A-roy Thai has been in the restaurant business a rather long time.
It's not an easy achievement especially in Singapore where shop rentals are outrageously high and good staff is difficult to find and retain. The first 2 to 3 years of any new restaurant is crucial. This is usually the tenure of their tenancy agreement, if they end it prematurely they will still have to pay the outstanding rent. On top of their rental outlay, they would incur renovation costs; when they quit their premises, the landlord usually requires them to reinstate the premises to the original state. When the restaurant starts operating they will have to contend with all the usual challenges of running a business. Within the first 2 years the business will need to break even, unless they have plenty of cash to burn. It is a brutal landscape, only the strongest survive. That's why our local malls and commercial areas have constant turnover of tenants.
Now then, A-roy Thai must be doing something right to survive this long. As far back as I can remember, they have always been at Funan Centre. They opened some years before I settled into this city, according to their website, they have been around for 26 years! They run a nice establishment, the welcome is always sincere and hospitable, and there's usually some member of the owner's family manning the cash register or taking orders. I once asked for catfish salad and they made it for me even though it's not on the menu. The food is good in a homely, understated way, like you are eating at a Thai friend's house, going easy on the salt and MSG. Crowd favourite would be steamed fish in an appetising sour broth, but I also like their stirfried baby kailan which is always that perfect balance of sweet, crunchy and slightly smoky from its turn in a fiery wok. The best part for me though, was grabbing a bag of banana fritters on the way out. Thai banana fritters are wonderful, they have soft squishy caramelised insides to contrast with crackly coconut-ty exterior that is studded with sesame seeds, and A-roy Thai's version was always so good that I would greedily finish a bag even before I finish walking to the escalator at the other end of the mall.
When Funan Centre closed for redevelopment, they moved to my neighbourhood mall Velocity. Funan's loss is our gain. We love it, the only downside is that they have done away with the banana fritter stand because the new premises are smaller. It's now one of our go-to places for quick delicious family meals. V loves the grilled pork, husband the tom yam soup and omelettes. When I am eating on my own though, there's only one dish that I care about. It's item #2 on the menu, and its name is Larb Tord. The lady manning the cashier taught me to say it properly: "Laaarb -Thorrr" in as close imitation of Thai singsong you can muster.
This is Larb Tord. Deep fried spicy and sour minced pork. Eaten with steamed sticky rice. When I am eating by my self, I just order a small portion (which is quite big, $14.90 before taxes etc) and I would have a good go at it. It's easier to eat this with my bare hands instead of a fork and spoon, pinching and pressing the sticky rice so that it smooshes against the craggy edges of crispy pork, chewing slowly to release the sugars in the rice that will somewhat neutralise the heat from the umami-packed nuggets of pork. It's quite hot, but even hotter previously. It is also slightly sour, which makes it very moreish, so I can't seem to stop reaching for another bite. I usually ignore the limp lettuce, and kick myself for not asking for extra cucumber, because the cucumber plays off the meat in a similar way to the rice, counteracting the richness with its cleansing freshness. As for the pork, I always thought it is just broken-up pork balls, but, it isn't just that.
See, the cashier told me, Larb Tord is actually a deep fried version of the Minced Pork Salad. In the menu, it is even pictured together. That means it has not just pork and chilli. It has loads of fresh herbs like lemon grass, basil, kaffir lime and mint, as well as slices of garlic and shallots, plus whatever else goes into the dressing - I am guessing at least some basics like lime juice, palm sugar, fish sauce, loads of fresh chillis- and finished with sprinkles of roasted rice. She also said that Northern Thais will pair this dish with papaya salad. Deep fried Salad with more salad. It must be healthy, just tell yourself you are eating salad.
A-Roy Thai Restaurant
238 Thomson Road #03-61/63 Novena Square (Velocity) Singapore 307683
+(65) 6338 3880
+(65) 6352 1446
[email protected]
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