Upon hearing the news of this newly opened Thai boat noodles place in Singapore, I knew I had to go down to experience it for myself. My first thought was, “About god damn time we get halal boat noodles in Singapore.”
The boat noodles craze has sent plenty of Singaporeans including me going over the causeway JUST for Thai boat noodles, so imagine how excited I was when I found out there’s finally a halal boat noodle place in Singapore.
So I packed my bags, braved the weather and decided that today will be the day I finally get to indulge in this savoury delight right here in Singapore.
Cheap Cheap, Good Good
I drummed my fingers on the handrail of the escalator as it slowly descended into the basement of I12 Katong, perhaps one of my favourite malls in Singapore.
It was honestly a very small shop but I had real high expectations for the food served at Hat Yai Noodle Cafe.
Just like any other typical Thai boat noodles shop, the noodles are served in mini bowls ($1.90 each) that can be gobbled up in about 2 large mouthfuls. Each bowl comes with a slice of beef, meatball, leafy vegetables, beansprouts, spring onions and noodles of your choice (of course we got the traditional glass noodle).
I was not that blown away by their broth but honestly, for $1.90 per bowl, I’m not complaining. It’s definitely perfect if you’ve got a small appetite and looking for something light.
Ordering 3 bowls is definitely not a smart move if you’re hungry. If you’re looking for a proper heavy meal, they do have a bigger version which is the Braised Beef Tendon ($8.50). You can choose from 3 different proteins – beef, chicken, duck.
You can also choose to have it dry with soup on the side if that’s how you roll.
I was looking forward to trying out their side dishes like the Ping Gai which is basically Thai style BBQ chicken and beef sticks. Unfortunately, they weren’t selling any side dishes today.
So I settled for their Chicken/Beef Meatball Skewers ($1.90 per skewer) instead. Each stick comes with 4 beef/chicken balls. Was not too sure what they meant by “Thai Special Sauce” but ours came drenched in Thai Sweet Chilli sauce that my mom buys from Giant Supermarket.
I prayed real hard, “@ God, the least you can do is give me decent Thai Milk Tea. I headed all the way to Katong for Thai food. Please don’t disappoint.”
God heard my prayers and decided not to disappoint me any further. It tasted exactly like the famous Thai milk tea brand your friend would buy for you from Bangkok.
It helped wash all my sadness and problems away.
My total meal totalled up to $26, inclusive of a 10% service charge. I left Hat Yai Noodle Cafe feeling slightly disappointed but at least I’m pleased with the fact that there’s halal boat noodles in Singapore if I’m ever craving for it.
In the mean time, I’m gonna fix myself a cup of instant tom yum noodles and daydream of a getaway to Thailand.
Hat Yai Noodle Cafe
Address: 112 East Coast Rd, I12 Katong Mall, B1-18, Singapore 428802
Opening Hours: 11 am – 9.30 pm, daily
Website
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(Header Image Source: Discover SG)
