Tried & tested: 7 places for authentic khao soi in Singapore

When it comes to Thai cuisine on our little island, one might immediately think of dishes such as tom yum goong or pad thai, but have you heard of the Thai noodle dish khao soi? 

Food from southern Thailand is the one we commonly find in Singapore. Southern Thai food has its roots in Teochew and Hokkien food, hence it has many similarities to Singaporean food such as steamed fish and tze char dishes. 

However, northern Thai food is actually much closer to native Thai food with richer flavours and stronger spices and also happens to be much more difficult to find here in Singapore.

Khao soi is a street dish from northern Thailand — it is made with a mix of deep fried and boiled egg noodles.  It’s served typically in a coconut curry broth — though some variants are made with rice noodles instead — and without any coconut milk. 

We’ve done the legwork and have hunted down 7 spots islandwide that serve this elusive Thai curry noodle dish. Save this list because this will be the only list you need if you ever have a craving for khao soi in Singapore. 

1. Un Yang Kor Dai 

57 South Bridge Road, 01-02
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11.30am to 2pm, 6pm to 9pm)

What’s it about? Fans of Thai food in Singapore would be familiar with the Michelin-recognised restaurant Un Yang Kor Dai. Specialising in Isaan cuisine, Un Yang Kor Dai is one of the few places where you can find khao soi in Singapore. While prices here are on the steeper side, its dishes are generally prepared with high quality ingredients. 

The bustling dinnertime crowd, regardless of whether it’s a weekday or a weekend, bears testament to the quality of the restaurant. 

Aside from the usual Thai dishes you can find here, such as phad thai with fresh prawns (S$17.50) and tom yum with fresh prawns (S$21.90), Un Yang Kor Dai also serves unique dishes you won’t find elsewhere, such as its  north-eastern mushroom and black fish soup (S$18.90). 

Our thoughts: The khao soi (S$16.90) here was served alongside additional garnishes like raw onions and pickled mustard greens, as to be expected. However, the broth base had a thinner consistency, yet had heavy notes of coconut milk. If it’s your first time trying the dish, you might find this version with its rich flavours to be slightly overwhelming, so we highly recommend ordering it to share. 

All things considered, while the curry noodles were heavy on taste, it doesn’t have the tongue-numbing spice we typically associate with Thai cuisine in Singapore, so Un Yang Kor Dai’s khao soi is also suitable for those who can only take mildly spicy dishes. 

Aside from its khao soi, a particularly impressive dish was its signature grilled chicken (from S$17) with its crispy skin and succulent body. 

2. Folks Collective

Cross Street Exchange, 01-50/51/52/53, 22 Cross Street
Open: Monday to Friday (11am to 11pm), Saturday (11.30am to 10.30pm)

Aperia Mall, 01-20, 12 Kallang Avenue
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11.30am to 10pm)

What’s it about? A bar and restaurant concept, Folks Collective is a vibrant spot great for catch-ups. While it has two outlets, the OG one at Cross Street has a more extensive menu with a unique range of items such as Isaan sausages (homemade sausages made with pork, garlic and fermented jasmine rice, S$15) and pad mama tobiko lava (typical tomyum mama noodles served with a heap of tobiko, S$19.80). 

The restaurant has several interesting desserts on the menu, including coconut pudding cups (S$10), a pandan kueh topped with coconut cream and steamed to form a sticky, fragrant pudding cup. 

Our thoughts: While the extensive menu had us feeling a little cautious (as we were concerned that it was a quantity-over-quality type of place), we weren’t disappointed with Folks Collective’s chicken khao soi (S$16). 

The boiled and crispy fried noodles were served along with an enormous chicken drumstick. At first glance, it would appear that  may have missed out on the curry broth because of the sheer amount of ingredients, but it’s just that the base here has a much thicker texture that coats the noodles well. 

Despite its creamy texture, however, we found that the broth base here lacked the fragrance of coconut milk we’ve come to associate with khao soi. Instead, it has a stronger cumin flavour, which local tastebuds might be more accustomed to. 

The accompanying drumstick was soft and fell apart from the bone easily but it wasn’t particularly juicy or flavourful. In spite of that, when combined with all other elements of the dish, it’s still overall a satisfying bowl of khao soi.  

3. Khao Hom by Rung Mama 

Djitsun Mall, 01-06, 5 Ang Mo Kio Central 2
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 9.30pm)

Katong Square, 01-05/06/07, 88 East Coast Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 10pm) 

United Square Shopping Mall, B1-09/64/65, 101 Thomson Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (11am to 10pm)

What’s it about? A proudly Thai restaurant, Khao Hom by Rung Mama prides itself in its authentic Thai dishes made with imported spices and recipes passed down from a Thai chef, Rung Mama. 

If you love spice, you’ll be glad to know that Khao Hom are experts at delivering that tang you often find in authentic Thai dishes in Thailand itself. Some of its most popular dishes it recommends to its patrons is its Thai mango salad with homemade sauce (also known as yum ma muang, S$10), any variation of its tom yum soup (from S$14) and the red ruby dessert (S$6).

Our thoughts: In our quest to find the best khao soi in Singapore, we ventured to its Katong outlet and ordered the coconut curry noodle (S$15) for ourselves.

The first thing that struck us was the use of flat, mee pok-like noodles, which had a good bite, as its base. (By contrast, many Singapore restaurants we visited used round, yellow noodles instead.)

Although we expected a broth-like texture, the base here was akin to a gravy — it was thicker and heavier than the others we’d tried, but still had a rich coconut flavour to it. Partially hidden in the broth was a sizable piece of chicken drumstick. While the protein was on the drier side, this was still an enjoyable element of the dish. 

4. Kin Sen Thai Noodle 

Starhub Green, 67 Ubi Avenue 1 [Currently slated to re-open in end-Mar at this new location]
Open: Monday, Friday and Saturday (11am to 7pm)

What’s it about: If you’ve ever tried looking for khao soi in Singapore, you’ve probably heard of Kin Sen Thai Noodle. This little eatery, previously located in a stall at Ang Mo Kio, gained acclaim locally for serving a robust rendition of khao soi, typically a difficult dish to find in Singapore. Its owners have recently announced that it is due to move to a new location in Ubi with an aim to reopen at its new eastside premises by Mar 21. 

Helmed by a Chiang Mai-native, the humble hawker stall serves quite an impressive variety of dishes that range from Thai crab fried rice (S$8.50) to stir-fry glass noodles (S$6.50). 

While its prices veer towards the higher end for a hawker stall, Kin Sen Thai’s use of premium ingredients and authentic Thai flavours still keep its regulars returning. 

Our thoughts: While the norm for the protein in khao soi is a single big chicken drumstick, Kin Sen’s khao soi Thai northern curry noodle (S$6.50) serves the dish with two small pieces of drumlets instead, but we aren’t complaining as the drumlets were evenly cooked and extremely tender. 

Plus at a price of S$6.50, it remains one of the cheapest khao sois in Singapore that we’ve tried so far. 

The broth was surprisingly deceptive — it had a thin and light consistency and we weren’t expecting much just looking at it, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it still possessed strong and bold flavours.

With a pretty penny saved at this stall, why not grab an appetiser, too? We recommend its deep fried chicken tendons (S$6.80), which are the perfect combination of crispy and chewy and a great accompaniment to your khao soi main. 

5. Korat Thai Cafe 

Orchard Towers, 03-28, 400 Orchard Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (11.30 am to 10pm)

What’s it about: A not-so-secret hidden gem, Korat Thai Cafe is a casual Thai restaurant located in the somewhat outworn Orchard Towers. 

An interesting bit of trivia about the place: It was recently taken over by The Muttons, a well-known local radio presenter duo, both of whom are notorious foodies. The pair kept many of the eatery’s original favourites, including the leng saap (spicy thai pork bone soup, from S$22) and sinfully good signature crispy omelette (from S$9.50).

Despite having been around for a while now, Korat Thai Cafe remains a hot spot for group gatherings over authentic Thai dishes as there’s lots to order — dishes such as its famed Korat tom yum mama (S$32) are also specifically made for sharing. 

Our thoughts: Despite holding a relatively higher price tag of S$12, the khao soi here was not bad at all, and well worth the dime. Unlike the other khao soi spots which we visited, Korat had a particularly generous portion of crispy noodles, which overshadowed half the bowl. It also had all the expected garnishes of pickled mustard greens, onions and lime, which not only made for a photogenic bowl of khao soi, but also helped enhance the flavours of the light but full-bodied broth. 

It was a tad spicier than the other khao sois in Singapore because of the additional chilli garnish, but the spiciness helped cut through the thickness of the dish. 

We’d say that the best way to enjoy this bowl of khao soi at Korat is by giving everything a good mix and incorporating the components of the dish into every mouthful. 

6. Thai Tai 

Zhongshan Mall, 01-08A, 20 Ah Hood Road
Open: Monday to Sunday (10.30am to 9pm)

What’s it about: Previously known as Noodle Thai Thai Kitchen located at Beach Road, the eatery has since rebranded to Thai Tai and opened its doors at Zhongshan Mall in Balestier.

Back at its Beach Road premises, the restaurant was known for its jade noodles, a striking, green-coloured vegan soba noodle; Thai Tai’s new outlet retains this unique ingredient with its signature jade noodles with lala (S$12). 

Prices are relatively affordable for a Thai eatery, with the tom yum seafood priced from S$14.30. The menu also featured chill baby kailan with sesame sauce (S$8.80) — another interesting dish on the menu. 

Our thoughts: The khao soi (S$9.20) here was served in a rather interesting fashion. Instead of the crispy noodles being served perched on top, it was buried under the curry broth and turned soggy really quickly — those who love their noodle crunch would do well to dig those crispy bits up as soon as it’s served. Thankfully there was nothing else too peculiar about its other garnishes. 

However, we commend the creamy and robust flavours of the accompanying broth, which coated every strand of the flat egg noodles well. The accompanying chicken drumstick was also tender, pairing well with other elements of the dish. 

What made the khao soi from Thai Tai most interesting was the fact that there was a rice variation, a jade noodle variation (which comes at an additional S$1.10), and even a vegetarian option — perfect for those of us who might want to try khao soi but don’t take too well to chicken or yellow noodles. 

7. Esarn 

130 Pasir Panjang Road
Open: Wednesday to Monday (11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 9.30pm) 

Ridgewood Condo, Unit G2, 5 Ridgewood Close
Open: Wednesday to Monday (11.30am to 3pm, 5pm to 9.30pm) 

What’s it about: Esarn is one of those underrated Thai food names in Singapore that has been around since 2003 and is an #IYKYK (if you know you know) type of place, located along the bustling Pasir Panjang Road and tucked away in a Dover condominium. 

Like other restaurants where you can find khao soi in Singapore, its specialty is in north-eastern Thai cuisine, with its menu comprising quite a few locally-popular items such as claypot tang hoon (S$18) and steamed seabass (S$32.50). 

It’s best known for its execution of its classic Thai dishes so if you’re looking for a warm and homely spot for authentic Thai favourites in western Singapore, heading to Esarn would be a no-brainer.

Our thoughts: The khao soi, or Chiang Mai curry noodle ($10.50) as it’s called here, is a dish that’s often glossed over given that it has a rather extensive menu. 

The dish came loaded with crispy noodles on top which provided an interesting textural element to the dish with every bite. The chicken was served in pieces instead of as a whole drumstick, which makes the dish easier to eat, but we couldn’t help but feel it was missing that additional flavour that a full chicken thigh or drumstick would impart. 

The thick and creamy broth was jam packed with flavour, and got slightly overwhelming towards the end of our meal. 

And while we occasionally love mixing things up, Esarn’s choice to use thick yellow noodles, which we aren’t fans of for its more alkaline flavour, instead of the usual flat, egg noodles was less of a welcome change for us. Overall, a decent bowl but not one of our top ones on the list. 

Looking for more eats? Read our latest review on a cocktails and pizza spot tucked away at Bali Lane, and our take on the newest unmanned Chateraise outlet. 

All restaurants, except Un Yang Kor Dai, are on the GrabFood Delivery Service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

Alternatively, book a ride to the restaurants mentioned above selling khao soi in Singapore.

Do explore the GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.