SAMSEN

Chef Adam Cliff’s cosy 35-seater serves retro chic Bangkok Thai-Chinese shophouse realness together with his gaspinducing renditions of Thai street classics. His deft and dedicated touch, finesse and fiery woks give the stir-fried dishes and mixed Thai salads their bold, perfectly layered flavour combinations. Practically every item on the menu is crowd-pleasingly scrumptious, especially the signature wagyu beef boat noodles—the only dish that gets the masses happily slurping down a complex pig’s blood broth enriched with spices. The wok-fried rice is a great noodle alternative; it’s savoury and toasty from the heat, and amply punctuated with chunks of succulent crabmeat. The eatery is walk-in only and extremely popular with the neighbourhood, which means that there is usually a line, even on weekdays. Our suggestion is to come 20 to 30 minutes prior to opening hour, put your name down, head over to Stone Nullah Tavern right across the street for a drink at the bar and wait for them to phone you when a table is available. Save room for the warm pandanas coconut dumplings, delicate, herbal rice balls tinted a leaf green, filled with crushed nuts floating in a sweet coconut sauce balanced with a touch of salt.