Durian and Curry are both my well-loved flavours, but combining both into one dish? It’s honestly my first. Curious, excited yet slightly doubtful were my reactions when I found out about the existence of Durian Curry at Som Tam, a modern Thai fusion restaurant located at Orchard Central.
But if you’re not a fan of durians, don’t click away first! Som Tam offers a promising range of mouthwatering Thai delicacies, and I’m not even kidding, they tasted fantastic!
The drinks already got us excited with such colourful and vibrant tones, perfectly ready for the ‘gram. Phones come first, don’t they?
From my previous experiences, sad to say, I tend to have this impression that colourful drinks = overly sweet taste. But it wasn’t the case for Som Tam. The drinks were pretty refreshing, especially the Blue Cha with Coconut ($6.80). It had a really similar taste to the freshly opened coconuts at Jumbo or Long Beach Seafood restaurants, except that this is way prettier. You can’t go wrong with coconut drinks at a Thai restaurant most of the time.
Avocado’s Shake ($7.80) was also on my favourite list. While the avocado taste was quite subtle, it was a great combination with a hint of chocolate syrup. I was still sipping on it at the end of the meal even though my tummy was almost filled to the brim.
Other hipster drinks include Rainbow Perrier Ice ($6.80) and Purple Rain ($6.80) which were equally instaworthy. I love how the ice cubes were so colourful!
Thai Souffles Steamed Egg ($10.80) looks like the simplest dish but what a surprise! The eggs had a hint of sweet and sour Tom Yum flavour but without the spiciness. Such a simple delicacy but easily one of my favourites of the day. If you find it a little too salty, I suggest mixing it with white rice.
Thai Style Grilled Squid with Mentaiko ($18.80) was topped with a generous amount of decadent mentaiko, resulting in a perfectly chewy texture and a creamy finish. I could really taste the mentaiko, unlike some places which don’t give as much toppings. There’s also a subtle spiciness to the mentaiko that adds on to the rich flavour of the dish.
Massaman Curry with Roti ($23.80) is quite a flavourful dish, and good to share between 2-3 pax. If you’re hoping to enjoy a spicy dish, this might be a slight let down in terms of spiciness kick, but it would be great for those with lower spice tolerance. The curry is rich and fragrant, and most importantly, the chicken was very tender and I could easily tear the chicken apart for sharing.
I also didn’t have to deal with the mess since the prata are all in bite sized portions. I highly recommend adding the salad to the prata and chicken as the sweet tangy sauce balances the curry really well, and adds some crunch to it.
Lastly, let’s move on to the biggest star of the day – Black Chicken Curry with Musan King Durian ($26.80)! It’s quite an unconventional and interesting combination to begin with, and it is rather difficult to even imagine the outcome of the taste. Accompanied by a huge dollop of durian paste, you can choose to mix it into the curry for a more distinct durian taste or leave it out if you prefer the milder flavours.
If you find this dish a little too quirky and slightly confusing, just see it as any other sweet and salty dishes. I was a little taken aback by how the two opposing flavours could blend so well together, creating a seamlessly delicious bowl of curry. No doubt it’s an interesting and unique dish, but the taste got a little overwhelming towards the end of the meal, and I would suggest ordering this for sharing, perhaps leave it to the last so that the durian doesn’t affect your palate for trying out other food.
Even if you’re not really a fan of Durian, do give this dish a try! Who knows it might change your perception of durians!
Som Tam
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Road
#08-13
Singapore 238896
P.S. This is a food tasting invite, but all opinions are of my own
