Billed as a fine-dining restaurant, Sarai follows the convention of delicate, precisely plated courses loved by the Thai royal family

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At the elegantly refurbished Sarai, chef de cuisine Chimkit Khamphuang (she goes by Lisa) is artfully contemporising Thai cuisine, inviting diners on a journey of culinary rediscovery. Rather than retread the same familiar ground of every other Thai restaurant, the Isan-born chef has meticulously crafted a modern menu of classical dishes beloved by the Thai royal family. 

Billed as a fine-dining restaurant, Sarai follows the convention of delicate, precisely plated courses, starting with appetisers like the Plaa Heng Tang Mo. The unexpected sweet-savoury combination of fresh watermelon and smoked cod is thrillingly unfamiliar, and primes us for the gastronomic adventure ahead. A couple more exciting bites—a zingy Mieng Mak (dried prawns and wild ginger wrapped in a betel leaf) and Puu Sorn Glin (crab meat with pickled garlic)—and Lisa will lead you back to more familiar waters with a soul-warming Gaeng Jued Pad Yang, a deep dusky broth with roasted duck, sweetened with young coconut. If you like classic Thai green curry, be prepared for a reinterpretation (Gaeng Raweng Nuea) of tender long-braised wagyu in a heady dry green curry. Yet another hearty main that begs to be paired with fresh steamed rice.

Epicures will be pleased to learn the restaurant has also set the table for a series of wine- and sake-pairing dinners. We hear the focus will be uniquely on Thai wines, most recently award-winning single estate winery GranMonte’s Asoke Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah 2019, a fruit-forward red wine that may be paired beautifully with a bold, aromatic Panang Nua Yang (grilled Australian wagyu sirloin with curry).

Robb Tip: HSBC card holders enjoy one-for-one cocktails until the end of March 2023.

Sarai
163 Tanglin Rd,
03-122 Tanglin Mall,
Singapore 247933
Tel: +65 6737 0818