The love Singaporeans have for Thai food knows no bounds. If you’re up for fusion Thai cuisine in a casual yet sleek setting, here’s a restaurant worth checking out. Taking its name from the Thai word for “hungry” is HUE, a modern Thai dining concept along Tyrwhitt Road in Lavender.
Born from the collective passion of five friends, HUE delivers a dining experience that marries food and interior design.
Sure enough, the IG-worthy interior of HUE cleverly plays with both light and colour; the pale blue is a nod to waterfalls, a symbol of life in Thai culture, while the facade is lit up with a warm lantern-like glow. Even the entrance — a rusted copper door with a solid handle — subtly reflects the nuances of the unique, all-encompassing experience guests will have.
As you step into the cave-like main dining hall, you’ll be greeted with Thai iconographies, colourful tiles, and botanical elements centred around a neon sign that reads “tHe hUnger is rEal”.
Did you know that in Thai culture, each day of the week is assigned with an auspicious colour representing a different god or heavenly deity? HUE’s bar counter is hence illuminated with lights that change colour daily.
Royal Thai cuisine
The food served at HUE is a modern take on recipes plucked from a royal Thai recipe book, so don’t come with a rigid set of expectations.
It was a sweltering, intensely hot afternoon, and respite came in the form of the Red Hurricane (S$8), a concoction of Thai red sala syrup, lime, pomegranate, and Thai Milky Way (S$8). Thai beverages have a reputation for being sickly sweet, but you don’t have to worry about that here.
After being served with a complimentary amuse-bouche of watermelon with salted fish, fried shallots, and sugar, we proceeded on to appetisers.
Start off with Oychestra (S$18 for 3pcs, S$32 for 6pcs, S$60 for 12pcs), a symphony of fresh Irish oysters topped with three different Thai dressings (lemongrass, coriander, and pineapple), or the refreshing Pulps Garden (S$18), pomelo salad with fresh Tiger prawns and Thai seasonings.
For a more savoury sharing option, go for the Three Little Pigs (S$19) oven-roasted crispy pork belly with Thai herbs and spices, or the Chicken Nest (S$18), crispy and spicy fried wings. I personally couldn’t get enough of the Garlilicious Prawn (S$28), grilled Tiger prawns tossed in umami garlic butter and truffle salsa.
Moving on to the mains, Wrap It Up (S$19) is HUE’s interpretation of kway teow lui suan, or Thai fresh spring rolls, a popular street snack. DIY your own wrap with your choice of condiments including sauteed minced pork, roasted peanuts, and chopped chilli.
The restaurant’s signature, Not A Tom Yum (S$19), is a hot and spicy prawn-based soup with charred seafood and a side of crispy deep-fried omelette. Interestingly, it reminded me of prawn noodle (hae mee) broth.
Everyone at the table couldn’t stop raving about the Moocano (S$23) char-grilled glazed pork collar on a bed of sticky glutinous rice. Like a cross between moo ping and char siew, but elevated.
The meal ended on a sweet note with an array of desserts, beginning with the Sohm Choon (S$15), sweet-sour fruits, ginger, lime, and roasted peanuts on lychee shaved ice. This was followed by Tea-ramisu (S$14), a Thai tea-flavoured tiramisu with chocolate tuiles that was pleasant, but a tad too sweet for my liking.
My favourite dessert of the lot was Ong Lai (S$14), a deconstructed pineapple tart with a unique Thai chilli vanilla ice cream. Sweet and creamy with a subtle spice that lingered on the tongue — if only they sold it in pints or individual portions!
Be it a special occasion or a chill evening out with friends, this up-and-coming restaurant has got it all. And one thing’s for sure — I’ve definitely got designs on HUE.
Reservations can be made here.
HUE
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???? 123 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207549
???? 6pm–10pm (Tue & Wed), 12pm–3pm, 6pm–10.30pm (Thu), 12pm–3pm, 6pm–11pm (Fri & Sat), 12pm–3pm, 6pm–10.30pm (Sun), Closed on Mon
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I'm always feelin' either boozy or boujee ✨