Sabai - Red and Perfect

3 years on we've pretty much adopted the habit of saving a Thai dinner for when either one of Us has the flu or a cold...there's Nothing like a bowl of steaming hot Tom Yum Kung to clear that nasal cavity and expel all the "toxins"!

But last night, I'm glad we broke that habit...

After running around some of the gourmet grocers in town, we finally gave up on ever finding ready-made raspberry/strawberry/blueberry coulis and reluctantly drove into The War Zone that circled Ngee Ann City! If the roads were any indication of the madness inside, I was unfortunately blinded by my mission - to get 8 pieces of Beard Papa's Chocolate Fondant for tonight's dinner at F&I's place!

I should thank Him for helping me endure the (seriously) madness created by overly-enthusiastic (Read: GSS-induced MAD) Friday-nite shoppers and hungry diners in Ngee Ann City...I am surprised He didn't clobber anyone with my heels. Or maybe it was the relief of finding His favourite snail-ish turkey sausages at one of the food stalls.

Sharing the snail-ish sausage, we decided it would be wiser to avoid the Food-Fair groupies in the basement as soon as possible and look for dinner. So we took the escalator up. I was glad to see that the Restaurants directory had changed somewhat. As He was still not ready for Chinese, we decided to try Sabai because (A) I thought the name sounded exotic and cool and (B) he had seen some ad/review somewhere and wouldn't mind trying it.

Standing at the door, I was already impressed by its scarlet-red walls and contrasting (simple) black furnishings. Hmm, very un-traditional-Thai...except for the long gold carving on the wall. Ok so they get 10,000 points for choosing an appropriate name (Sabai in Thai means "a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere")!

And the menu!!! Another 10,000 points - so many many many dishes to choose from (but prices may be a bit steep if you are accustomed to Thai Express), I wish we had a big table of friends! Oh well...we'll just have to come back again...and again...*grin*

After much analysis and deliberation and mind-changing, we decided to skip the appetisers and go straight for the Real Stuff...so we were going to share the Shrimp-paste Fried Rice with Chicken and Roasted Duck Thai Red Curry...and I was going to extend my adventure to include a bowl of Tom Yum Talay. (How can you judge a Thai restaurant without sampling the Tom Yum right???)

When my bowl of clear Tom Yum was served, the aroma alone could have cleared my nasal passage if it was blocked! It was really good - not like some of those watered-down spicy-lemongrass-y soups I had encountered...it was as authentic as I'd like it to be. And at S$8 a bowl, it was reasonable value for the fresh fish slices and huge tiger prawn (sorry, there's only ONE ok!) I guess.

But the dish that deserved my final 10,000 points would definitely be The Curry. (FYI: The fried rice was simple and good but boring.)

When The Curry was served (portioned enough for up to 4 (non-greedy) persons), I think we both just stared at it for a good one minute. It was almost beautiful! Accompanied by a little bowl of deep-fried dried fish, the curry was the perfect dark red shade, very fragrant, with lots of roasted duck cubes (BONELESS and WITH SKIN!!!) and chunks of "seasonal fruits" - pineapple and lychees!

The last time I had truly great red Thai curry was when we were on holiday at The Racha. Even then, I think it was the whole experience of retreating to an almost-deserted island resort that made the curry then perfect.

And Sabai's red curry has now claimed the Top Spot on my list (of Thai curries)! Just the perfect blend of spices that's simple but stunning. And the fruity chunks added the touch of quirkiness (tanginess more likely!). Just like my Nine West Sabah heels - seemingly-simple tan leather with stitching details and purple suede lining and 4" heels UNTIL I slip it on...

Sorry back to The Curry - so Yes it has won. It's going to be a pain trying not to order It the next time we go...Perhaps it's best if we bring some friends whom we could persuade to try The Curry?...hehehe

So I strongly recommend going with an empty stomach and a group of adventurous friends. And yes, your sunglasses...just in case the walls get too much.