Sarai Fine Thai

Sarai Fine Thai is a smart Thai restaurant on the third floor of Tanglin Mall, at the top end of Orchard Road. It serves classic Thai dishes in the sumrub style, a traditional way of eating where a spread of dishes is shared at the table. Many recipes are inspired by dishes loved by the Thai royal family, with a modern touch.

The kitchen is led by chef de cuisine Chimkit Khamphuang, known as Chef Lisa. She was born in Isan, in north-east Thailand, and has more than 27 years of cooking experience. Sarai took over from Patara Fine Thai Cuisine, a long-running Thai restaurant in the same mall, with a new look and a new menu. It is run by Creative Eateries.

What to order

The menu is long, so it helps to order a few dishes from each section and share. Starters include chor muang, the flower-shaped dumplings of the royal kitchen, pandan-wrapped chicken and grilled pork skewers. There are Thai salads too, such as pomelo with soft-shell crab.

Curries are a strong point. Choices run from green, red and massaman curries to a panang curry with grilled beef. The menu presents its Gaeng Raweng Neua, a beef curry, as a reworked royal Thai classic. One reviewer singled out a well-balanced sour curry with fish from an earlier set menu.

A separate section is given to lobster, cooked with black pepper, in a yellow curry sauce or in red curry. Staples include pad thai with prawns and khao kluk kapi, rice tossed in shrimp paste. For dessert, try mango sticky rice or tab tim grob, water chestnut pieces in coconut milk.

The setting

The dining room feels close to fine dining, with white tablecloths and wine glasses on the tables. The layout is roomy, so it works for couples and bigger groups alike. Two private dining rooms can be combined to seat up to 40 guests, which suits family celebrations and company dinners. The drinks list includes house cocktails and mocktails with Thai flavours.

Good to know before you go

• Booking ahead is a good idea, above all for dinner and at weekends, though you can walk in if a table is free.
• You can book through the official website or by WhatsApp.
• There is no strict dress code, but smart casual clothes fit the room best.
• A dedicated vegetarian menu is available.

Getting there

Sarai is at 163 Tanglin Road, unit #03-122 in Tanglin Mall. The official website notes that it is near Orchard Boulevard MRT station. Hotel Jen Tanglin is a convenient place to stay close by.

Nearby

For Korean barbecue nearby, try Seoul Restaurant at Conrad Singapore Orchard on Cuscaden Road. After lunch, the Singapore Botanic Gardens and the shops of Orchard Road are both easy to reach. See more Thai, Korean and Asian restaurants, or browse all restaurants in Dempsey, Tanglin and Holland.