Only $58 for a 5-course meal? Visit HERE!!

We chanced upon Sarai and decided to give it a go since it was the first time we’d seen a fine dining place offering Thai cuisine. You know how fine dining can be crazy expensive? The 5-course set at Sarai is surprisingly affordable, so I had to share this deal with you guys!

Anyway, we had specific cravings, so we ended up ordering individual dishes from the à la carte menu, but still, I've got my eyes set on the lunch set (check out the second picture). Next time, for sure! Now, here’s a review of what we’ve tried:

🦀 Handpicked local flower crab with pickled garlic on crunchy rice ($24)

This dish had a generous amount of crab and a blend of crunchy and velvety textures. Although green chillis are generally milder than red ones, the tiny piece placed at the top of each serving turned out surprisingly spicy. If you have a low spice tolerance like me, you should remove it to avoid overwhelming heat and tears 😢. Once you take the chilli out, the flavours' complexity unfolds more, making it an addictive finger food that leaves you craving more.

🥗 Pomelo salad with soft shell crab ($28)

With its outstanding flavours, this dish was easily the star of the show. The pomelo perfectly soaked up the spicy and sweet sauce (tasted like a “zhng” version of the one used in the usual mango or papaya salad), with each element of this dish complementing the other without overpowering its individual flavours. A must-get!

🍌 Deep-fried banana blossom cake with spicy dip ($18)

We only ordered this because I had sudden cravings for goreng pisang (yes, I misread). I expected it to have a bitter taste like other edible flowers I've tried before, but it had a mild to neutral taste with the texture of fish. Since it is deep fried, this dish gets a little jelat and heavy towards the end. Also, the batter tasted similar to the 3 for $1 菜饼 (crispy vegetable fritter) from the Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre so overall, this dish was quite meh 😖.

🐟 Steamed seabass fillet with superior soy sauce

or chili lime garlic sauce ($48)

We chose the chili lime garlic sauce. The fish was incredibly tender and could be easily flaked off with a fork. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, they worked harmoniously to elevate the natural flavours of the seabass, resulting in a refreshing citrusy combination without any fishiness.

🍹 Strawberry Basil |

Fresh strawberries, Thai basil leaves, lemon juice, Sprite ($12)

This drink evoked a nostalgic sense of childhood because it tasted like gummy bears in liquid form but it had a gentle undertone of bitterness from the basil.

🥭 Sarai Punch |

Mango juice, passionfruit, coconut water ($14)

The Sarai Punch was a refreshing blend of tropical flavours, with the most prominent flavour in this drink coming from the passionfruit. Overall, there was a zesty and slightly acidic note to the drink, which helped cleanse our palate and balance strong flavours in the other dishes.

💬 The portions here were HUGE; we ordered more because usually, fine dining portions are pretty small, but here, 3 dishes will be more than enough to satisfy 2 people. Sarai is a cosy spot, and the food is served quite fast. Exclusive rooms are also available if you want to celebrate special occasions in private. Sarai is officially my favourite Thai restaurant now, and it definitely deserves its feature on Vogue, The Straits Times, HungryGoWhere, ExpatChoice etc!

📍Sarai

163 Tanglin Rd, Tanglin Mall, #03-122, Tanglin Mall, S(247933)

🚝 Nearest MRT:

Orchard Boulevard/ Napier (Around a 6 mins walk from both stations)

🕐 Opening Hours:

Mon - Sun (11.30am-3pm, 5.30-10.30pm)

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