Basil pork fried rice ($4)!
Sunday Thai — basil pork fried rice $4. Budget Thai pad krapow fried rice.
Thai hawker lunch: basil pork fried rice, $4. The pad krapow classic, fried-rice style. 😋
This is a fried-rice spin on pad krapow, Thailand’s beloved holy-basil stir-fry. Instead of serving the basil pork over plain rice, the minced pork is stir-fried with Thai holy basil, garlic and chilli and then tossed straight through the rice in a hot wok, so every grain picks up that savoury, garlicky, slightly spicy flavour and a bit of smoky wok hei.
The hallmark of a good pad krapow is the holy basil (krapow), which has a peppery, almost clove-like aroma quite different from the sweet Thai basil, and it comes through fragrant here. The seasoning hits that classic Thai balance of salty (fish sauce), a little sweet and a chilli kick, so the rice is punchy rather than plain. A fried egg on top is the traditional finish, runny yolk to mix through.
At just $4, this is exactly the kind of cheap, fast, satisfying Thai hawker plate that’s hard to beat for a quick, flavour-packed meal.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Fragrant holy basil, savoury minced pork and proper wok hei through every grain, a punchy, great-value Thai plate. Would re-order.
