All this month, in honour of International Women’s Day, we’re paying tribute to inspiring female F&B entrepreneurs and who better to highlight than my wonderful Makan Kaki Cynthea Lam of Wellness Company Super Farmers? If you haven’t already, do get to know her and her business better here from our very first podcast!
HEAR:
Click to listen/ download this week’s tasty and nostalgic Thai episode.
SEE:
Cynthea’s favourite is Thai cuisine, largely in part due to growing up with her beloved helper from Thailand. So when she’s craving Thai comfort foods, she heads on over to Beach Road stalwart and one-stop-shop for all things Thai, Golden Mile Complex – of course! Sadly, we only have till May 2023 before the building closes for good (many tenants have moved or are in the process of moving). Still, this is a good place to go for now.
Cynthea has been patronising this familiar first floor restaurant at Golden Mile Complex for a long time. Opened by a Singaporean and his Thai wife in 1985, Diandin Leluk is split into two sections. One side (see above) operates like a little canteen, selling snacks for dine-in or take away (I particularly am addicted to their packets of crispy pork crackling and chicken skins!). This section is also where Cynthea’s favourite papaya salad is prepared. Just across from this is the larger seating area of the restaurant.
While you can easily have a massive feast at Diandin Leluk (like I did with my family in the video above), Cynthea’s go-to dishes are quick, convenient and simple. She recommends the pork ball noodles and papaya salad, or som tam. Three versions are available on the menu and Cynthea says som tam pu plara is the one you’ll want to go for.
Not for the faint of heart (or nose, for that matter), som tam pu plara is next-level papaya salad, packed with extremely bold flavour and aroma. Its distinct pungency comes from Salted Crab & Thai Fermented Fish. Perhaps an acquired taste for some, but Cynthea says this is heaven!
Funky, earthy, briny, umami are all words to describe this papaya salad. The usual chilli, fish sauce and lime juice are amped up by the intense fermented seafood flavours of the crab and fish, but the taste is familiar. Juicy and crunchy green papaya, tomato, long beans are soaked in the saucy dressing and showered with crushed peanuts.
Cynthea also recommends making a meal out of this appetiser by pairing it with a side of sticky rice – yum!
Cynthea also loves the pork ball noodles – Selek (Thai rice noodles, almost like a thinner version of our kway teow) in hot soup with meaty accoutrements really hit the spot, for an all-in-one meal.
The broth was light and tasty, with lots of textures to stimulate the senses. Slippery-smooth, slightly chewy noodles, tender pork slices, bouncy pork balls, as well as crunchy bean sprouts and kang kong all come together nicely for a simple bowl of comfort. If you like, you can spice things up by helping yourself to the ubiquitous Thai condiments of chilli powder and red chillies in fish sauce.
TASTE:
Diandin Leluk Thai Restaurant
Golden Mile Complex, 5001 Beach Road, #01-67/68/69, Singapore 199588
Open Daily: 10.30am – 10.30pm (including Public Holidays)
Tel: +65 6293 5101/ WhatsApp: +65 9023 9389
**Note: Closing in May 2023, but you can still enjoy their food at their new outlet.
Citygate
371 Beach Rd, #01-05, Singapore 199597
Open: 10am – 10pm (closed Mondays)
Makan Kakis on Gold 905 