Naakin at Amoy serves up homely halal Thai flavours and hearty portions to the CBD crowd

Come lunchtime at Amoy Street Food Centre, there’s one stall on the first floor that’s almost impossible to miss.

Even though it’s tucked at the edge of the hawker centre, it’s easy to spot the Thai concept Naakin, which often draws a steady queue of office workers eager for their midday fix of Thai comfort food.

The halal-certified stall is run by Malay-Thai couple Diko Farhan Tokihiko Sakamoto, 31, and Teemaporn Hochai Bom, 34 — better known as Diko and Bom — who first met in Thailand. 

The couple started Naakin as a home-based brand in 2019, and kept it going throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Through this, they built a following who enjoyed their Thai favourites such as tom yum, mango sticky rice, mango salad, and Thai milk tea.

The response to the couple’s home-based setup was so encouraging that in September 2024, they took the leap and opened a physical stall, with the aim of bringing homely Thai flavours to the CBD crowd.

This time, they pared down the menu to just three dishes — pad krapow, tom yum, and pad thai — to cater to the fast-paced CBD lunch crowd looking for a quick, yet satisfying meal.

And honestly, it works.

Each dish delivers consistent quality and full-bodied Thai flavours, whether it’s the aromatic pad krapow or the tangy, hearty tom yum — it’s clear that Naakin’s choice to focus on these three staples has paid off beautifully.

Oh, and the portions? Generous. 

You’ll leave full, satisfied, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably already be planning your next visit once you have that first mouthful. 

The simple but mouthwatering menu

If I had to pick a favourite of the three, it would be the pad krapow. We went for beef (S$8.30), but there’s also the chicken (S$7) option.

Naakin’s rendition of the Thai classic features tender, thinly sliced beef stir-fried with holy basil, garlic, soy sauce, bell peppers, black pepper and chilli — served over fragrant rice with a perfectly runny fried egg.

The dish hits all the right notes with its aromatic stir-fried, well-seasoned beef, and its punchy mix of spice and basil.

Add a spoonful of its housemade chilli, which you can get at the front of the stall, and every bite becomes a spoonful of pure comfort — spicy, savoury, and deeply gratifying.

The tom yum, which comes served with rice vermicelli noodles, is a close second. We opted for chicken (S$7.30) instead of its prawn (S$8.30) option. You can also choose to get it with rice instead of noodles.

Each bowl comes with shimeiji mushrooms and vegetables, adding texture to the spicy-sour broth. 

The noodles were soft but retained their springiness, and were easy to slurp up. However, the real star here is the soup — tangy, spicy, and rich with that lemongrass aroma. 

You can customise your spice levels, from level one all the way to three, and we opted for the midway point of two. 

But once we dug into the bowl, the spice-lovers in us regretted our decision to not opt for the spiciest immediately, because of just how fragrant the chilli was. Still, it struck a good balance — the heat lingered with the tang of the lime and lemongrass.

The tender chicken breast slices also worked perfectly with the tom yum, coming together in a hearty and sinful bowl.

As for the last dish on Naakin’s compact menu, the pad Thai, it was a hearty main which we easily cleared. It comes plain (S$5.30), or with chicken (S$7), beef (S$8.30), or prawns (S$8.30). 

The noodles come slicked in a tamarind-based sauce — sweet, tangy, and a touch of smoky. The strands were imbued with a good amount of wok hei, a testament of the couple’s skill behind the wok.

We opted for pad Thai with prawns, and it also came with golden tofu cubes, crunchy bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and a wedge of lime — quintessential pad Thai ingredients that add texture and freshness to every bite.

Every bite is layered, thanks to the chewy noodles, crisp sprouts, nutty crunch, and a touch of citrus. Don’t forget to mix in a spoon of that housemade chilli, if you can tolerate it, to elevate these flavours.

Oh, and the prawns? Succulent, thick, and peeled — a thoughtful touch we noticed immediately, and one that we’re sure the busy office workers in the area would, too.

It might just be three dishes, but every plate at Naakin reflects thought and care — from the fresh herbs imported from Thailand to the flavourful housemade chilli that ties everything together.

Looking ahead, Diko and Bom have shared that they eventually hope to open a restaurant, perhaps by the end of next year, where they can expand their menu and bring even more of their Thai favourites to the table.

For now, though, their humble hawker stall at Amoy Street Food Centre continues to charm with its simplicity and authenticity. It shows that when food is made with attention and focus, three dishes are really all you need to impress.