Dinner at Diandin Leluk Thai Restaurant @ Golden Mile Complex

5001 Beach Road #01-67/ 68/ 69 Golden Mile Complex, Singapore 199588

Tel: 6293 5101

Website: http://www.diandinleluk.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diandinleluk

Diandin Leluk is an authentic Thai restaurant located in Golden Mile Complex since 1985, with its history of food peddling by lorries, selling lunches to Thai construction workers around construction sites in Singapore.  The same restaurant also started another concept, Tuk Tuk Thai Kitchen in the 1990s, another amazing award-winning concept.

The decor of the restaurant is casual and non-fussy, with lovely painted-on walls depicting the King of Thailand as well as the lush rice padi fields in Thailand. Service was professional but do not expect chatters or smiles. Menu is very extensive - under each category, there are many, many items to choose from, and pricing is very reasonable.

We started with beverages of Thai Iced Milk Tea (SGD$1.80) and Iced Lemongrass (SGD$1.80) - the former being a tad too sweet and the latter is an acquired taste, so have your pick.

We began the meal with Papaya Salad (SGD$6.00 small / SGD$10.00 medium / SGD$12.00 big) was colorful and a burst of flavours, made up of stripes of julienne green papaya, tomatoes, lettuce, peanuts in a pool of spicy, sour sauce. Crunchy texture against sharp zesty touch - this made for a very appetite-whetting appetiser.

Another veggie dish would be Sambal Kang Kong (SGD$10.00 small / SGD$15.00 medium / SGD$20.00 big) - aka water morning glory or water spinach - crisp and fresh, redolent of the aromatic sambal flavour that brought about a hint of spiciness.

Stir-fried Minced Pork with Basil Leaves and Chilli (SGD$10.00 small / SGD$15.00 medium / SGD$20.00 big) comprised of minced lean pork, savoury in taste infused with the spicy touch of chilli and aromatic flavour of basil leaves.

Next, Green Curry Chicken (SGD$12.00 small / SGD$18.00  medium / SGD$22.00 big) - a little too diluted for my liking, coconut milk obliterated green cirry flavour as well, so took the spicier element out. Chicken pieces were either little, or all made up of skin, disappointingly.

The Clear Tom Yum Soup (SGD$12.00 small / SGD$22.00 medium / SGD$32.00 big) was served in a hotpot that kept the soup warm throughout, and generously filled with squid, sliced white fish, prawns, mushrooms, tomaroes, onions, spring onions and ginger slices. While bursting with flavour - it tasted more like a spicy version of seafood soup rather than tom yum - I wish it were more spicy and tangy.

Following that, Tom Yum Seafood Fried Rice (SGD$6.00 small / SGD$12.00 medium / SGD$22.00 big / SGD$32.00 extra big) - the best dish of tonight, in my humble opinion - made up of tasty fried rice sapid of tom yum's distinctive spicy and sour flavour. The dish is also laden with squids, mushrooms and onions - I wish there were prawns and / or fish as well, since it is called a "seafood" fried rice.

Time for desserts - we started with Mixed Thai Chendol (SGD$3.00), made up of coconut milk, water, gula melaka, pandan jelly, sweet potato cubes and ice cubes - a sweet, milky dessert that was great for soothing spiced-up tongues.

Finally, Red Ruby (SGD$3.00) - crunchy water chestnuts in a sweet syrupy broth that was refreshing and fun to eat.

Overall, dining here was a pretty nice expereince and satiated our craving for Thai food.