Warm Up Cafe

Good news for lovers of authentic Thai food and late-night eats!  If you enjoy a Thai live band, you're in for a treat—they play Tuesdays to Sunday, 715pm to 12am

The dining area is beautifully themed under a big tree, with leaves and plants overhead, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere. The combination of lights and thoughtful furnishings adds to the charm, making it a delightful spot to enjoy your meal. 

Don’t miss out on this unique experience!

Warm Up Cafe

We enjoyed a plate of fresh, healthy greens topped with generous chunks of crispy roasted pork. The contrast between the crispiness of the pork and the refreshing crunch of the greens made this dish a delightful and satisfying combination.

Interior

The Thai Lemongrass drink was simply refreshing when served chilled, providing a perfect way to cool down the heat from the spicy dishes. On the other hand, the warm honey lemon drink was just as enjoyable, with its balanced sweetness that perfectly suited the cold and wet weather—it was a comforting choice.

Thai Lemongrass & Honey Lemon - $3.90 Each

We were served Isan sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces resembling fish balls. The exterior was nicely charred, while the interior had a mince-like texture. Staying true to Thai traditions, the dish was accompanied by raw vegetables and chilli padi, enhancing its authentic flavours.

Isan Sausage - $11

The seafood Tom Yum clear soup we ordered came with two prawns, along with the usual seafood like squid and others. Despite its clear appearance, the soup packed a spicy punch. However, it lived up to expectations as an appetizing and flavorful dish.

Tom Yum Soup Clear - $16

The omelette was of the creamy and runny variety, generously topped with large chunks of crabmeat. While it was a tad too milky for my taste, those who enjoy watery and creamy omelettes will likely find it irresistible.

Creamy Crab Omeleete - $21

Boat Noodles are always a favourite of mine when ordering from a Thai menu. Unlike the typical one-mouthful serving, the portion was generous. The bowl was packed with meatballs, lean meat, liver, kang kong, and innards, making it incredibly hearty

Thai Boat Noodle

The broth had a rich depth of flavour and was simply delicious—comfort in every bite.

Boat Noodle

We tried their Seafood Vermicelli Salad, which was a refreshing and appetizing choice. The dish combined seafood such as mussels, squid, prawns, and minced meat with vermicelli, all tossed in a tangy and zesty sauce. The flavors came together beautifully, making it a vibrant and satisfying addition to our meal.

 

Vermicelli

We enjoyed a plate of fresh, healthy greens topped with generous chunks of crispy roasted pork. The contrast between the pork's crispiness and the greens' refreshing crunch made this dish a delightful and satisfying combination.

Kai Lan with Crispy Pork

The braised pork was served in eight generously sized chunks, with distinct layers of fat and meat. We absolutely loved how the braised flavours had infused deeply into the meat. The texture was springy yet tender, making each bite a delightful experience.

 

Braised Pork - $16

Steamed Seabass with Lime & Garlic is a must-have for me in any Thai meal. It’s served with a bowl of zesty gravy to pour over the fish as it cooks over the fire. I absolutely love how appetizing this dish is, with its perfect blend of spiciness and tangy goodness, which pairs beautifully with the tender flesh of the seabass.

Steamed Seabass with Lime and Garlic - $31

No meal is complete without dessert, and we opted for the Thai Coconut Milk Custard, also known as Kanom Tuay in Thai. This traditional dessert featured two layers—a creamy coconut layer on top of a pandan-infused base—and was served in small ceramic cups with wooden spoons, adding an authentic touch.

From the very first bite, we were captivated by its homey yet delightful taste. The salty coconut cream perfectly balanced the sweet, aromatic pandan layer, and the smooth, custard-like texture made it light and satisfying. It was the perfect way to round off our meal.

 

Thai Coconut Milk Custard

We also had Red Ruby as dessert, a delightful choice to end the meal. The mildly sweet coconut milk paired perfectly with the gelatinous coating around the crunchy water chestnut pieces of the red ruby. Adding to the experience was the natural sweetness of the jackfruit, which brought everything together beautifully and completed the meal on a satisfying note.

Red Ruby

To sum up, the Thai staff were warm and friendly, and despite the busy peak hours, our orders were served fairly quickly. The food was authentic and absolutely delicious. If you’re a fan of genuine Thai cuisine. Warm Up Café offers an impressive spread that’s sure to satisfy. Plus, they feature a live band during certain times, adding to the lively dining experience. Definitely worth checking out!

Warm Up Cafe @ Grantral Mall Macpherson
Location: Grantral Mall, 601 MacPherson Road  #01-37 Grantral Complex, 368242

Char & Stewed Kitchen [Media Invite]

It was a pleasant sight to observe that Industrial Canteen is still bustling at night. Let's check out what is cooking there?

Char Stew Kitchen offers food in a unique style, they adopt the traditional use of charcoal cook method to bring out the natural flavours of the food. And the interesting part is that they are not the ones who are watching over the fire but the diners themselves.

Stall of Char & Stewed Kitchen

Enjoy a good gathering session over the open flame, making communal meal more appealing and interactive. Enjoy these Charcoal Hotpot with their popular Herbal soups in earthen clay pots. They have chicken, beef and even pig's stomach soup in their menu. Let's check it out here.

Menu

The hardworking workers were busy doing preparations.

Worker preparing charcoal

At Work

I often hear about Durian in the meal and was wondering what it tastes like. Now that I finally have the chance, I would comment that Durian in the soup actually helps in enhancing the taste and surprisingly, there is no overpowering of durian taste!

Durian Coconut & Chicken Charcoal Hotpot - $38 (Small)

The soup has a good natural sweetness from the chicken bones, carrot, dates and goji berries. Cabbages and a mixture of Chinese herbs had also taken their roles in creating pleasant sweetness in the pot. The D24 durian had added a subtle durian fragrance to our hotpot too!

Durian in the Pot

Are you game to try this bowl of Durian Coconut & Chicken Charcoal soup?

Durian Soup, anyone?

The Herbal Chicken Charcoal Soup was generally filled with Goji Berries, spring onions, a mixture of Chinese herbs (Chinese Barley, chinese yam etc) as well as chicken meat. The soup does taste good too and this style suits me.

Herbal Chicken Charcoal Hotpot - $29 (Small)

Meat in the Herbal Chicken Charcoal Hotpot

Chicken Wing with Herbs

We refilled our pots with their Peppery Chicken & Pig Stomach Broth. It was pretty peppery but addictive. No worries as you can still taste the mixture of herbs that make up the nourishing soup too. If you are also a soup lover, you will not want to miss this out.

Refilling Soup

Let's make the soup more tasty and healthier with the greens! 

Vegetables

Let's put this into the pot!

Vegetables

Pick your favourite skewers from their chiller and get your hands moving! The skewers cost $1 each and there is a minimum order of 15 sticks.

Picked from the Chiller

They are popular for their skewers pricing. Regardless of vegetables or meat, the price remains at $1. The owner stands firm on not marking up their prices.

Skewers over Charcoal

Oil and sauce were given to us to grease and enhance the flavour of the food. Do watch over the fire!

What's Barbequing?

Food cook by Charcoal is generally much tastier. We had a good time here! Looking at the price list, the cost is quite affordable too. However, be prepared to smell smoke when you are there. 

Thank you Lao Niang Agency for the invitation.

Char & Stewed Kitchen
Location: Trivex, 8 Burn Road Singapore 369977

Took Lae Dee

Took Lae Dee is a chain restaurant in Thailand since 1985 and has been popular with Thais and expats. They are also open 24 hours a day.  When translated, their business name literally means "Cheap & Good". 

Took Lae Dee

We have 4 dishes from the Thai Kitchen with Lychee Freeze and their Signature Thai Milk Tea washing down our meal.

Lychee Freeze & Signature Thai Milk Tea - $3.80 Each

Pineapple Fried Rice (Khao Pad Sapparot) is also one of my favourite dishes to order if I want to skip the white rice. The plate comes with a good portion of cashew nuts, raisins, meat floss and shredded eggs. The taste was pretty decent. It lacked the Wok Fried fragrant. 

Pineapple Fried Rice - $8

The Green Curry (Kang Keaw Wan) can be served with either Pork or Chicken. The taste is not thick enough and lacks oomph. On top of that, the curry was a bit on the sweeter side.

Green Curry (Chicken / Pork) - $8

We had a chicken version of the Green Curry and the meat was tender.

Chicken in Green Curry

The Thai Fish Cakes (Tot Maan Pla) come in a plate of 4. These snacks are good for sharing and are one of the recommended items on the menu. Dip them into the sweet and spicy chilli to enjoy.

Thai Fish Cake - $6

The Boat Noodle with Pork, better known as Kway Tiaw Reua in Thai, is one of my favourite soup noodles. There is a choice of noodles with either Kway Teow or Glass Noodle. The bowl was filled with lean meat and meatballs.

Boat Noodle with Pork - $7.50

It was a comforting bowl of food but I will prefer the broth to be more flavourful.

Glass Noodle

The Red Ruby with Coconut Ice Cream looked disappointing in its disposable container. 

Red Ruby with Coconut Ice Cream - $4.50

Nevertheless, the taste is rather standard too with some red rubies placed over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Red Ruby

Though food from Took Lae Dee is pocket friendly and Authentic, cooked by Thai Chef, I find that its a standard fare. Pricing-wise, it's not cheap in my opinion.

Rating: 3 / 5

Took Lae Dee
Location: 18 Tai Seng, 01-34/35/K9 Singapore 539775