD $23.90) |
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| Stuffed Squid With Tom Yum Fried Rice |
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| Stuffed Squid With Tom Yum Fried Rice |
Loved the Scotch Eggs With Tamarind Sauce (SGD $12.50), even though it's not really scotch eggs in the proper sense. They've managed to get a slight crisp exterior to the hard boiled eggs, while the interior remains bouncy soft. Coated in a tangy sharp sour tamarind gravy, the natural eggy sweet flavours of the eggs can still be tasted distinctly, while the garnish of fried shallots and dried chili lend aroma. Worth ordering!
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| Scotch Eggs With Tamarind Sauce (SGD $12.50) |
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| Scotch Eggs With Tamarind Sauce |
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| Scotch Eggs With Tamarind Sauce |
The thing that struck me about the Grilled Eggplant With Spicy Minced Pork & Basil (SGD $14.50) was the texture of the grilled eggplant / brinjal / aubergine. It retains a tender juicy chew without being mushy or limp, and has beautiful vegetal earthy sweet flavour. The topping of savoury salty minced pork and earthy herbal basil leaves is generous and bold in taste, making this a good pairing with rice. Rather addictive, I kept reaching for more. Highly recommended!
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| Grilled Eggplant With Spicy Minced Pork & Basil (SGD $14.50) |
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| Grilled Eggplant With Spicy Minced Pork & Basil |
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| Grilled Eggplant With Spicy Minced Pork & Basil |
The Thai Milk Tea Pudding (SGD $5.50) is playfully wobbly soft, with solid milk tea flavour that is earthy milky sweet in taste. We spent quite a bit of time making it wobble by gently shaking the table. Cuts easily, and has a gelatinous soft texture in the mouth. Otherwise, this is pretty straightforward, it's milk tea in a pudding. Worth ordering!
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| Thai Milk Tea Pudding (SGD $5.50) |
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| Thai Milk Tea Pudding |
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| Thai Milk Tea Pudding |
The Trio Tingkat Delight (SGD $12) is naturally served in a tingkat / tiffin carrier. Each colourful metal container carries a slightly different take on a Thai bubur chacha, which is a dessert with a base of coconut milk soup infused with butterfly pea flower. In turn, there's sweet potato cubes, yam / taro cubes, and slices of banana. All have tender soft textures, barely needing any chewing, with bold earthy sweet flavours. Of the three, the banana has the most intense caramelised sweetness, while the yam / taro is the most mild, with the sweet potato being balanced. Highly recommended!
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| Trio Tingkat Delight (SGD $12) |
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| Trio Tingkat Delight |
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| Trio Tingkat Delight |
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| Trio Tingkat Delight |
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| Trio Tingkat Delight |
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| Trio Tingkat Delight |
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| Trio Tingkat Delight |
The Rice Balls With Sweet Coconut Milk & Egg (SGD $6.50) features a thin soup of sweetened coconut milk fortified with a soft boiled egg, and filled with colourful rice balls. With eggy earthy sweet flavour, the soup is warming and soulful, while the chewy sticky rice balls lend a playful texture and a splash of colour. A simple dessert, but this personally didn't appeal to me.
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| Rice Balls With Sweet Coconut Milk & Egg (SGD $6.50) |
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| Rice Balls With Sweet Coconut Milk & Egg |
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| Rice Balls With Sweet Coconut Milk & Egg |
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| Rice Balls With Sweet Coconut Milk & Egg |
Overall, we enjoyed the dining experience at Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD), from the comfortable ambience, happy service, and authentic Issan food. While their prices are higher compared to other Thai restaurants, the good quality, and rarity of this particular cuisine, make repeat visits to Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD) worthwhile.
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Update Mar-2020: Been meaning to return to Un-Yang-Kor-Dai (UYKD), and finally had the opportunity to revisit. The ambience, service, food quality, and prices remain largely the same as our prior visit a few months ago, though the menu has changed slightly.
The PenLaos Signature Grilled Chicken (SGD $12 Half) tasted as good as before, with the perfectly grilled spring chicken being succulent, juicy, and tender in texture. The familiar smoky savoury sweet salty peppery spice flavours are still present, so yummy.
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| Signature Grilled Chicken (SGD $12 Half) |
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| Signature Grilled Chicken |
Despite its name, the Isaan Herbal Chicken Soup (SGD $15) is 'herbal' in the Northen Thai sense - a fiery spicy savoury sour soup / broth of tender crisp chewy ingredients, including sliced boneless chicken, choy sum / Chinese flowering cabbage, straw mushrooms, spring onions, shallots, basil leaves, fish sauce, sugar, tamarind juice, salt, garlic, lemongrass, and chili. Nicely punchy, good spice kick to the palate.
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| Isaan Herbal Chicken Soup (SGD $15) |
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| Isaan Herbal Chicken Soup |
A warm dish with comforting notes, the Stir-Fried Trio Mushrooms With Hot Basil (SGD $16.90) features a trio of tender juicy mushrooms (straw, brown beech, oyster / king trumpet), tossed with crunchy red and yellow bell peppers / capsicum. This has bright vegetal earthy savoury bitter sweet flavours. Pairs well with most dishes.
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| Stir-Fried Trio Mushrooms With Hot Basil (SGD $16.90) |
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| Stir-Fried Trio Mushrooms With Hot Basil |
Loved the Kor Moo Yang / Grilled Pork Neck (SGD $12.90), with the tender moist slices of sliced grilled pork neck having a satisfying chew, and robust smoky savoury salty flavour. Served with a sharp spicy chili dipping sauce on the side. A sprinkling of finely crushed peanuts lend a nutty crunch to texture.
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| Kor Moo Yang / Grilled Pork Neck (SGD $12.90) |
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| Kor Moo Yang / Grilled Pork Neck |
The classic Northen Thai appetizer of Larb Moo (SGD $12.90), or Minced Pork Salad, is done well here. Unlike other versions, the tender grainy bits of minced pork are lightly seasoned and spiced, giving it a refreshingly clean flavour, with sweet herbal flavours tempered by hints of savoury salty spice notes. Rather addictive, and I'm surprised it helps open the palate by being so light.
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| Larb Moo (SGD $12.90) |
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| Larb Moo |
The Vegetarian Fried Rice (SGD $12) has a delicate smoky aroma, with decent savoury sweet vegetal flavours. The rice grains tossed with egg separate easily, and the dish is garnished with a medley of tender vegetables, including peas, carrot, corn, brown beech mushrooms, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. Feels healthy!
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| Vegetarian Fried Rice (SGD $12) |
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| Vegetarian Fried Rice |
Feel conflicted about the Tub Tim Grob / Red Rubies (SGD $5.50). I like that thin but bold milky earthy sweet flavours of the chilled coconut milk soup / broth, and the addition of juicy jackfruit slices which lend bold floral fruity sweet flavour. But the red ruby tapioca-flour-covered water chestnuts were firm and crunchy, lacking the distinctive chewy layer. Still, pretty good if you don't mind the inconsistent texture.
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| Tub Tim Grob / Red Rubies (SGD $5.50) |
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| Tub Tim Grob / Red Rubies |
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CONVERSATION