Pranakorn – Thai Eatery with No Pad Thai and Pineapple Rice!

Changi Village has so many eateries that sometimes I find it difficult to decide where I should go for dinner. Most of the time, I choose the easiest option, which is to visit the food centre for nasi lemak. But this time, a friend recommended Pranakorn and I think this will be my go-to eatery the next time I visit Changi Village.

Head Chef Mdm Kaopan was born and raised in Chonburi, a little seaside town near Bangkok. Inspired by her memories of home, she started Pranakorn(this is actually an old name for Bangkok City!) The first thing I noticed about the menu was that there is no pad thai or pineapple fried rice. That is quite shocking because these dishes are considered staples for many locals. But Pranakorn offers an uncommon spread of Thai delights, prepared using ingredients sourced from different provinces in Thailand.

Minced pork is an important ingredient in Pranakorn’s dishes. It is prepared in a special way, and all the fats are removed completely. When you order their Handmade Fried Pork Cake with Special Dipping Sauce ($7.80), you will find that every bite is so tender and smooth. I nearly mistook it for fish cake! The addition of Thai spices enriches the dish and this is something that we can’t find in other Thai eateries.

Their minced pork also makes an appearance in the signature Thai Style Stick Noodle with Minced Pork in Tom Yum Soup ($6.80). This hot and sour dish is something I would go for be it rain or shine. The smooth Thai noodles soaked up all the flavours and I finished the soup really quickly. A dry version is available as well. The Homemade Pork Cake with Century Egg ($5.80), which looks like scotch eggs, is a must-order as well. What an interesting combination!

A crowd favourite is the Steamed Whole Sea Bass with Chilli Lime Dressing ($30). The fresh and tender steamed sea bass is served on a metal plate filled with a tangy broth that’s loaded with garlic, red chillies, and Thai lime. Overall, it was zesty, sour and spicy all at the same time. It really whetted our appetites for more. Another seafood dish which we tried was the Stir Fried Flower Clams ($13.80). I thought that the sauce was a little too heavy, and overshadowed the sweetness of the clams.

You will be happy to know that Pranakorn uses zero MSG. So go ahead and order your Tom Yum Soup (from $10) with seafood, prawns, fish or chicken. We also had the Egg Omelette with Prawns ($10) and Spicy and Sour Seafood Glass Noodle Salad ($12). The Deep Fried Thai Chicken Winglets ($6.80) are well-marinated, making them juicy and addictive.

Pranakorn has also launched a new dish — Salt and Pepper Prawns —which turned out to be a huge hit amongst our friends that night. It was a little salty on the first bite, but it was perfect when paired with a spoonful of white rice.

Dessert is a must of course. Besides the usual Mango Sticky Rice ($6), they also serve Homemade Thai Chendol ($3.50). The shiny green pandan noodles sat in a sweet and smooth aromatic coconut cream and was topped with crushed ice. Perfect with Thai Ice Milk Tea ($3)!

All the way to Changi for Thai food? Why not! Especially when you get homey and unique Thai dishes!

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