Restaurant review: Bali Thai, Singapore

As Singapore was gearing up to welcome the lunar new year, a friend and I decided to celebrate the commencement of the holidays by catching up over dinner. 

We decided on Bali Thai as our catch-up venue. This restaurant offers a range of Malay/Indonesian, Indo Chinese and Thai dishes. From its humble beginning of only one restaurant in a suburban mall in 1993, Bali Thai has emerged to be one of the most renowned restaurants in Singapore that caters to the taste buds of Thai and Indonesian food enthusiasts. Since then, Bali Thai has multiple restaurants in the various parts of Singapore, as well as in China.

I haven't sampled much of Indonesian or Malay cuisine but I have tried a variety of Thai dishes. And who doesn't love Thai food? I love the color, vibrancy, zing and flavor of this cuisine. Some of the best Thai dishes I have ever had was on a holiday to Phuket and whenever I go to a restaurant which serves Thai dishes, I hope to rekindle those strong food memories. 

I had been to Bali Thai in Singapore before and although the food there cannot be compared to what I had in Thailand, it still is pretty good (but then again, I guess it is a bit of an unfair comparison). Also, keep in mind that the quality of your dining also depends on which branch you go to. I've heard that the Bali Thai at IMM and Novena square are the better outlets.

The particular Bali Thai that we went to was located in West Mall. The interior of the restaurant is pleasing and the ambiance is cozy. The staff are friendly and greet the customers enthusiastically as they enter the restaurant. 

As we sat down, we were handed the menus along with some crackers with sweet chilli sauce. Not something I particularly like but it gives you something to nibble on while you are deciding what you want to order.

Crackers with sweet chilli sauce

We poured through the menu and were quite happy to discover an impressive selection of vegetarian dishes (which can be a rarity in many non-Indian restaurants). I almost always order spring rolls for starters. There is something about the simplicity of spring rolls that I just adore. These spring rolls were crispy, light making and rather yummy.

Spring rolls

The Thai mango papaya salad is something I've ordered before and enjoyed but I didn't order it this time. I would recommend it though. After that we ordered a tofu and cashew nut stir fry which in my opinion was the dish of the day. I loved the combination of fried tofu, crunchy cashews, colorful bell peppers with a hint of dry red chilli and tinge of sweetness.

Tofu and cashew nut stir-fry

After that we shared some egg fried rice with the stir-fry and plain rice with green curry.  The egg fried rice was very nice....I love the way the rice was cooked. It was simply prepared and delicious. The green curry was flavourful but when it came to the consistency, I felt it was a little watery.

Egg fried rice

Thai green curry

I downed all these dishes with fresh sweet Thai coconut water which they served in its natural form. It makes quite a pretty picture don't you think? There is something very pure and refreshing about the taste of coconut water. It reminds me of my childhood when I used to go to my grandfather's farm with my cousins and enjoy sweet and cool tender coconut water at the end of a hot day.

Coconut water

After eating all this, we were feeling quite full (as you can imagine) but then I wanted to sample a dessert. I ordered the glutinous rice with mango. I have mixed feelings about this dessert. For one, it wasn't sweet enough for me (I have an Indian palette you see). The mangoes were indeed sweet and had a lovely fragrance with the sesame topping adding an interesting touch but the glutinous rice with the coconut cream was a bit of a miss for me. If there were more pieces of mango I could have finished the dish because that was what brought it together and made it palatable.

Glutinous rice with mango

Bali Thai: Perennial favourites from Thai & Indonesian cuisine

Bali Thai is a nice spot to enjoy some crowd-pleasing fusion Indonesian and Thai food. There is a good mix of vegetarian and meat-based dishes. The menu has a good selection of appetizers, soups & salads, rice, noodles, desserts & beverages. The portion-sizes and quality of food is decent. The service is satisfactory. This is a typically mid-range restaurant. 

I would recommend Bali Thai for families or larger groups as you can sit together and share dishes.


 My rating for this restaurant is

Cheers,

Megha

This is not a sponsored post or invited review.