ZAAP Thai Noodles: Authentic Thai street foods like crispy crab omelette & chicken noodles in AMK Hub
It’s not every day that you come across a nonconformist Thai food establishment that dares to stand out from the crowd. Introducing ZAAP Thai Noodles, an authentic Thai hawker stall that put down its roots at the NTUC Foodfare foodcourt in Ang Mo Kio Hub.
Run by native Thai folks, the options you get here are not your typical Thai food choices that you’re accustomed to at other mainstream places. Finally… a breath of fresh air!
As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. You’ll still find some familiar offerings at the stall like Bee hoon, Mee Kia and Tang Hoon, which cater more to our local taste buds.
For choices of noodles, you’ll get Thai favourites like Mama Noodle (instant noodle brand from Bangkok) and sen lek (folded rice noodles).
Towering bowls were stacked upfront and within the stall, and shelves of Thai lok lok skewers were displayed in full circle.
Condiments like crushed peanuts, chilli flakes, sugar and green chillies are there for you to help yourselves to— all dishes here are non-spicy and chillies are served separately. Overall, I got rustic and homey vibes from this place
What I tried at ZAAP Thai Noodles
Prior to my visit here, I’d watched a few YouTube videos on Michelin-starred Jay Fai and her famous crab omelette in Bangkok. So imagine my excitement when I spotted something similar to that on the menu!
There were two kinds of crab omelette on the menu. The Thai Style Crab Omelette with Rice (S$9.80) and Crab Meat Thai Crispy Omelette Rice (S$12.80). I ordered the latter as it bore a closer resemblance to the famed overseas version.
The golden brown egg had puffed up probably due to the intense heat of the frying oil, which was the catalyst of its creation. It looked like a golden pillowy ball, topped with chunks of crab meat, a shower of crispy garlic bits, and was served with a plate of plain rice.
I was rewarded with the natural sweetness overflowing from the flesh of the crab meat as my teeth sank through them.
Upon using my cutlery to pry open the omelette, I could hear the satisfying sounds of that lovely crispiness permeating the air, taking precedence over the music being played at the foodcourt.
The omelette was incredibly crispy and airy, and possessed an aromatic charred flavour. It reminded me of the edges of a well-fried chinese omelette, usually found in zi char places, except the whole omelette tasted this way!
The magic began when I dipped it in the special sauce that came with it. Sour, slightly spicy and refreshing, it gave the crab omelette a different dimension of flavours and textures.
The next dish I tried was the Drumstick with Chicken Ball Noodle (Dry) at S$6.80. I chose Mama noodles, and it was served with three chicken balls, one chicken drumstick, bitter gourd, daikon, half a boiled egg, beansprouts, pork lard and garnished with fried garlic and kin chye (chinese celery).
The daikon and bitter gourd were huge, and contributed in playing different roles in this bowl of goodness. The daikon was juicy and cooked perfectly, while the bitter gourd wasn’t overly tart.
Upon doing some research, I learnt that these two ingredients are popular condiments used for noodles in Thailand.
The chicken drumstick was hugeee! It was braised in a soya sauce concoction, which changed the overall colour of the meat. It wasn’t the most tender drumstick I’ve had, but at least it was quite flavourful.
The Mama noodles were cooked to perfection, and the slightly raw bean sprouts added some crunch.
The chicken balls were pleasant but nothing spectacular. The only thing that really affected me were the pork lard bits, which were slightly soggy and failed to give that yummy umami-ness to the dish.
The broth was slightly sweet and the notes of star anise were prominent. Try adding some of it to your noodles and give it a good mix— it will surprise you!
I ended things off at ZAAP Thai Noodles with the Yum Mooyoo (S$9.80), which was a salad of Thai seasoned sausage.
It came with slices of sausage that looked more to me like meatloaf, red onion slices, fresh tomato quarters, a wedge of lime, kin chye, chilli flakes and chilli padi slices (probably added in when I opted for the spicy rendition).
The ingredients were doused in an uplifting citrus dressing which elevated my senses. I gave the lime wedge a squeeze to release its tangy essence which took its sourness up a notch.
The Thai sausages tasted exactly like the breakfast ham that I usually have in sandwiches. This dish felt like a party in my mouth when I ate everything all at once.
“Pat pat pat…” I wiped the beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead as I enjoyed the salad. The heat coming from the chilli padi and flakes took a really slow stroll on my taste buds before my brain registered that it was actually quite spicy!
Final Thoughts
Those who miss the taste of Thai fare which is sold on the streets of Thailand, will definitely enjoy the authenticity of the dishes served here.
I’ll definitely return for the sinful but yummy crispy crab omelette, despite knowing it may not do wonders for my upcoming health screening. Hah!
Till the next time, ZAAP Thai Noodles!
Expected damage: S$5.80 – S$22.60 per pax
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