Tom Yum Kungfu - Serangoon Gardens

It’s hard to think of another place with quite the same character as Tom Yum Kungfu. Situated on Maju Ave just metres from the Serangoon Gardens Country Club, Tom Yum Kungfu is only matched in Singapore by its sister restaurant in Boat Quay. A cool contemporary joint decked out with retro 80’s-video-game mosaics and blasting Thai pop, it has an atmosphere that wouldn’t befit a traditional and first-rate restaurant. But that’s exactly what it is, and there is no better illustration of this than Tom Yum Kungfu’s famous mookata. Mookata is certainly nothing unique in Singapore, but proper authentic charcoal mookata, with a double-decker grill structure that looks like a UFO and somehow creates a distinctive taste, really is. The food is superb, the atmosphere cool, and the location ideal – though this combination makes it far from a secret, so book as early as you can to nab a spot.