Un-Yang-Kor-Dai - Michelin Bib Gourmand Isan Thai Cuisine

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai brings Isan cuisine, the cooking of Thailand’s northeastern region, to South Bridge Road. The restaurant was founded by former lawyer Panchana Vatanasathien, with its first outlet opening in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, before this Singapore location became its first overseas branch.

Isan cooking is distinguished by its use of fermented and pickled ingredients, grilled meats, and a sharper, more sour-forward spice profile than the Thai food more commonly found in Singapore. The restaurant holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, awarded for quality cooking at accessible prices. Its menu spans grilled meats, salads, and rice-based dishes, each rooted in Isan technique and ingredient sourcing.

Thai Papaya Salad with Dried Shrimp — $12.50

This salad is made with shredded green papaya, cherry tomatoes, and dried shrimp, pounded together to release the ingredients’ natural juices. The dried shrimp adds a concentrated savoury note that layers over the salad’s characteristic sourness and heat, a combination typical of Isan-style som tum preparations.

UYKD Deep-Fried Platter — $29.80

This sharing platter brings together three separately prepared items: crispy prawn spring rolls, Thai-style chicken wings, and deep-fried pork neck. Each component is fried separately to preserve its own texture before being plated together, making the platter suited to introducing a table to multiple proteins and preparations at once.

PenLaos Signature Grilled Chicken — $15 (half) / $26 (whole)

Based on a recipe from the restaurant’s original Khao Yai outlet, this dish uses spring chicken marinated for three days in a blend of black and white peppercorns and coriander. The extended marination tenderises the meat and works the spice blend through to the bone before the chicken is grilled, producing meat that stays juicy despite the direct heat of grilling.

Steamed Whole Sea Bass in Spicy Lime Sauce

As an alternative preparation of the same fish, the sea bass here is steamed rather than fried, keeping the flesh soft throughout. It is served in a tangy and spicy lime-based sauce, a lighter option compared to the deep-fried version, and is typically eaten with steamed rice.

UYKD Crispy Pork Belly with Special Dipping Sauce — $14.50

The pork belly is prepared with a crisp outer layer achieved through a specific frying technique that renders the fat while keeping the exterior crunchy. It is served with a house-made dipping sauce designed to cut through the richness of the fried skin and fat.

Grilled Pork Neck — $17

Pork neck is used here for its more even fat distribution compared to other cuts, a quality that suits direct grilling. The dish is served with a house-made tamarind dip, which combines sourness and spice to balance the richness of the grilled meat.

Green Curry with Chicken — $14.90

This curry uses green chilli paste as its base, combined with coconut milk and chicken. The curry is simmered to develop a rounded coconut flavour before the chicken is added, allowing the meat to absorb the paste’s aromatics during cooking.

Stir-Fried Soft Shell Crab in Curry Sauce — $18.90

Soft shell crab is stir-fried in a non-spicy curry sauce, a preparation still listed on the restaurant’s current menu. The crab’s soft, edible shell allows the whole piece to absorb the curry sauce, and the dish is typically eaten alongside glutinous rice to mop up the sauce.

Thai Dried Shrimp Paste Fried Rice with Isaan Grilled Chicken — $14.90

Fried rice is cooked with dried shrimp paste, giving the grains a savoury, slightly funky depth characteristic of Isan flavouring. It is served alongside grilled chicken prepared in the Isaan style, pairing the dish’s umami base with the smokiness of the grilled meat.

Mango Sticky Rice

Ripe mango is served alongside glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, a dessert format standard across Thai cuisine. The rice is steamed separately from the coconut milk mixture before the two are combined, allowing the rice to absorb the coconut flavour without becoming overly soft.

Thai Milk Tea Pudding — $5.50

This dessert sets Thai milk tea into a soft, wobbling pudding, giving the drink’s characteristic sweetness and tea flavour a chilled, spoonable form. It offers a lighter alternative to the rice-based mango sticky rice, and is served cold.

Un-Yang-Kor-Dai brings a style of Thai cooking that remains relatively uncommon in Singapore, built around the sourness, spice, and grilling techniques specific to Thailand’s northeastern region. Its Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction reflects a menu that balances authenticity with approachable pricing, making it a suitable stop for diners looking to explore Isan cuisine beyond the more familiar central Thai dishes.

57 South Bridge Road, #01-02, Singapore 058688
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:30am – 2:30pm, 6:00pm – 10:00pm. Closed Mondays.
Website: unyangkordai.sg