Sawadee Thai Cuisine

Sawadee Thai Cuisine is a Thai restaurant at 9 Tan Quee Lan Street in Bugis, on the ground floor of TQL Suites. Its cooking follows the Central Thai style, with curries left to simmer for a long time, stir-fries from the wok and sharp, fresh salads.

The restaurant has been cooking Thai food in Singapore for more than two decades. Before it moved to Bugis at the end of 2013, it spent many years in Sembawang, in the north of the island. Today it is a handy stop for a sit-down meal close to the shops and markets of Bugis.

What to order

The menu is long, and many dishes come in two sizes, which makes sharing easy. Some good picks:

• Miang kham: betel leaf wraps, a classic Thai starter that you fold and eat in one bite.
• Salads: som tam (green papaya salad), yum ma muang (green mango salad), yum woon sen (glass noodle salad) and nam tok, a spicy grilled meat salad.
• Soups and curries: tom yum, tom kha and tom khlong, a hot and sour Thai soup. Curries include green curry, red curry with roast duck, jungle curry with fish and gaeng nuer pu, a curry with crab meat.
• Seafood: pla ta krai, fish with lemongrass, and hor mok talay, a steamed seafood curry custard similar to otah.
• Grills and stir-fries: grilled Kurobuta pork with jaew dipping sauce, pad kaprao with holy basil, and a short list of wagyu dishes.
• Khai jeow nuer pu: a fluffy Thai omelette filled with crab meat.
• Noodles and rice: pad thai with seafood, pad see ew and khao phad nam liap, fried rice with preserved black olives.

For dessert there is mango sticky rice, durian sticky rice and tub tim krob, chewy water chestnut "rubies" in coconut milk. Coconut ice cream is a lighter way to end.

The setting

The dining room takes its look from an old-style Thai house built of wood. The décor also nods to "sabai", the Thai idea of feeling relaxed and at ease. It makes a calm break from the crowds around Bugis. It suits both a simple dinner for two and a small celebration with family or friends.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve online through SevenRooms, by phone or by WhatsApp.
• Vegetarian: there is a separate vegetarian menu. Our vegetarian and vegan guide lists more options around the city.
• Other languages: a Chinese-language menu is also available.
• Takeaway and parties: delivery and party trays can be ordered online through the Sawadee website.
• Getting there: Bugis MRT station is the closest, a few minutes away on foot.

Nearby

Tan Quee Lan Street is a short walk from the stalls of Bugis Street. A little further on are the mosque and shophouses of Kampong Glam and Haji Lane. Other places to eat in the area include The Dim Sum Place on North Bridge Road and Whitegrass. See all restaurants in Bugis and Kampong Glam, browse more Thai, Korean and Asian restaurants, or read Orchard or Bugis: which is the better base?