87 Just Thai, Somerset: “Reminiscent of nostalgic food adventures along the streets of Bangkok”
Our dreams of heading back to Bangkok are now half-fulfilled with Thailand’s announcement to reopen travel to international travellers—with no quarantine! Still, the feelings are not mutual as we wait for Singapore to announce Vaccinated-Travel-Lanes for flights from Thailand. Well, all the anticipation had my cravings for Thai food magnified, so I headed to 87 Just Thai at Somerset in hopes of getting it fixed.
It’s located a short walk from 313 Somerset, a great escape from the hustle and bustle of weekend shoppers. Much like most Thai eateries, the interior seats around 20 and on good days, can seat three groups outdoors for that cooling breeze.
What I tried
Prior to my visit, I searched up tagged photos on Instagram to see what most diners usually ordered. I mean, to a certain extent, seeing is believing, right? Plus, I wanted a mix of dishes that would allow me to indulge in my cravings while trying something new.
The first risk-taker dish of the night was the popular Deep-fried Century Egg with Hot Basil Pork (S$10). It’s essentially the well-loved Thai basil pork, but with deep-fried century egg. To be honest, I found the combination pretty questionable but as a century egg fan, I simply couldn’t pass on this.
I love it when a dish surprises me which odd flavour combinations. The deep-fried century egg slices were not ASMR-level crunchy but very pleasant to bite into, before being greeted by the soft centre. The texture play here as the firm minced pork bits mixed with the oddly creamy century egg complemented each other very well. Give it up for the 87 Just Thai team—this is one worth remembering!
It does pack quite some heat since they use small chilli padi, so you might want to prep a glass of Thai Iced Tea (S$3) on standby.
Whenever you’re at a Thai restaurant or eatery, the PFC (Pandan Fried Chicken) (S$8) deserves a spot on your table. Regardless of how it’s served—wrapped in pandan leaves or not—trust me when I say it’s always good.
Lucky for us, 87 Just Thai nailed the cheekily-named PFC. The team skipped on the pandan leaves to coat the boneless chicken thighs in a crispy, golden-brown dredge. Every time a portion left the kitchen, wandering eyes from the crowd would follow intently. It was that captivating.
Dip it into some sweet chilli sauce and you have an addictive combination. Not too oily nor salty, each bite was pure gold. Though I must admit, it did lack the ‘P’ (pandan) within PFC, yet it’s easy to overlook this bit, given how delicious it was.
You can’t go wrong with fried chicken. So I’d say, don’t think twice when it comes to ordering 87 Just Thai’s PFC.
On to the Claypot Tang Hoon with Prawns (S$14). Loaded with four large fresh prawns in a deep aluminium bowl, this dish caught our attention with an inviting aroma. The chefs here surely went all out with the ginger and garlic which I absolutely loved. Every mouthful of tang hoon (glass noodles) was full of flavour and leaves you wanting more.
We easily devoured this within minutes. A simple yet tasty dish, there was hardly any room for error. I’ll definitely be attempting this in my own kitchen soon.
After the pleasant protein and carb dishes, I dived into my absolute must-have whenever I visit a Thai eatery—Tom Yum Soup with Chicken (Red) (S$8). By now, it was clear to me that 87 Just Thai serves up portions good for sharing between three to four.
While it was nothing fabulous to shout about, the creaminess from the coconut milk mixed with the tanginess from the lemongrass was spot-on. It was sour, spicy, and so reminiscent of adventures along the streets of Bangkok.
My only gripe was choosing chicken as my choice of protein instead of prawns or seafood. The chicken chunks were tough and not as fresh as I had expected. Yet, for the price point, it’ll have to do.
Final thoughts
I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty bummed that 87 Just Thai doesn’t have a location in the East. With this one in the heart of town and their flagship shop at Pasir Panjang, an outlet in the East would balance things out, am I right?
For the great hospitality, affordable prices, and authentic Thai dishes, this is one befitting of a cosy family dinner. Oh, and don’t forget to order the PFC!
Expected damage: S$8 – S$15 per pax
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