Stalwart Thai restaurant Sawadee reinvents itself after 24 years with new look and menu

A good many people would probably associate authentic Thai food with Golden Mile, but there are actually many other popular spots where you can get a hearty taste of Thailand.

One of them is Sawadee Thai Cuisine, which is located not too far away at Bugis, and has already operated for more than two decades — 24 years to be exact, with 11 of those spent at Tan Quee Lan Street.

Quite an achievement, since 24 years is a mighty long time in Singapore’s mercilessly competitive F&B scene.

In keeping with the times, Sawadee decided there’s a need for some change. The restaurant closed for around two months at the end of 2024, before reopening in 2025, transformed and rejuvenated.

The new Sawadee now sports a spruced up royal blue palette, underscored by elegant neutral tones.

On top of that, the experience is enriched by a new menu meticulously devised by its female head chef, Ning, who hails from the northeastern region of Thailand.

It all comes together to promise huge flavours and, above all, authentic and satisfying Thai dishes that are close to her heart.

The comforting taste of home

One of the best methods to treat guests to an authentic taste of home? Let your mum cook.

In this instance, chef Ning’s mother is responsible for the key ingredient in Sawadee’s tom khlong soup (S$14 per bowl, minimum two diners): Snakehead fish, personally smoked in small batches over wood-fire. She smokes this herself, back home in Thailand.

And it’s not just a gimmick — the traditional wood fire-smoked fish endows the piquant soup with an intoxicating dose of smoke, as spice, tartness and smokiness blend harmoniously in each slurp.

Even the humble green mango salad (S$16) tastes quite different from the usual som tum (papaya salad) at most other Thai restaurants.

Sawadee’s version is embellished with dried shrimps and peanuts, ensuring a boisterous crunch and umami in each bite. 

If you’re looking for carbs, the pad see ew (fried rice noodles, S$22) is a must-order.

Most Singaporeans are probably more familiar with pad Thai, but Sawadee’s pad see ew is extra charming with its thicker and chewy hor fun-style rice noodles and kurobuta pork.

The pork is juicy, while the noodles are delightfully fragrant and smoky, boasting a delectable sweet savouriness.

Bigger groups can also look to order a portion of the lemongrass seabass (S$48), which comes with an entire deep-fried seabass, covered in a mound of pounded lemongrass.

The fish is lightly crunchy on the outside, while moist and tender on the inside. Not only does it avoid being greasy, but the tangy seafood sauce and lemongrass fragrance softens the profile further, so you won’t feel jelak (overly cloying) even after a few pieces.

Luxurious Thai flavours

Even though homely Thai flavours are probably the most popular, Sawadee also pulls off more luxe modern flavours quite fabulously — the wagyu beef green curry (S$58), for example.

The name might lead you to think about a hearty bowl of curry loaded with wagyu chunks, but Sawadee’s take revolves around a slab of chargrilled wagyu steak, rested upon a pool of light green curry.

Steak lovers, don’t worry: It might be a Thai restaurant, but the succulent wagyu is grilled well. More importantly, the creamy and fragrant green curry pairs nicely with the beef.

If you’re looking to indulge in seafood, Sawadee’s crabmeat omelette (S$36) is also pretty solid, and stuffed full of crabmeat chunks.

Portions are sizable and the omelette itself is light and pillowy, while also sporting a light crisp — this would be great with some fluffy jasmine rice.

But if we’re talking about real luxury, then Sawadee’s som chun (S$12) bears mentioning, since the rare dessert actually has its roots as a royal Thai dish.

By contrast with the usual vibrant and sweet Thai desserts, the som chun is a savoury dessert that incorporates lychee, tangerine, coconut, peanuts, ginger, jasmine-infused syrup and — the key difference — fried shallots.

It’s not too funky, with the lychee, tangerine, coconut and jasmine building a fruity and refreshing base, while the mild ginger and fragrant fried shallots add an interesting savoury dimension.

Overall, Sawadee’s refreshed menu has plenty of hits and many interesting items worth diving into, especially lesser seen items such as the som chun.

If you’re a Thai food aficionado and looking for new flavours to explore, we recommend a visit — even if the prices are a bit steeper than most homely Thai restaurants.

This was an invited tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the hip new kopitiam at Parkway Parade and Fat Cow’s value-for-money S$88 omakase!

Sawadee Thai Cuisine is on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

You can make a reservation at Sawadee Thai Cuisine via Chope.

You can also book a ride to Sawadee Thai Cuisine at Tan Quee Lan Street to try its authentic Northeastern Thai food!