Cuisine: Thai
Location: Singapore Expo
Craving Score: 3.5/5 (you'll come back for more)
This one is obviously flavoured Thai. And to be honest, my taste buds are not actually attuned for things that are spicy and hot (I usually let my freshly boiled coffee sit for a few minutes before taking a sip). It's not attuned, but I don't necessarily avoid it, nor do I restrict myself from taking it in. And Thai food, well, like Singapore food, it's reputation in the spice-o-meter preceeds it.
I've actually had Thai food before so I already knew what to expect. The question on my mind was, "how would it fare?". We had a good oggle at the menu and placed our bets.
The first thing on the table happened to be Chicken and Mushroom Salad. Not very Thai-ish from the name, but those slices of flaming red chilis will cast your doubts aside. First bite allows you to experience the texture of the meal as the crunchy slices of (something) on top mixes with the soft mushrooms and tender chicken cubes with the cold slices of chili. It's one of those Ratatouille (the mouse movie) moments that left me gasping. But that was because it was so darn hot!
Shortly, a sculpted Pineapple came our way with steaming Pineapple Rice crammed inside the small vessel. This is another Thai signature dish if I am not wrong, and it goes in the right way. It had slightly less chili on board, which was quite welcome for my tongue. It was a bit on the salty side, but that could just be me (I have been cutting down on oil, sugar and sodium intake for a while now). Of course, you don't get rice simply by itself and expect a complete meal.
This is where the Soft Shell Crabs come into the picture. For people with hyper tension and high cholesterol, this should be a no-brainer. Stay away! But then again, what is life without a little adventure, right? Right. These soft shell crabs (sorry, I don't really think there would be "soft" shells) are spot on. Slightly crunchy, slightly juicy, all tasty. You can feel the cholesterol ... err ... crab juice flowing away off your lips while your teeth crunch and nibble their way through the breading. A bit of vinegar and spice is available should you need/want additional flavor in your crabs. Personally, I recommend it to help kill off some of that shell-fish smell, but even eaten on it's own, it hits the spot.
Fans of spicy food will have their fill in Lerk Thai, and those who are not fans as well. Of course, your choice of food will be the burning notice on your tongue, but a little fire won't kill you. It will burn your tongue, yes, but you get fo live and eat another dish.
