Yhingthai Palace

Yhingthai Palace is a Thai and Thai-Chinese restaurant on Purvis Street, a short street off Beach Road, close to Raffles Hotel. It opened in 1993 and has been a steady choice for shared Thai meals ever since.

The restaurant began at 13 Purvis Street with about 60 seats. In January 1998 it moved across to larger premises at number 36, which seat around 120. The restaurant says it held a Michelin Bib Gourmand for nine years in a row, starting with the first MICHELIN Guide Singapore in 2016. The Bib Gourmand marks good food at moderate prices.

What to order

The menu is long, and most dishes come in small or large sizes for sharing. The Michelin Guide suggests starting with som tum, the green papaya salad with dried shrimp and peanuts. Here it comes with fried chicken strips. If the choice feels too wide, there are set menus.

• Salads: pomelo salad with chicken, prawns and toasted coconut, and a mango salad with dried shrimp.
• Khao tang nah tang: crisp rice crackers with a coconut milk dip of minced chicken and shrimp.
• Peek kai sord sai: deboned chicken wings stuffed with chicken, mushroom and asparagus, then fried.
• Seafood: steamed grouper with lime, garlic and chilli, deep-fried pomfret with mango sauce, and grilled prawns with a three-flavour chilli sauce.
• Thai-Chinese dishes: peh sah is a whole steamed grouper with cabbage, salted vegetables and celery, served with a garlic chilli sauce.
• Curries and soups: green, red and panang curries, plus seafood tom yam, either clear or with coconut milk.
• Rice and desserts: olive rice with dried shrimp, lime and chilli on the side, pineapple fried rice with pork floss, and tub tim krob, water chestnut in coconut milk.

The setting

The dining space is split into three rooms, each decorated in a colourful Thai style. Servers wear traditional Thai dress, which adds to the feel. The rooms are air-conditioned and comfortable, and the Michelin Guide notes that the restaurant is good for groups.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve through the restaurant's website or by phone.
• Dietary needs: there are separate vegetarian and gluten-free menus. Tell the staff about any allergies when you order.
• Waiting time: grilled and steamed dishes take at least 20 minutes to prepare.
• Drinks: there is a wine list, Thai beer and Thai iced tea. A corkage fee applies if you bring your own bottle.
• Access: the Michelin Guide lists wheelchair access, and credit cards are accepted.
• At home: food can also be ordered online for delivery.

Nearby

Yhingthai shares its building with Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar. Raffles Hotel Singapore is a short walk away, and its Raffles Arcade is home to Yì by Jereme Leung. Carlton Hotel Singapore on Bras Basah Road is also close. Browse more Thai, Korean and Asian restaurants, or all restaurants in Bugis and Kampong Glam.