WHEN it comes to food, I like my tastebuds to be sure.
That means no subtle hints of this or that.
If it's spicy, it's spicy. If it's sour, it's sour. That's how my palate works. No beating about the bush.
So when I saw this restaurant's name - Sweet Salty Spicy Food Market & Thai Canteen- I figured
I'd be getting exactly what I like.
And I did.
Don't let the 'canteen' in the name fool you.
PLUSH DECOR
When you step inside this fusion restaurant, it's all plush decor, classy furnishings and warm lighting.
Owned by Australian chef Christopher Millar and Singaporean Victor Chia, this three-month-old restaurant serves delectable Thai cuisine in a posh Western setting.
Singaporeans, because of our smaller appetites or sometimes being plain cheapskate, tend to skip the appetisers in a fancy place.
But trust me, don't do that here as there are some great gems on the list. Top of the list is the green mango salad ($14).
At first glance, it's your average Thai starter, the kind you get at any Thai food joint.
Must-try dishes include green mango salad (top picture) and the tasty betel leaf-wrapped appetiser (above) which is a blend of prawns, pomelo and palm sugar dressing.
But what makes it interesting are the pieces of crispy, grilled salmon and sprinkling of cashew nuts that add an extra slice of flavour.
Then there's a 'miang' (tasty leaf-wrapped tidbits) of prawns and pomelo and betel leaves with a palm sugar dressing and shredded coconut ($3.50 per piece).
MOUTHFUL OF TASTE
A mouthful of a name and oh, what a mouthful of taste too.
Bitter (betel nut), sweet (palm sugar) and sour (pomelo) all fighting for attention at once in your mouth with a loud crunch.
Not that you should miss the mains. The wagyu prime rump ($28) was a favourite at the table, with its moist, marbled texture.
Also a hit were the various curries. I particularly liked the roast duck red curry ($14). The duck was tender and the pineapple chunks and seedless grapes added a pleasant fruity flavour.
Likewise, the green curry ($14) had nuggets of fresh baby snapper and unlike some green curries which tend to make you feel rather sick of it after a while, this one I happily slurped up.
The deep fried silken tofu ($18) was passable even though head chef Mark Richards says it's probably the hardest dish to prepare.
Likewise, the pad Thai noodles ($12) were nothing to shout about and I found the dish a little too sweet.
As for desserts, save your calories for the pavlova with mango ($9), which was excellent.
The dessert range is limited and there's reason for that.
Within the restaurant is a deli counter with fresh-from-the-kitchen salads and trays of mouthwatering cakes, tarts and muffins.
There is also a little mini-market selling raw vegetables, sauces and spices.
And if you're gungho enough to indulge in some sweet, salty and spicy cooking of your own, you can even buy ready-packed kits containing bottled spices, marinated meats and herbs.
There are instructions too. But if, like me, the only thing you operate in your kitchen is the microwave oven, then just go for the real thing.
Sweet Salty Spicy 392/394 Upper Bukit Timah Road
The Rail Mall
(opposite the railway bridge, near hillview)
(S) 678047
Tel: 6877 2544
This story was first published in The New Paper on Feb 27, 2008.
