Bangkok's famous "Cheap and Good" Thai restaurant chain serving authentic Pad Krapow with imported holy basil and traditional dishes at exceptional value pricing opposite Tai Seng MRT.
Took Lae Dee at 18 Tai Seng Street #01-34/35/K9 brings the authentic flavors of Bangkok's famous 24/7 Thai restaurant chain to Singapore's eastern commercial district, representing the first overseas expansion of this beloved Thai establishment whose name literally translates to "Cheap and Good" in Thai. Operating daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM with last orders at 8:30 PM, this 60-seater restaurant occupies a spacious ground floor location with both indoor and outdoor seating options, positioned strategically opposite Tai Seng MRT station to serve the substantial population of office workers, Thai food enthusiasts, and value-conscious diners who appreciate authentic Thai cuisine at remarkably affordable prices that honor the restaurant's "cheap and good" philosophy.
The restaurant's menu features exceptionally affordable Thai classics including their bestselling Pad Krapow at just .80, made with special holy basil imported directly from Thailand that adds a unique spice profile unavailable in typical Singapore Thai restaurants, alongside Tom Yum Soup (.80), Green Curry (.00), Pad Thai (.00), and their distinctive Thai Milk Tea (.80) served with innovative milk tea ice cubes that prevent dilution as the drink is consumed. While some customers note that portions can be modest and certain dishes like tom yum soup may be served in smaller containers, the authentic flavors and exceptional value pricing have established Took Lae Dee as a destination for diners seeking genuine Bangkok-style Thai food without premium restaurant pricing, though the restaurant's mixed TripAdvisor rating of 3.3/5 reflects varied customer experiences with portion sizes and service consistency.
Located in the heart of Tai Seng's bustling commercial development alongside other renowned food establishments like Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan, Took Lae Dee serves as an accessible introduction to authentic Thai street food culture for Singapore's diverse dining community while providing nostalgic flavors for Thai cuisine veterans. The restaurant's commitment to importing specialty ingredients like holy basil and using traditional preparation methods demonstrates their dedication to authenticity despite the challenges of maintaining Thai restaurant operations outside Thailand, while their pricing strategy makes Thai cuisine accessible to students, office workers, and families seeking flavorful international dining options within budget constraints. For the growing community in Singapore's eastern region, Took Lae Dee represents an important connection to authentic Bangkok street food traditions, establishing itself as a destination where traditional Thai hospitality meets Singapore's multicultural dining landscape, ensuring that genuine Thai flavors remain accessible to all members of the community regardless of economic circumstances.
First time trying this place on a weekday lunch time. Crowded. Found a seat and Q to order my food. Not much customer service, mono tone reaction from cashier. Ordered basil pork with rice and milk tea. SGD9+. I will say the portion is decent and taste quite well. Some effort in milk tea that some of the ice cubes are made from milk tea too. A decent meal for lunch but nothing to make me come back.
HM Choo
Came here on for Sat early dinner. I guess the food is considered good for lunch time crowd where the focus is on speed & price. For weekend where people has the choice to choose, this pales a little. It is my 1st time here after hearing good reviews. Taste wise, it is not impressive. Basil chicken with rice is only normal. Perhaps I am used to excellent versions of this dish. $5 or $7 inclusive of a drink. Add $1 for sunny Side up egg. Don't order the sweet sour fish. Too salty with the too generous amount of ketchup.
I like the fact that they separate the condensed milk from the Thai tea. I get to control the sweetness of my milk tea.
The chicken wing is too scrawny & dry. $3.50 for 5 pieces or rather 5 half pieces of mid wing. Can also skip this.
For desert, got the coconut ice cream & red Ruby. Essentially you are paying $2 more for the Ruby. The ice cream is nice though. The salty coconut cream complements the sweetness of the ice cream very well.
No service charge nor GST. Go in, order your food, pay (they accept credit card) collect the buzzer, get your cutlery & find a seat.
Mark Ong
Inexpensive Thai food eatery. Impressive selection of food. Cook by Thai chef. It's more like a street food stir fried shop . Authentic food but in terms of quality it's lacking . Meat tend to be rather hard. Order a pork trotter , I'm not impressed. Green curry is great but chicken is too hard. Garlic vegetables are the highlights. It's a no frills order , eat go place. Do not seat outside in rainy days . You may get wet.
William Lu
Well the portion wasn't satisfied me. Ordered a thai style marinated pork rice but only two slices of porks. It was ok but not enough to even finished my rice with. Quite expensive though, it was $8 per plate. Top up $3 with egg and spring roll with drink might be just nice.
Roland
I think the standard have dropped compared to when it was first opened. The noodles have is on the salty side and the minced meat egg is overly oily. The fried grass noodles is not bad and the portion is just nice.
With the wide variety of inexpensive dishes, hopefully the quality can improve, looking forward to be back again soon.
Kelvin
<= 3 stars
Food quality: above average, but very salty and not to my liking
Food portion / Price: portions are pretty reasonable, prices at lower-end in range of other Thai food outlets, though more expensive than hawker centres of course.
Have tried their pineapple rice, pad thai, boat noodle, lemongrass chicken wing.
There’s always a queue to order during lunch or even dinner hours especially on weekend - it clears pretty quickly though you’ll have to wait for your food with the buzzer.
Wont be returning.
Xavier Tan
The tanghoon is good but the 猪油渣is not crispy at all. Boat noodle is normal. The side dish is really small and the Pandan Chicken 🐔 is very oily ⛽️ and not user friendly. Very difficult to peel open the pandan leaves to reveal the tiny chicken 🐔 inside 🔎 …
T M
Cheap and clean, yes. Food wise, just doesn’t cut it for me. Don’t set high expectations of the food. Deep fried pork was very tough, almost unchewable. Tom yum soup is on the sweet side. Thai Iced Tea very thin flavour. Prices seem cheap but side dish portions are proportionally smaller too. Good place for a quick meal if not crowded. Wait for the novelty hype to die down first or go during off peak hours. You can get much better thai food elsewhere, maybe for a few dollars more, so don’t spend time and effort to come if Tai Seng is too far off. Counter staff could do better with a bit warmer service instead of giving that people owe her money face, place is not even busy while I was there. Even the uncle clearing plates looked more cheerful.
Positive Reviews
Yustinus Albert
Took Lae Dee is Thai foods. The price is normal not too expensive. Taste wise is delicious esecially mango sticky rice(recommended) i loved it. I will definitely buy again from this place and testing all recommended foods from their menu. Keep the good quality and taste ya
Linda Yeo
This Thai restaurant is like a flavor explosion in your mouth! The Pad Thai danced with your taste buds, the Thai boat noodle took you on a delicious voyage, and the Tom Yum soup warmed your soul.
But, there's a tiny twist in this culinary tale - the portions left you dreaming of more, and the air conditioning could use some extra chill to keep your spicy adventures even cooler! ❄️🍽️😅
Eileen LKY (Hungry Mama)
Inexpensive delicious 🤤 😋 Thai Food. Restaurant is always clean. ❤️ the bright lighting indoor.
Plenty of outdoor seats available but if you choose to eat at the outdoor seats, you eat at risk of dining with the company of pigeons 🐦 as I had seen them landing on the table when food are placed there and the customers were freaked out and had to shift their food to indoors.
The food are cooked fast after placed orders so for someone who is hangry … it is a big pro for me.
I usually don’t spent more than $14 ( me alone ) there and order up to 3 items. Super good if you have a tight budget.
The noodles are full of flavour. So if you have a light palate, maybe this restaurant is not suitable for you.
The Fried Noodles in Sweet Dark Sauce ( Pad See Eaw ) is a bit on salty side but still acceptable for me.
Highly recommended 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.
tomyumdumpling
Visited the restaurant during lunch. The restaurant has a cosy ambience. The ordering is efficient and the food is served quickly.
The thai milk tea is fragrant, the green curry is aromatic and has the right level of spiciness.
The fried chicken rice is crispy and the chicken is well seasoned. The red ruby dessert contains coconut ice cream, which is a creative approach to usual red ruby dessert and the ice cream really complements the red rubies.
Overall, this is a good dining experience!
Renuka Gopal
[Updated] There was an update to the menu, with Pineapple Fried Rice and Red Ruby dessert included. The fried rice was tasty, not spicy, and a good portion. Red ruby dessert was accompanied with coconut ice cream, very creamy and this version was easier on the pallets compared to the coconut milk version. Will visit again to try the Thai Spicy Chicken Wings and more.
[First Visit] Overall had a satisfying simple meal at Took Lae Dee. Wasn’t complicated, you order and pay for your meal, find a seat, pick up order once it has been freshly made, and begin your meal. Don’t expect too much spice, if you want it spicer than what has been served, add in their spicy condiments to your liking. Ordered their Thai Milk tea, wasn’t a “blow me away” type, in my opinion tasted like any other Thai Ice Milk Tea.
But I think that is their concept, simple, straightforward and palatable Thai food. Will go back to try other dishes.
Kendrick Wee
Ordered seafood phad Thai, marinated grill pork with rice, fish cakes, pandan chicken and lychee freeze. Highly recommend the lychee freeze, especially on a hot day. Fish cake was good, recommended. Pandan chicken flavor could be stronger. Grill pork was tender and flavorful. Phad Thai was average.
Juju Tan
Came for late lunch after long work hours since morning for a quick fix. The food was honestly pretty good for its price! I honestly should’ve ordered seafood tomyum goong cause chicken in soup is so dry. Otherwise the broth is amazing!
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Our Menu
Menu Images
Menu Highlights
Rice
KHAO PAD KRAPOW MINCED CHICKEN/PORK WITH CHILLI AND BASIL LEAVES SERVED WITH RICE
R $6.80
KHAO PAD CHICKEN FRIED RICE
R $7.50 / L $11.50
KHAO PAD SAPPAROT PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
R $8.00 / L $13.00
KHAO MOO TOT THAI STYLE MARINATED PORK WITH RICE
R $8.00 / L $13.00
KHAO MOO OP BRAISED PORK RICE
R $8.00 / L $13.00
KHAO PAD NAHM LIAP OLIVE FRIED RICE
R $8.00 / L $13.00
NEW
ADD-ON: THAI STYLE FRIED OMEGA EGG
$1.20
Noodle with Soup
KWAY TIAW REUA* BOAT NOODLE WITH PORK
$7.50
KWAY TIAW NAAM SAAI* CLEAR NOODLE SOUP WITH PORK
$7.50
KWAY TIAW TOM YUM* TOM YUM NOODLE SOUP WITH PORK
$8.00
Noodle option: Kway Tiaw only
ADD-ON: KWAY TIAW
$1.20
Stir-fry Noodle
PAD THAI STIR-FRIED RICE NOODLE WITH SEAFOOD
R $7.50 / L $11.50
PAD WOON SEN STIR-FRIED GLASS NOODLE WITH SEAFOOD
R $7.50 / L $11.50
PAD SEE EAW STIR-FRIED NOODLE IN SWEET DARK SAUCE WITH CHICKEN
R $7.50 / L $11.50
RAD NA STIR-FRIED NOODLE IN GRAVY WITH CHICKEN
R $7.50 / L $11.50
Curry & Soup
KANG KEAW WAN** GREEN CURRY WITH CHICKEN
R $8.00 / L $13.80
TOM YUM** SPICY & SOUR SOUP WITH SEAFOOD
R $8.50 / L $12.80
TOM YUM CLEAR SOUP** SPICY & SOUR CLEAR SOUP WITH SEAFOOD
R $8.50 / L $12.80
Beverage
SIGNATURE TOOK LAE DEE CHA TIAW REUA ICED THAI MILK TEA (ORIGINAL / GREEN)
R $3.00 / L $3.80
15% sugar
NAAM AN CHAN ICED BUTTERFLY PEA TEA
$2.80
12% sugar
ICED LEMON TEA
$2.80
14% sugar
YUZU LEMON
Hot $2.50 / Cold $3.00
8% sugar Hot / 20% sugar Cold
NAAM TAKRAI LEMON GRASS TEA
Hot $2.20 / Cold $2.50
CANNED DRINK
$1.80
MINERAL WATER
$1.80
Dessert
ITIM GATI COCONUT ICE CREAM
$2.20
ITIM MA MUENG MANGO ICE CREAM
$2.20
TAP TIM KROP ITIM GATI RED RUBY WITH COCONUT ICE CREAM
$4.50
KHAO NEOW MA MUENG MANGO STICKY RICE
$6.00
Seasonal
Menu Highlights
SEASONAL SPECIAL
THAI CRISPY CHICKEN RICE
$7.80
Crispy chicken served with rice. Option to top up for a Fried Omega Egg.
FRIED OMEGA EGG
$1.20
Add-on for Thai Crispy Chicken Rice.
PRAWN TANG HOON (SMALL)
$8.80
Single portion (3 pcs) of Tiger Prawns with Tang Hoon.
PRAWN TANG HOON (MEDIUM)
$13.80
Sharing portion (5 pcs) of Tiger Prawns with Tang Hoon.
PRAWN TANG HOON (LARGE)
$18.00
Family portion (8 pcs) of Tiger Prawns with Tang Hoon.
Menu Highlights
Appetiser
POPIAH SPRING ROLLS WITH THAI CHILLI SAUCE
$6.00
TOT MAAN PLA THAI FISH CAKE
$6.00
KAI BAI THEI PANDAN CHICKEN
$8.00
Salad
SOM TAM GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
R $6.00 / L $9.80
YUM WOON SEN THAI STYLE SPICY VERMICELLI SALAD
R $7.50 / L $11.80
Vegetable
PAD PAK BOONG THAI MORNING GLORY
$8.00
PAD KANA STIR FRIED KAILAN
$8.00 / Prawn $9.80
PAD TUA FAK YAO STIR FRIED LONG BEANS WITH GARLIC PORK
$9.80
Add-on
PREMIUM JASMINE RICE
$1.50
Add-on
Thai Omelette
THAI OMELETTE
$6.80
Minced Pork
THAI OMELETTE
$7.80
Prawn
Meat
PAD KRAPOW MINCED
R $8.80 / L $13.80
(Chicken/Pork) with Chilli and Basil Leaves
MOO KRA TIEM PRIK TAI FRIED PORK WITH GARLIC AND PEPPER
R $9.80 / L $14.80
KAA MOO PORK TROTTER PLATTER
R $10.80 / L $15.80
From the Sea
PLA TOT FRIED FISH WITH SAUCES
$23.80
Green Thai Chilli / Sweet & Sour Sauce
PLA TOT FRIED FISH WITH PAPAYA SALAD
$25.80
Menu Highlights
RICE
MINCED (CHICKEN/PORK) WITH CHILLI AND BASIL SERVED WITH RICE
$6.8
FRIED RICE
$7.5
(Chicken/Pork)
PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
$8.0
THAI STYLE MARINATED PORK WITH RICE
$8.0
BRAISED PORK RICE
$8.0
CURRY / SOUP
GREEN CURRY
$8.0
(Chicken/Pork)
THAI RED CURRY WITH CHICKEN
$8.0
TOM YUM SPICY & SOUR CLEAR SOUP
$8.5/$9.8
(Chicken/Seafood)
TOM YUM SPICY & SOUR SOUP
$8.5/$9.8
(Chicken/Seafood)
NOODLE
BOAT NOODLE WITH PORK
$7.5
CLEAR NOODLE SOUP
$7.5
(Chicken/Pork)
TOM YUM NOODLE SOUP
$8.0
(Chicken/Pork)
FRIED NOODLE IN SWEET DARK SAUCE
$7.5/$8.8
(Chicken/Seafood)
THAI FRIED RICE NOODLE
$7.5/$8.8
(Chicken/Seafood)
THAI FRIED NOODLE WITH GRAVY
$7.5/$8.8
(Chicken/Seafood)
FOR SHARING
SPRING ROLLS WITH THAI CHILI SAUCE
$6.0
THAI FISH CAKES
$6.0
PANDAN CHICKEN
$8.0
THAI OMELETTE
$6.8/$7.8
(Minced Pork/Prawn)
MINCED (CHICKEN/PORK) WITH CHILLI AND BASIL LEAVES
$8.8
FRIED PORK WITH GARLIC AND PEPPER
$9.8
PORK TROTTER PLATTER
$10.8
FRIED FISH WITH (SAUCE / PAPAYA SALAD)
$23.8/$25.8
Green Thai Chili OR Sweet & Sour
SALAD / VEGETABLE
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD
$6.0
THAI STYLE SPICY VERMICELLI SALAD
$7.5
SPICY MINCED PORK SALAD
$9.8
THAI MORNING GLORY
$8.0
STIR FRIED KAILAN
$8.0/$9.8
(Garlic/Prawn)
STIR FRIED LONG BEANS WITH GARLIC PORK
$9.8
Menu Highlights
RICE
KHAO PAD KRAPOW
$6.00
Minced (Chicken/Pork) with Chilli and Basil Leaves served with Rice
KHAO PAD
$6.00
Fried Rice (Chicken/Pork)
KHAO PAD SAPPAROT
$6.80
Pineapple Fried Rice
KHAO MOO TOT
$6.80
Thai Style Marinated Pork with Rice
KHAO MOO OP
$6.80
Braised Pork Rice
ADD-ON: THAI STYLE FRIED OMEGA EGG
$1.20
ADD-ON: PREMIUM JASMINE RICE
$1.20
NOODLE
KWAY TIAW REUA*
$5.00
Boat Noodle with Pork
KWAY TIAW NAAM SAAI*
$6.00
Clear Noodle Soup (Chicken/Pork)
KWAY TIAW TOM YUM*
$6.80
Tom Yum Noodle Soup (Chicken/Pork)
ADD-ON: VERMICELLI GLASS NOODLE
$1.20
SOUP / CURRY
KANG KEAW WAN
$7.00
Green Curry (Chicken/Pork)
KANG PHAT
$7.00
Thai Red Curry with Chicken
TOM YUM CLEAR SOUP
$6.80 / Seafood $8.00
Spicy & Sour Clear Soup
TOM YUM
$6.80 / Seafood $8.00
Spicy & Sour Soup
STIR-FRY
PAD SEE EAW
$6.00
Fried Noodle In Sweet Dark Sauce (Chicken/Pork)
PAD THAI
$6.00 / $7.20
Thai Fried Rice Noodle
RAD NA
$6.00 / $7.20
Thai Fried Noodle
PAD WOON SEN
$6.00 / $7.20
Thai Stir-fried Noodle
Snacks
POPIAH (HOPIA)
$4.80
Spring Rolls with Thai Chilli Sauce
TOD MUN PLA
$4.80
Thai Fish Cake (4pcs)
KAI BAI THAI
$6.80
Pandan Chicken (3pcs)
Omelette
KHAI JEAW
$5.80 / Pork $6.80
Thai Omelette
Meat
PAD KRAPOW
$7.80
Minced (Chicken/Pork) with Chilli and Basil Leaves
MOO KRA TIAM PRIK TAI
$8.80
Fried Pork with Garlic and Pepper
MOO OP
$9.80
Pork Trotter Platter
Seafood
PLA TOT
$21.80
Fried Fish with Sauces: Green Thai Chilli, Sweet & Sour Sauce
PLA TOT
$23.80
Fried Fish with Papaya Salad
BEVERAGES
SIGNATURE THAI MILK TEA
$2.80
CHA CHAO KUEY
$3.50
Thai Milk Tea with Grass Jelly
NAAM AN CHAN
$2.80
Iced Butterfly Pea Tea
NAAM TAKRAI
Hot $2.20 / Cold $2.50
Lemon Grass Tea
LIPTON TEA
$1.80
(Hot)
COKE/SPRITE
$1.80
CHANG BEER
$5.00
MINERAL WATER
$1.60
DESSERT
ITIM GATI
$2.20
Coconut Ice Cream
ITIM MA MUANG
$2.20
Mango Ice Cream
TAP TIM KROP ITIM GATI
$3.30
Red Ruby with Coconut Ice Cream
KHAO NEAW MA MUANG
$5.00
Mango Sticky Rice
SALAD
SOM TAM
$5.00
Green Papaya Salad
YUM WOON SEN
$6.00
Thai Style Spicy Vermicelli Salad
LAAP MOO
$7.80
Spicy Minced Pork Salad
VEGETABLE
PAD PAK BOONG
$7.80
Thai Morning Glory
PAD KANA
$5.00 / Pork $8.80
Stir Fried Kailan
PAD TUA FAK YAO
$8.80
Stir Fried Long Beans with Garlic Pork
Menu Highlights
Set Meals
PAD KRAPOW SET
$8.80
Krapow Chicken/Pork with Rice, Papaya Salad (half portion), Fried Egg