Thai wanton mee ($7.80)!
PhetchaBuri Thai wanton mee at Tai Seng: Bangkok-style egg noodles with red char siew, fried wanton, fishball slices and kai lan, with a wanton soup side. $7.80.
Lunch at Tai Seng: Thai-style wanton mee, $7.80. Bangkok-style, from PhetchaBuri Thai. ๐
What was on the plate:
- Thin egg noodles: the springy yellow noodles, the base of the bowl
- Red char siew: the dyed-red Thai-Chinese roast pork slices
- Fried wanton: the golden crisp dumplings scattered over
- Fishball / fishcake slices: the pink-edged round pieces
- Kai lan: the blanched Chinese broccoli
- Wanton soup on the side: clear broth with dumplings (plate branded PhetchaBuri Thai)
Thai wanton mee (เธเธฐเธซเธกเธตเน) is the Bangkok-Chinese cousin of the Singapore version, and the difference is the sauce profile: where SG wanton mee leans on dark soy, ketchup and chilli, the Thai version leans on fish sauce, sugar and a brighter chilli, giving it a sweeter, tangier, more aromatic finish. The Thai-Chinese influence runs deep, bah mee was brought by Chinese immigrants and adapted to the Thai palate, and the result tastes distinctly different from its Singapore relative.
The red char siew is the visual tell: Thai-Chinese roast pork is often dyed the bright red that Singapore mostly dropped, sweeter and softer than the local version. Combined with the fried wanton and the fishball slices, the bowl piles on more variety than a standard SG plate.
The noodle toss is lighter and sweeter than the SG chilli-and-dark-soy version, and the wanton soup on the side keeps the dumplings separate so they stay plump rather than soggy.
At $7.80 for a Thai-style wanton mee at Tai Seng, this sits a little above hawker SG wanton mee, fair for the specialist Bangkok-style execution.
Overall: 4.2 / 5. ๐๐๐ผ The sweeter, fish-sauce-forward toss was the distinctive standout. Would re-order for the change of profile.
