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Singha Thai Cafe
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
44 reviews for Singha Thai Cafe
Review Highlights
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"The spring rolls were good too." In 11 reviews -
"...usually cooked well -- I recommend panang curry with tofu." In 4 reviews -
"...an indulgent rich but mild curry with lots of coconut milk." In 4 reviews
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44 reviews in English
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Review from Dave E.
Dallas, TX
12/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Showed up shortly before they closed, and they invited us in and treated six of us to a delicious meal. The service was absolutely outstanding. I was looking for something not too spicy, but the D-6 Cashew Chicken was still a bit spicier than I would have preferred. My friends that wanted spicy food were impressed with their meals.
Highly recommend. -
Review from Sandy W.
New Orleans, LA
3/6/2012
Moving to New Orleans five years ago was one of the best decisions of my life. But with that decision I had to say goodbye to King And I, my local neighborhood Thai restaurant in Atlanta--very sad. It took me a while to find any good Thai food and I had always heard about Singha Thai Café but hadn't made the trip to try it out myself, until last night. After so many good reviews from SO many people my hopes were high, but this meal would have been bad with or without the high standard I was already holding them to. My boyfriend and I ordered a plethora of food and while some was good, I was definitely disappointed. The Crispy Springs Rolls were good--but then again, anything fried and dipped in sauce is pretty good. The Dumplings were, okay to say the least but a bit bland without the dipping sauce. Satay chicken was good, but not great--kind of on the dry side. The combination fried rice, was basically white rice with egg mixed in, no flavor, barely any chicken or shrimp and I found one piece of dark meat mixed in there, not exactly sure what it was. All of this was fine, I could move on. The reason I love Thai food is because of Green Curry.... I love the combination of a light creamier sauce and super fresh ingredients. Unfortunately for Singa Thai, the curry was completely inedible. I can't even place my finger on the taste it left in my mouth--the closest thing that I can compare is bitter salt--I know, that sounds really odd, but that's what I got...
Anyways, because of so many good reviews, I'm thinking this was an off-night for Singha but in the future, I'll be sticking with La Thai or Bankok Thai for my Green Curry fix. -
Review from caleb g.
12/2/2011
I'm not about to say that Singha is among the best Thai restaurants, but if you are looking for tasty, inexpensive food in the CBD and have tired of po boys or "hot plate lunches", you could do much worse than to pop into this deceptively large little cafe.
I don't mean to damn with faint praise-Singha is good, and if the food (the very inexpensive lunch specials in particular) is mostly watered down warhorses of the American-Thai repertoire, that owes more to their desire to stay in business, catering to the mobs of less adventurous office drones that spill out of the surrounding high rises every weekday between 11:30 & 1:00 like clockwork.
The calamari appetizer is perfectly fried and i have a very warm place in my heart for the Carondelet shrimp. Otherwise, just order what you usually do at your fave Thai joint and ask for more chili paste if you need a more authentic kick. -
Review from Ernesto E.
Lafayette, LA
Not the greatest, not bad at all, I think what I loved the most about this place, was how friendly the people in there were to me.
And like I said the food was not bad at all. I may not ever crave it, but if I ever find myself in the general area craving some Thai food, definitely going back. -
Review from Todd S.
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Solid Thai food in the heart of the CBD. The service can be sketchy, but the food comes out ridiculously fast. I tend to favor the pad thai or the pad won sen, both of which are consistent every time. If you like them, the fresh spring rolls are extremely well done. I've had the chicken curry dish before and its pretty good, but be careful in ordering "Extra Spicy" as it'll make you sweat, even if you're used to hot food.
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Review from Lan D.
7/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The kitchen is located right on the side of the entrance into this restaurant, which gives is kind of a low brow kind of feel. But then you walk inside and realize that the place is actually classier than you might think at first.
I ordered the spring rolls and the special that day. The spring rolls were delicious - I found it interesting that they used chicken instead of pork or shrimp as is typically the case. The rice paper was fresh and so was the vermicelli. The thing that made the dish was the dipping sauce, which they presented in a tiny container. Barely enough to last you as you eat the spring rolls, and definitely not enough if you like to be liberal with your dipping. I thought of asking for more, but it was clear that they were skimping on the sauce so I tried my best to make it last till the last bite.
Needless to say, I dislike places that employ cost-cutting measures like skimping on sauce.
For my entree, I ordered the special. A seafood medley over rice. I wasn't exactly sure what I was ordering except the waitress recommended it to me. She didn't really describe it in detail, but she insisted it was delicious and that I should try it. I can't decide if she was just trying to get me to order something more expensive or if she was sincerely trying to be helpful.
Regardless, the dish was tasty, but not delicious in the way she was describing. What's more, it was quite spicy - bearable to me only because I'm used to such things but certainly not bearable to people who don't eat spicy things. I am a little offended that she never thought to mention it.
This place is okay for Thai food since it seems to be the only game in the area, but if you're looking for a good meal in general, there are plenty of other places to try first. -
Review from lin h.
New Orleans, LA
7/17/2011
Really pleasantly surprised with this place. I live a block away and finally made it over to give it a try. Unfortunately, this place is a little bit away from the better locations of the french quarter. The interior is clean and well kept. Service is also pretty good.
Had the pad thai, panang curry, and pad see yew (noodles, veggies in sweet soy sauce). Also had the spring rolls, which were some of the better ones I've had. Pad thai was average.
Panang curry was really, really good. Not really spicy like the menu says but nonetheless amazing.
Pad see yew was also very, very good. Prices are not bad (about $15 for each dish). Beers are inexpensive at $2.50 - $3.50. Highly recommended for Thai food in NOLA. -
Review from Rita P.
New Orleans, LA
3/27/2011
First off, Singha now has a location on Maple Street, between the Starbucks and Babylon Cafe, in a raised house that used to be an Italian restaurant. In a convo with one of the people whose family own it, we learned that one sister is cooking at the CBD location and the other on Maple, but on weekends the CBD sister comes Uptown to help out.
We tried it on a Saturday night, and the place was hopping with people. The food was quite good, both in taste and appearance. The fried spring rolls were crispy without being greasy, with a flavorful filling. My friend's coconut milk soup (tom ka?) with chicken got a thumbs up from him in terms of flavor. I had what was described as a sweet curry (which also had a bit of coconut milk that added richness) with potatoes and carrots but had a nice chili kick to it. The spouse loved his Panang duck, which was sweet, crispy, and spicy all at once. And our friend enjoyed his green curry with beef. Portion sizes were about right, leaving us full but not overstuffed. On another tables, we noted that the pineapple fried rice was served in half a carved out pineapple: gorgeous presentation.
I marked the rating down one star because of a piece of raw chicken in my friend's soup, which was a bit icky. -
Review from Le Thu N.
New Orleans, LA
5/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came in for lunch one day with a friend, and we both weren't that impressed with the food. I ordered the tom yum soup, and it wasn't good at all. The broth was sour and missing some more spices. It had got to be one of my least favorite tom yum soups I've ever had.
For lunch, we shared the pad thai and the beef steak lunch. The fact that I have eaten pad thai at every Thai restaurant I have ever been to, I would say I know what a good pad thai is. I have never had big chunks of sliced onions in my pad thai ever. That mixed with a handful of bean sprouts made the noodles lost in the dish. The chicken was overcooked, the flavor was lacking so many ways. I was really disappointed with the pad thai.
For our other dish, the beef steak was very tough. It was difficult trying to cut through the meat. Now just imagine my friend and I trying to chew it. Fortunately, the sauce and flavor of the meat made up for it as it was really tasty. But to be honest, the beef steak looked and tasted like pot roast. Odd.The eggroll that accompanied this dish was good.
Since this was my first time here, I think I'll give this place one more try. I'll just make sure to order different dishes next time. -
Review from Kelley M.
6/1/2011
As far as Thai food in New Orleans goes, Singha Thai is a pretty good choice. The portion sizes are ample, the prices are reasonable, and the food is pretty tasty.
Not so good things: the shrimp in my coworker's pad thai were not deveined and the chicken in my pad woon sen was kind of bland (the shrimp in my dish were, however, deveined).
It is a good choice if you're looking for something different and are in the mood for Thai. The restaurant definitely draws a strong lunch crowd, so it seems that people do enjoy the food. -
Review from Alena S.
Inver Grove Heights, MN
7/29/2011
While staying in NOLA,hopped over for lunch and it was crowded. As you enter you see the open kitchen and know how well the food is prepared. Loved it at once. We ordered pad thai and it was really good. The spring rolls were good too.
Came back for dinner and the crowd was a little less than lunch time. We ordered a lobster dish and it came out okay, but the fried eggplant was just awesome. Heard they are opening another branch nearby soon. -
Review from John L. H.
New Orleans, LA
After my last trip to Singha, I am compelled to raise my rating to five stars. What a wonderful experience.
Our service was wonderful and the food was incredible. The Cashew chicken made Thai hot is now one of my favorite dishes.
Singha at lunch is truly a five star Thai experience.Listed in: Five Star Reviews, Most Memorable Meals, Lunchtime in the CBD, Yelp Loves Us
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/14/2010
Today I had another great meal at Singha. We went for 11 and were seated immediately in the front… Read more »
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Review from Judith M.
Tallapoosa, GA
2/29/2012
Don't be put off by the entrance to this delightful restaurant. The food is excellent and the staff helpful and friendly. We shared the fresh spring roll which was perfect for two, a Thai salad, the Pad Thai and the 3-Flavored Shrimp, all of which were excellent. The food came out before we were finished with the salad which was a little annoying but other than that I would say it was a wonderfully satisfying dining experience that was reasonably priced They should have a separate entrance to the dining room so diners don't have to go past the take out area.
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Review from David F.
New Orleans, LA
9/5/2011
If you work at or near One Shell Square, this is definitely a good and convenient place for lunch. Fast service and great Thai food. The crispy spring rolls are out of this world. Between the soups, I prefer the Tom Yum Koong over the Tom Kha Kai since I'm not a fan of coconut milk. I rarely stray from the Pad Thai with crushed red pepper but when I do I go with the Gold Rush noodles which is egg noodles with chicken and veggies.
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Review from Tim C.
Las Vegas, NV
4/6/2011
I was finally able to make it over to Singha last night for dinner. I had heard it was a good place to go for lunch from some co-workers.
We had both kinds of spring rolls and they were both pretty great. I had the shrimp pad thai and it was pretty good.
A decent place to go when you want something different. And a great local option for Thai food. -
Review from Bryce A.
New Orleans, LA
8/21/2011
Pros: it's close to work. That being said, service is consistently terrible and the food varies widely: sometimes it's fine (never great); other times it's like a dish that you've had before has been replaced with something completely different. Their tofu is usually cooked well -- I recommend panang curry with tofu.
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Review from Becca A.
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Singha was my first encounter with Thai food, and I was not impressed. I was there with a fairly large group, but we were the only ones in the place and our server was friendly enough, but none of us thought the food was anything to rave about. I ordered something that was suppose to be just chicken and rice, but I found pieces of shrimp AND beef mixed in- and not enough to make it look intentional. That concerns me for people with seafood allergies, but luckily I'm just picky, not allergic. My friends all thought their food was ok, but not great. It took awhile to get refills on our drinks, and when the bill came it was WAY more than any of us were expecting. Since we had such a fun time we didn't spend too much time analyzing it and just paid. There was an 18% gratuity automatically added in which I understand, but I feel like for 18% she should have offered to at least split the bill up for us.
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Review from Kirun M.
11/19/2009
You can get better Thai food from a package at the supermarket.
The entire experience was terrible.
I walk in and I am seated immediately and order immediately.
They don't have green curry. They don't have brown rice. I order panang and tom kha kai soup.
The soup was grainy and disgusting...it just tasted like like coconut milk from a can. And it burnt my tongue.
I waited 25 minutes for my panang and it was salty and bland. I then realize that they didn't ask how spicy I wanted the food.
I ask for my check and get it. She charged me $5.75 instead of $3.75 for the soup. She changes it. I tip her a dollar. She deserved much much less.
I would never go here again nor recommend it to anyone with tastebuds.Listed in: The Big Easy
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Review from Jennifer W.
New Orleans, LA
6/18/2009
I'm mostly an "eat lunch at my desk" person, but when I do go out in the CBD this is where I go about 1/3 of the time. The food is very good, has healthy and not so healthy options, is quick, and consistent.
Some of my favorites:
R-7 Ginger Fish - I hardly ever cook fish at home, so often choose to eat it at restaurants. This fish is a very light and flaky white fish, with a crispy fried batter, joined by some great veggies in a ginger sauce.
I also like the Panang curry specials when they have them on the board. Panang is an indulgent rich but mild curry with lots of coconut milk.
For appetizers I usually go for the Dumplings and/or the Crispy or Fresh Spring rolls. -
Review from Chris L.
New Orleans, LA
6/25/2010
Let's face it, Thai food options are slim in NOLA. Everytime I've eaten here I've thought - hmm, this is pretty good, not amazing, but probably the best in town.
It looks like others have had bad experiences here so I wonder if they have had some kitchen turnover or something. I ate there last week and it was good.
Also, if you call in an order of $100+ they'll deliver - I use them for business meetings in the office sometimes. -
Review from Justin T.
New Orleans, LA
8/26/2011 27 Check-ins Here
Got here about 3:05pm they are closed for morning shift, but they are nice enough to let me order Togo, ordered Pad Thai, asked not to make it spicy for my wife, and I tried it. Pretty good if it's made spicier for me! This will be our fav Thai restaurant from now!!!
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Review from Nola N.
New Orleans, LA
4/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I have been going here since they opened in the CBD. And am delighted they have done well enough to expand their space. Their food is superb and the prices are great. They also do well to get you out within an hour. I especially like their fried calamari dish. Yum!
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Review from Lana C.
Austin, TX
1/2/2008
I think this place is worse than Basil Leaf.
This is the greasiest pad-thai, along with Thai Style Cafe on La Palco Blvd. My husband had basil chicken; he doesn't even remember because it was so bad.
The service? I felt like the step child who asked for food. The only thing great about this place is that we walked to this restaurant from home to have bad Thai.
This is another place I'd recommend to friends who never had Thai before. -
Review from Tahnee S.
Metairie, LA
7/18/2011
This was my first Thai experience since moving to NOLA. This place is awesome. The food is very good, and tastes fresh. I would eat here again, and reccomend it to others.
The service was a bit pushy, I felt like they wanted us to eat faster, which is why I didn't give them 5 stars. -
Review from Stacey W.
4/2/2011
My favourite Thai restaurant, ever. Best Pad Thai I've ever had. Spring rolls delicious!!!
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Review from Katy W.
Chicago, IL
4/24/2008
Got take out from Singha one night in New Orleans. The menu really surprised me - not what I'm used to. I have kind of a hear no evil, see no evil relationship with thai food. Don't remind me there's fish sauce in there, and I'll pretend like I don't know about it. Anyway, even with that relaxed attitude there was nothing on the menu even resembling vegetarian fare. Where's the Pad Phad? Pad Thai with Tofu? Panang Curry with tofu/veggies?
I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai and asked to sub tofu for the chicken. The friendly counter staff took my order without batting an eye. My dinner was pretty good, but nothing worth writing home about. My dining companions said the same about their orders. -
Review from Chris C.
Escondido, CA
8/26/2009
Stopped by for lunch with a co- worker on a Tuesday. This small place was very busy with the business lunch crowd. I ordered the Pad Thai, which just wasn't up to snuff.
The shrimp weren't cleaned, and the sauce tasted like it was bottled, not fresh. Overall, not bad, but not impressed either. -
Review from may g.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2010
I am visiting from SF & being a personal chef & caterer gives me the (dis)honor of being a food critic. This is the 3rd restaurant I've eaten at and again I have to rate it 1 star. A friend of mine suggested we dine here so I just went along. We must have superior food in Cali compared to New Orleans bcz...
Let me mention b4 going into critiquing the food that I spotted bottles of sirachi on the table. This is a Vietnamese hot sauce, not Thai. I asked that my food be prepared extra spicy and don't put sugar in any of the dishes. Secret: sugar is added to "Americanize the dish"
Appetizer: Fried large shrimp in 3 flavor dip. There were 6 shrimps & not large & very plain. 3 flavor dip is a joke! The sauce is a sweet chili sauce that comes in a bottle in the Asian aisle of our supermarkets back home. I can't recall the exact price but it was over $8 for this dish
Main course: (1) talapia with basil, (2) basil chicken, and the (3) special
which was eggplants & crawfish.
The sight of the dishes made me wanted to walk out but since my friend picked this restaurant, I thought it best that I stayed. I asked for Thai hot sauce and not the bottle of Viet hot sauce I saw and the waitress offers Sirachi to me anyway. She came back to the table with vinegar with peppers in it. Hmmm, the last time I checked, Thai hot sauce was exactly that, Thai hot sauce.
All 3 dishes were awful. I can't even describe the texture of the fish but I don't recommend you ordering this. The chicken was not tender at all probably bcz it was overcooked. I looked for the crawfish but only found these little undeveined shrimp...yuk!
For an appetizer, 3 main course, and a bottle of Tsing Tao (Chinese beer), the check came to $57.80. I would have been happier at a fast food place.
Authentic? NOT Would I ever eat here again? Not even for free
Too bad I couldn't have cooked my own food!Listed in: May's food critiques
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Review from Drew L.
San Luis Obispo, CA
7/22/2010
I am visiting from California, and love Thai food and decided to check this place out. I ordered chicken pad Thai and spicy fried rice.
Pros
Bomb food, good size portions, and very good priced for lunch. I was seated right away even though the place was packed. They constantly filled my water which I think is a great plus when eating spicy food.
Cons
Ordered just chicken and it came with shrimp as well. Oh well it still was good and came with like 4 piece of shrimp each. I also asked for really spicy and was yet again let down. I usually am however at most Thai places.
Overall I highly recommend this place for lunch or picking up to go. Very flavorful. -
Review from Catherine R.
Chicago, IL
4/25/2007
I came here with work people who eat here for dinner almost every other night. The waitress knows one of the guys so well that she brings him his beer of choice without even asking what he wants. It is slammed at lunchtime, so get there early if you don't want to wait (even the carryout wait was 20 minutes when I tried in vain the week before for lunch).
Our dinner was good - I enjoyed the duck dish that I ordered, but I should also say that most people at the table were surprised by the spiciness/lack of spiciness of their respective dishes, based on the separate descriptions they had received for their entrees from the menu and the waitress. A minor detail, and shouldn't stop you from checking Singha out. -
Review from Leah D.
11/7/2010
This was a perfectly fine, but not stellar thai meal. I have heard their spring rolls are delicious but sell out quickly. Since we arrived at 2:30, however, we just had the regular fare. It was pretty tasty and a good lunch. I like the NO twist of crawfish in the curry thai vermicelli.
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Review from Stanford R.
New Orleans, LA
7/13/2010
Food isn't great, but service makes up for it. I go here on a busy workday because I can be in and out in about 15 minutes. The restaurant seems to have endless rooms so there's never a wait. Shrimp portions are very small and beef is overdone, so chicken is the safest bet.
Listed in: Good for Groups
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Review from Rita L.
Seattle, WA
1/1/2011
Best phad thai and SUMMER ROLLS in the CBD. But beware, they often sell out their summer rolls fast-- and they only make a certain amount of them every day :( The staff there are very friendly and the prices are reasonable (enough for dinner leftovers!)
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Review from Tum T.
Marietta, GA
4/30/2009 4 photos
I'm from Thailand and thought the food was pretty good. I've taken to go back to my hotel room twice this week.
I find the dinner menu to be a bit expensive, but it might be similar to what other restaurants charge in the CBD.
The staff is very friendly. -
Review from Eric E.
New Orleans, LA
11/22/2010
This place deserves a good mention. It's one of my favorite spots for my lunch break. Pretty solid Thai food that isn't the best I ever had but is consistently good, with hearty portions that can satisfy any Thai craving. Add affordable prices and you have a winning combo.
I am so often struck by how great the service at Singha is. It's fast and efficient, and friendly to boot. Other restaurants downtown need to take notice. Singha is consistently packed, and turning over the tables, because it isn't glacier-slow at lunch time. Sure, there seem to be quite a few servers on payroll, but those ladies (mostly ladies) hustle, and the place is probably doing more than enough revenue to cover the costs.
Singha also deserves praise for offering something not readily available downtown. I wish this place a long and prosperous future. Whoever owns and/or manages this place is doing something right. -
Review from Tuna D.
New Orleans, LA
3/1/2007
Well what can I say. I have a love/hate relationship with the place but for the most part, I love the pad woon sen and there are new dishes on the specials board. Check it out. Although the softshell crab is a bit overpriced because the portion is just not justifying.
If you work in the CBD nearby, get there before the line starts forming, but make sure you understand that if you come in during the height of lunch hour and you have to sit at a tiny table, apologies because that's alll they have left, it's a popular spot and if you have to wait they usually comp you with the veggie crispy spring rolls or some shrimp and pork dumplings. YUMSSSSS
Everything is homemade and the staff is harried during lunch but otherwise if you are not happy----u know what you need to do.
They usually accomadate you if you have special request for veggie dishes too!
Please understand that they have to tone down the spice(ALOT) because most of the customers who do frequent the joint cannot take real Thai style. However, if you think you can take it--ask the person waiting on you to make the dish THAI SPICY.
Full bar and accepts cash, credit--no checks yo. -
Review from Russell W.
New Orleans, LA
11/24/2007
Great tasting Thai food. Not very spicy, but I bet if you asked they could kick it up a notch for you. Not a very big place, but it was nearly deserted when I went for dinner. I look forward to returning here.
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Review from Cheryl R.
Updated - 7/31/2009
After seeing Jenn's review of R-7 GInger Fish - I had to try it - & FABULOUS!!! very nice & light & crispy mmmmmm!!! yummy!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/17/2009
Love this place! Glad they were able to expand cuz the customers were piling up - spilling out the… Read more »
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Review from Ellen C.
2/22/2010
Okay, I love me some Thai food and I'm sorry to say that Singha isn't one of my favorites in the least bit.
A great deal of the entrees can be veganized, no fish sauce, no egg. But don't necessarily expect any tofu unless you explicitly express it. Or if you're somehow one of the lucky ones - they're throw in a few meager tofu crumbles (it's the fried, then frozen kind) without your explicit instructions.
Their veganized Pad Thai is acceptable, but they're kind of forgetful about not putting fish sauce it in, so inspect and sniff before diving in! I think I've also had some vermicelli noodles and it was acceptable, but nothing memorable. Both just seemed really run-of-the-mill and not very spicy! To Singha's credit, it is very affordable and an especially popular destination during the lunch rush. Maybe the non-veggie dishes are more delightful?
Overall, I just think this Thai joint is really really average and not the most vegan friendly, but it would do if there was nothing else. -
Review from patrick g.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2005
Good, fresh and dependable unlike almost all the other Thai here.
