Nung Len Review: Colourful Hipster Thai Eatery Hidden In Little India

Thai food by the streets

Update: Nung Len is now permanently closed.

Situated opposite Rex Cinema, it’s hard to come across Nung Len unless you already knew about it. I stumbled upon it only after trying a new route on the way home, and spotted this colourful Thai restaurant out of the corner of my eye.

With a white tuktuk by the entrance, a wooden-themed vintage interior and a giant mural, this quirky open-air restaurant along Mackenzie Road is located just a 10-minute walk from Little India MRT Station. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of traffic in the background, and you might just convince yourself you’re in Bangkok having lunch.

Food at Nung Len

Tom Yum Talay ($15) is one of my faves. This creamy pot of tom yum is served in a claypot and you’ll find prawns, fish slices and vegetables like tomatoes and baby corn in it.

Just like a good bowl of tom yum should be, this was well-balanced in terms of taste. The sourness kick-started my appetite and the spiciness was shiok without causing my eyes and nose to water. I did, however, feel that the seafood was a little bland.

Another interesting dish that caught my eye was Yum Phak Boong Kob ($14), AKA deep-fried kang kong. It came with a generous portion of seafood curry sauce on the side, but the crispy kang kong was good on its own as well.

The spicy food lover in me really enjoyed the sauce and I not only used it to dip the kang kong, but drenched my rice with it too!

I’m a girl who needs my coffee, so we got Coffee Boran ($3.90), or Thai Iced Milk Coffee, before leaving. Instead of a heavy, condensed milk sweetness, I found this very well-balanced, with the coffee taste coming out strong.

Ambience at Nung Len

Nung Len’s ambience definitely stands out from other casual Thai eateries in Singapore. It’s quirky without being gimmicky, and the large space also makes it good for group meetups. You can take photos with the tuktuk, or just soak the atmosphere in while eating. Even though there’s no air-con, I wasn’t dying of heat thanks to ceiling fans and the open-air concept.

The Verdict

Prices here are slightly higher than what you’d get at places like Nakon or Orchard Towers, but you’re definitely paying for the convenient location and ambience as well. For those who work nearby, there’s a pretty affordable lunch set that lets you get 1 main and 1 drink at $12.90 from 12:30pm to 2:30pm.

This is an independent review with all expenses borne by Eatbook.sg.