Baan Ying, Royal Square @ Novena
We’ve been to several weekend buffets and most are either western style or local, but here at Baan Ying, brunch is served in my all-time favourite cuisine – Thai. You can be sure to get some pretty authentic Thai food here at Baan Ying, with it being a famous name in Bangkok. Also, a lot of their ingredients are imported from Thailand itself!
The semi-buffet in Baan Ying ($38.80++ per adult) includes one main course, along with a buffet spread of 12 to 15 delectable appetisers, sides and desserts that are on rotation every week. You can even top up $29.80++ for free-flow beer and wine for the entire brunch duration from 11am to 3pm.
So, for the main course, pick one from the four selections – Angus Beef Steak, Grilled Large River Prawns, Pan-Fried Salmon Steak and Bone-In Iberico Pork Chop (add $9.80).
We only managed to try the Bone-In Iberico Pork Chop and the Grilled Large River Prawns.
The pork chop was super tender and lightly seasoned, such that you can taste the great porky flavours. As good as this tasted, this was a very heavy dish, and I would only recommend this for big eaters or if you’re really hungry. Or else, you wouldn’t have much space to enjoy the buffet spread.
I actually much preferred the prawns as they were not only big and juicy, they were super fresh. Also lightly seasoned and grilled to a perfection, this was by far my favourite. Even after finish a whole plate of this, I still had space to attack the buffet spread.
Every buffet always has a DIY station. Perhaps to get guests to have a say in the way they want their food to be made. Here at Baan Ying, there’s a DIY Som Tum Station. You’d get to learn and make your very own papaya salad. The instructions are on the side and just follow them! The fun part was holding the pestle and pounding on the ingredients.
One of my favourite appetisers on the buffet spread was the Kiew Krop Na Tung or Crispy Wanton Skin with Pork and Shrimp Dip. Make sure that you eat your wanton fast after putting the dip on top of it, or else it’ll start to get a little soggy. The dip was the highlight! It was coconut-y and super fragrant, reminding me of green curry, but not spicy.
The Yum Pla Foo or Crispy Fish Flakes with Mango Salad Dressing was another favourite. Many don’t know, but crispy fish flakes are often a topping for mango or papaya salad in many Thai establishments (especially in Thailand). And it is my favourite part of the salad! You can even take some from here and add it to your DIY papaya salad for the crispy finish.
I firmly believe that Thai food is not Thai food without some omelette. And boy, was I glad to see the Kai Jiew Koong or Omelette with Shrimp and Onions. Most of you might have noticed that Thai-style omelettes always seem to be much more fragrant than whatever you get out there or make at home. The secret is: fish sauce.
Though I know many who believe otherwise and feel that their Thai meal is only complete with some tom yum. Fret not, you can definitely complete your meal with the Tom Yum Gai or Tom Yum Chicken here.
As Asians, carbs are a pretty important part of our diet (although I’m now trying to keep on a keto diet). The Khao Pad Kai Kem or Fried Rice with Salted Egg is a must-try. I especially love the salted-egg bits in the fried rice, giving it that extra salty touch.
And after you've had your fill of savoury stuff, you should head towards the dessert table for some sweet Thai delicacies.
You may find different desserts when you get here. But when we were here, we tried the Rainbow Ruby, a colourful version of the ever so popular Thai dessert, red ruby. The Rainbow Ruby's colours are all from natural ingredients, with the blue being from butterfly pea flower.
We also tried the Purple Sweet Potato in Coconut Milk, which I personally preferred as it had a chewier and softer texture compared to the Rainbow Ruby, which was crunchier.
If you're not up for the free flow alcohol, I would highly recommend for you to try the Fresh Mango Smoothie ($5.80), which is made out of FRESH mangoes, not those artificial ones you'd typically get from a random cafe. This is legit.
For something more insta-worthy, try one of the butterfly pea drinks. I had the Butterfly Pea Tea with Milk ($4.80), which came in a beautiful blue hue and as you stirred the milk, it turned into a nice sky blue colour. But, I did find this drink a little too sweet for my liking, so you might want to ask restaurant staff to have it done less sweet, if you don't have a super sweet tooth.
All in all, I would definitely be back here! The food here is Thai-riffic and as I'm writing this, I'm already planning my next trip here, and you should too!
Baan Ying 103 Irrawaddy Rd,
#02-07 Royal Square @ Novena,
Singapore 329566
Opening hours:
Mon- Fri: 11am–3pm, 5:30–10pm Sat-Sun: 11am–10pm