Chang Thai – Affordable & Hearty Thai Fare In Hougang [CLOSED]

When it comes to Thai food, every single ingredient plays a vital role. Simple as the cuisine may seem, it actually requires a lot of skill and the final products are often a complex marriage of tastes and flavours.

Thai food is all about balancing the right amount of sweet, sour, spicy, salty and aromatics, and few do it quite as well as Chang Thai, a popular and affordable Thai joint that was previously located in Bishan.

Boasting quintessential Thai classics like pandan chicken, grilled pork and stuffed chicken wings, Chang Thai is definitely one to check out if you ever find yourself craving for authentic Thai food that is only delicious but will not burn too big a hole in your wallet.

Chang Thai’s kitchen is helmed by head chef Alex and chef Somkid, both native Thais who have been cooking since their teenage years. However, in spite of their many years of cooking real-deal Thai dishes, they still do their utmost to tweak their recipes to cater more to local palates, and you can rest assured that they nail it just right.

The Grilled Pork (S$8.90) is pretty similar to a typical street-side Moo Ping—marinated simply in fish sauce, sugar and a few other ingredients and grilled till nicely charred and caramelised. The meat was incredibly tender and flavourful, exuding a deep smoky note which is rounded off nicely by the sweetness and saltiness of the marinade.

The Sunshine Pork (S$8.90) on the other hand is deep-fried and crispy. It would make for a good accompaniment with beer but we preferred the Grilled Pork over this.

If you are looking for something to bulk you up, then the Fried Glass Noodle Seafood (S$5.90) is a good option. It comes with generous portions of prawns and squid and the glass noodles really do absorb the seafood flavours well.

We highly recommend the Garlic Honey Chicken (S$6.90). It was crispy and well coated, achieving a perfect crunch on the outside as well as a succulent interior. The dish was heavily driven by garlic which made it super addictive—as far as Thai-style chicken goes, this has got to be one of our favourite dishes.

The Pandan Chicken (S$8.90) is something you should definitely get. Having been tightly sealed in layers of pandan leaves, the juices of the chicken are retained and the leaves do well to impart its aromatic notes onto the meat. The result is a tender and succulent chicken, boasting a distinct aroma of pandan.

Stuffed generously with a prawn paste mix and nicely fried to display a golden-yellow hue, the Stuffed Wings ($8.90) were a tasty treat between bites.

Most, if not all typical family dinners would surely see a fish dish of some sort taking centre stage.

At Chang Thai, the Deep-Fried Tilapia with Sweet & Salty Sauce (S$13.90) comes highly recommended by us. The tilapia was fresh and deep-fried to perfection, allowing the flesh to simply flake off without much effort. The tangy and spicy mango salad provided a nice hum that worked well with the crispy fish.

In light of all the meaty dishes we had, we felt it was appropriate to include at least one vegetable dish. We went for the Kang Kong Garlic Chilli (S$5.90), a classic in many Thai restaurants. The dish was spicy with fish sauce playing a very prominent role. Have it with a scoop of white rice and you are good to go.

To combat the spice and intense flavours from the dishes, order yourself an ice-cold cup of Thai Milk Tea (S$2.90). If the cold does not put the fire out, the milk will surely help.

Although there were some hits and misses, we found the food pretty darn satisfying. There were some prominent stand-outs that we will certainly return for. We would no doubt be returning with more of our friends so that we can try more of their dishes, of course!

Chang Thai [CLOSED]
684 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-977
Singapore 530684
Tel: +65 8556 6899
(Closed on Mondays)
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Hougang