JJ Thai Premium – Authentic & Affordable Thai Food at Selegie Road

At JJ Thai Premium, it is simplicity and down-to-earth cooking. There are no whimsical techniques nor flowery garnishes and plating. Following an expansion from its Sembawang outlet, JJ Thai Premium now snugs itself right beside Fragrance Hotel Selegie. Besides opening its door to hotel guests and the public for breakfast buffet, it has remained true to Thai roots, stoutly helmed by a kitchen of Thai chefs.

Diners can expect homely comfort food in a family-styled seating decked out in predominantly warm yellow decor. Scrawled over two pages of the menu is a staggering list of over 50 dishes, from light-hearted appetisers and salad to carbohydrates, curries, meats and seafood soup.

Currently, there is an ongoing promotion till 31st March 2018 where buying two mains will entitle diners to a free third main (T&C applies).

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Starting with the usual favourite, we savoured mouthfuls of the Thai Mango Salad $5.50, shredded thinly and drenched in a pool of sweet tangy sauce. The peanuts lent a crisp and buttery touch while the chilli gave faint hints of tickling spiciness on the tastebud.

Pad Thai $6.50 is almost essential on every table, a calming elixir before digging into the heartier mains. In fact, I wouldn’t leave a Thai restaurant without having even a strand of their flat rice noodles. It’s very standard; stir fried noodles with prawns, firm tofu, red chilli pepper and crushes peanuts amongst several other seasonings. Decently tasty with no gourmet pretensions.

The Pineapple Fried Rice $6.50 was as straightforward as it looked. Dispensing with the need for an actual pineapple husk, it was moulded onto a plate with its accompaniments peeking through the surface. Pineapple chunks laid camouflage while the rice missed the punch that it should have, fading to a backdrop that I would have otherwise moved to the next in line on the menu.

I had a love-hate relationship with the Homemade Thai Prawn Cake ($7.90 for 2 pieces, $12.90 for 4 pieces).  Resembling giant donut croquettes, they were bigger-than-my-palm prawn cakes in crispy breaded crust with a slightly dry but flakey filling. Minus the hunks of prawns I had expected to find within, It was unlike any prawn cakes I had with its almost whitish and meaty flavour. Don’t get me wrong because they were a delight to munch on despite their confusing identity.

My ultimate soul warmer laid in the Thick Seafood Tom Yum Soup $8.50 and Pork Tom Sapp $7.90.

Perched over a jelly substance that burned continuously to keep the stew sizzling hot, these pots of spicy goodness were nothing less than mind-blowing. Much praises were on the Pork Tim Sapp, the deceptively innocent clear soup uncompromising in sourness and spiciness. I could literally feel it’s steady flow down my throat into the pits of my stomach, a burning sensation that revived me more than what caffeine could do.

On a side note, the pork was utterly tender and smooth.

We couldn’t neglect the Thick Seafood Tom Yum Soup either, a stark contrast to its counterpart, milkier, sweeter and less spicy. It made a pleasant experience on our spice tolerance in addition to the signifiant amount of ingredients swimming within.

Undeniably, the highlight of the meal was the Crispy Grouper with Thai Chilli Sauce $23.90. When you have a superior fish at a price barely a fraction of the ones in restaurants, you know you are in for a deal.

The grouper was fanned apart down the middle and fried till gold. The savoury, sweet and tangy Thai Chilli sauce on the side came in a mammoth portion that allowed us to customise the amount we wanted on our fish. The best part was that the flesh within was moist and broke apart easily with our chopsticks, indicating signs of freshness and culinary finesse. Recommended.

When you are in a Thai restaurant, assimilate.

The Thai Iced Tea/ Coffee/ Lemongrass $3.50 were crowd favourites. If not, go for something refreshing such as their homemade Iced Lemon Tea $2.20.

Menu as follows:

JJ Thai Premium is indeed a hidden gem at Selegie, serving casual and inexpensive food to the masses. Prices stand firmly in the lower to middle range and the portions are just nice enough to fit the bill. Additionally, the huge selection would cater well to different tastebuds. 

 

JJ Thai Premium

183 Selegie Road #01-03 Singapore 188329

Tel: +65 8128 0800

 

Mon to Sat: 11:30AM – 10:30PM

Closed on Sun

Website: http://jjthaicuisine.com.sg/

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