Mawar Thai Review: Legit Halal Thai Food In Bukit Merah

Mawar Thai has authentic halal Thai food in Bukit Merah

Bukit Merah residents may be familiar with Mawar Merah, a go-to spot in the neighbourhood dishing out delicious nasi padang and other Malay dishes. Recently, its owner has launched Mawar Thai, a new halal Thai food stall right alongside Mawar Merah.

We were kindly invited to try Mawar Thai’s fare recently, and found much to like about the authentic and delicious food, which is prepared by a Thai chef.

Food at Mawar Thai

We started with the Basil Chicken With Rice & Egg ($6.80). Being more familiar with the non-halal version of the dish, I was pleasantly surprised by how spot-on Mawar Thai’s rendition was.

The minced chicken, which was stir-fried with basil leaves, garlic, and chilli, packed an aromatic and flavourful punch. Do not underestimate the fiery kick this dish has, as each bite left me with a burning—albeit addictive—sensation on my tongue. The sizeable portion of fluffy white rice and the sunny-side up egg completed this hearty dish.

Our next dish was a leafier alternative to the basil chicken rice: the Baby Kailan With Mince Chicken.

Like the previous dish, minced chicken is central to the dish. But instead of frying it with basil, baby kai lan, chilli, and what seems to be oyster sauce. The result is a dish that also has savoury and spicy notes, but with less of the inviting aroma of the basil chicken rice.

The dish’s main flaw, however, was that the vegetables had a tougher texture than expected. Ideally, kai lan should be tender and slightly crisp, yet the ones here did not possess those qualities.

No Thai meal is complete without some Tom Yum Soup (from $6.80). We ordered the version with milk, as the chef warned us that it most certainly would be spicy.

And spicy it was. A single sip of the soup sent a burning sensation right down my throat, and after that initial sting, the tangy and savoury notes of the rich broth came through. The presence of coconut milk added creaminess and a subtle sweetness to the soup, too.

Slices of fish, prawns, mushrooms and more fill this piquant soup dish. I wouldn’t say that the stall was very generous with the ingredients here, however they came in adequate amounts, and were all quite fresh. In particular, I loved how the tender fish soaked up all the goodness of the tom yum soup, which then oozed out when you bit into each piece.

Finally, we tried the Steamed Seabass With Red Chilli (from $15). 

Served on a metal plate kept warm with a fire underneath it, this tender and moist seabass was elevated by the aroma of lime, garlic, and lemongrass. The presence of red chillies added a fieriness to the dish as well.

The one complaint we had about this dish was the fish wasn’t thoroughly descaled, so some parts of its skin had an unpleasant texture.

Ambience at Mawar Thai

Mawar Thai is located in a humble coffeeshop in Bukit Merah, the kind that you’d miss if you weren’t already a resident in the area. And as far as coffeeshops go, you can tell this one is older and noticeably worn down, but if you’re just there to have some delicious Thai food, the environment shouldn’t bother you too much.

Mawar Thai is a 16-minute walk from Redhill MRT Station.

The verdict

Mawar Thai offers really good halal Thai food at decent prices. If you’re looking for a new Thai eatery to check out, this stall gets a solid recommendation from us.

For an affordable Thai restaurant in Orchard, read our Soi 47 Thai Food review. For a long-queue Jalan Besar stall that sells legit creamy tom yum, check out our Northern Thai Tomyam coverage.

Address: 165 Bukit Merah Central, #01-3683, Singapore 150165
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am to 8pm
Website
Mawar Thai is a Muslim-owned eatery.

Photos taken by Raelynn Ng.
This was a media tasting at Mawar Thai.