Song

Since there are so many new restaurants to try, it is hard for me to do revisits of restaurants, even if I love them.  However, there are a few you may have noticed that I do revisit.  Those include Published, Mauna Sushi, Chef's Choice and Song.  I don't even care if I don't get more content because the food is just so consistent.  So for the latest meals from one of the aforementioned spots is Song.  In fact, it was 2 consecutive visits in as many weeks where we tried some new dishes and also ol' favourites.

But before we even got to any dishes, we got started off with an Amuse Bouche consisting of a pineapple "spoon" that resembled the one we had at Baan Lao.  Not sure if it was comprised of the same ingredients, but this meatball had all of the same flavours including the sweetness of palm sugar and nuttiness of the peanuts.  One dish that is only on the happy hour menu was the Fried Corn.  This was super crispy from the rice flour and the pops of sweetness from the corn niblets as so appealing.  The side of sweet peanut chili dip added a bit of everything to the crispy corn.  This reminded me of the corn karaage I had at Yardbird in Hong Kong.

One of my favourite dishes at Song is their split wings.  I've had them many times, but they have changed it up where they are now sporting a different seasoning.  Now called the Laab Wings, these are still cut in half exposing them to a more even deep-fry.  The result is a crispier exterior and easier-to-eat format.  Now with the laab seasoning, the wings were spicier and appealingly tangy.  These were great both times we had them with a crispy flavourful exterior while the meat was still moist.

Right in time for the change of seasons, their new Thai Corn Salad with salted duck egg was a subtle flavour bomb.  I know that statement is an oxymoron, but really, it was not in-our-faces flavourful, but at the same time, it was super impactful.  The combination of grilled sweet corn, long beans and grape tomatoes, provided the textural canvas for the spicy salted duck egg yolk dressing.  I found it mildly spicy, but definitely had all of the umaminess of salted egg yolk.  Naturally, the sweet corn was the star of the show and since it was grilled, the sweetness was amplified.  Loved the crunch of the ingredients too.

We tried 2 more of their new salads in the Jasmine Blossom and the Green Mango Crab.  With Thai tonkin jasmine flower, minced pork and tiger prawns topped with cashew nuts, this was a fragrant concoction that had elements of a laab combined with jasmine flowers.  However, unlike a laab, this was a very mild-tasting salad.  I enjoyed the meatiness of the dish as well as the cold-water crunchy prawns.  However, I was wanting more acidity. 

As for the Green Mango Crab Salad, this was all about the Thai herbs.  I wouldn't use the word overwhelming, as there was enough of the other ingredients (crab, green mango, pomelo, lemongrass, cashew nuts and salmon roe) to somewhat balance the flavours out.  However, the saw leaf herb was prominent.  The whole thing was tossed in a coconut Nam Jim dressing served with Cha Plu Betel leaves.  So there was aromatics as well as a certain sweet, briny and spicy thing going on.

One of the best things to order at Song is their Tom Yum Soup.  At first glance, you might be wondering why it costs $50.00.  Well, first of all, it is enough for 4 people and second, it has 6 giant tiger prawns.  Lastly, the flavours are so on point.  It is medium-spiced with plenty of brininess to go with the big hits of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.  The tiger prawns are meaty with a sweet, briny snap.  Personally, I'm not a fan of the saw leaf herb on top as it is a bit too pungent.

Another new dish is their Seafood Pad Kapi with prawns, scallop, squid, sator bean, long bean and baby corn.  They were not shy with loading this up with plenty of seafood.  The squid rings were tender with a chew while the baby scallops were buttery and soft.  Prawns were meaty and cooked perfectly.  Veggies were on point with vibrancy and crunch.  However, the one thing we wished for was more impact from the seasoning.  It wasn't really all that spicy or anything.

On the other hand, the Mushroom Stirfry with Fried Silken Egg Tofu is one of my favourite dishes here.  The combination of mixed 

mushrooms, silken egg tofu, celery and green onions are bathed in vegan mushroom garlic oyster sauce and sesame oil.  Although subtle, the flavours are impactful with saltiness and aromatics.  Combine that with the earthiness of the mushrooms, there is not wanting for more.  Texturally, the egg tofu is so delicate while the crunchy wood ear provide a nice contrast.

From one tofu dish to another, the Thai Chili Tofu is remarkably different than the previous dish.  Employing firm tofu that is fried aggressively, we have slices that are crunchy and almost hard.  However, they are soaking in a spicy sweet & sour tamarind sauce with bell peppers.  Therefore, the texture gets a bit softer and of course the flavours are prominent with spice, tang and sweetness.  Add on the fried basil and shallots on top, and there is plenty of aromatics.

Off to some curries, we have 2 non-Vegan choices starting with the Crab Curry with chunks of blue crab meat in a Thai yellow curry.  This is a fairly mild dish where the creaminess from the coconut cream shines through.  It is aromatic and sweet which compliments the crab well.  Normally, crab can be lost in a curry, but they are able to keep it relevant by not making it spicy nor too strong in terms of the spices.  Naturally, this needs to go with rice and it comes with a bowl.

The other curry is the Jungle Chicken Curry with Morel Mushroom. This soup curry consists of chicken thigh, morel mushroom, wood ear mushroom and Thai vegetables.  It doesn't look it and neither does it taste spicy right away, but believe me, it does have a real kick at the end.  The morels are a real treat but not as noticeable in flavour as you might think.  The chicken is dark meat and it is cooked just enough so that it remains moist and tender.

Their classic Pad Thai is one of the best in the city in my opinion.  Lots of wok hei and caramelization leads to a smoky essence complimented by the tang from the tamarind and intense sweetness from the palm sugar.  You can add a protein to this dish, but I feel it is pretty good without it (but I do like adding the grilled pork cheek sometimes).  The noodles are chewy and flavourful without being too saucy nor clumpy.  The ample amount of seared firm tofu adds plenty of meatiness to the dish.

Lastly, to end off the meal, you can't go wrong with the Mango Sticky Rice where the rice is coloured by butterfly pea flower.  The rice is warm, soft and chewy with sweet coconut cream and young rice pop on top.  Nice crunchy texture to break up the softness.  Mango on the side is ripe and juicy.  These were 2 delicious meals at Song where the classic dishes delivered.  I felt the fried corn was fantastic and that salted egg yolk salad to be really flavourful.  Some of the other new dishes were fine, but maybe a little conservative in terms of seasoning.  Solid service as usual.

The Good:

- Their classic Thai dishes are on point

- Bold flavours

- Solid service

The Bad:

- Some of their new items need a bit more impact