Every Father’s Day is special. I always say everyone has a favourite. If mummy makes you your favourite dish, then you love her a little more than daddy at that moment. No one is completely impartial. We are daddy’s girls or mummy’s depending on the situation. And for Father’s Day, we are definitely daddy’s girls.
I know Father’s Day falls on June 17 this year, but we went ahead and celebrated it on June 10, because we can. 😉 We went ahead and booked a table at Soy Soi for the four of us. My sister and I were planning to go for months, and finally, it happened.
Soy Soi is situated on Gandhi Mandapam Road. If you are travelling towards IIT, then it is on your right. You cannot miss it. That bright red and black exterior is eye-catching. It looks like there isn’t much parking space, but there is valet parking available. The interior carries the black & red theme throughout.
Stepping in, the stairs take you up to the restaurant on the first floor. It was convenient for us, but I wonder if there is an elevator or a ramp. (My mother, a few months back, injured her knee. She couldn’t have taken those stairs. I am always looking for these things since my grandmother doesn’t do well with stairs either.) Anyway, we were shown to our table. There were two tables for four, each, set into a little nook, with a view of the road. That space would be perfect for a nice get-together with friends/family. Oh, and there was a nice big window, and all that sunlight is definitely Instagram friendly.
Now getting on to the food. To start with, we ordered Som Tom Jae (raw papaya salad), and Lotus Root Crisps. For some reason, they were not serving dimsums that day and my sister was a bit disappointed. The girl had came with two things in mind – dimsum and chocolate ball! The Som Tom Jae was good. Tangy and flavorful. The nuts gave it that extra zing with its crunch. I loved the Lotus Root Crisps! But, word of caution, it sets your tongue on fire. It had chillies and green peppercorns, and if you aren’t careful… Nonetheless, it was a star dish. I had a watermelon and mint mojito at hand to put out the fire. And plenty of ice cubes in the drink to soothe my tongue. Of these two dishes, the lotus root is definitely worth trying. It definitely will be the one thing I will order every time. Whats not to love – perfectly fried lotus root, crisp and sharp with the heat of chillies and a pungent earthiness of the green peppercorn – it was superb. The basil was the cherry on top of the palate with this dish. Worth it, really.
Next, for the main course, we ordered Nasi Goreng, Pineapple Fried Rice, Char Kuay Tiew. My plate of Nasi Goreng came with fried rice, prawn satay, chicken, a fried egg and sambal. It was nothing that was unexpected. The Pineapple Fried Rice was for my mom and dad. She loves pineapple but was left fishing for pieces of the fruit. Other than that, it was a dish that was mild and packed subtle flavours. The star of this course was definitely Char Kuay Tiew, or flat rice noodles. The flavourful soy sauce that it was cooked in was fabulous. It is another dish worth trying. Wonderful flavours and simply delicious.
Finally, dessert. The Soy Soi Sphere for my sister, Tender Coconut and Basil Panacota for daddy, and Thai Jellied Water Chestnut for me. The Soy Soi Sphere was a chocolate sphere which housed a scoop of ice cream and came in a dish with chocolate & cookie crumble with nuts. The theatre that this dish brings to the table is what makes it worth ordering. My sister sat there, her hands twitching impatiently, wanting to snatch that little pot of hot chocolate and do the pouring herself. I would like to say I had a taste of it, but who am I kidding. It was chocolate and ice cream, the girl would have had a tantrum right there. But she did say it was worth the extra gym time, and I shall take her word for it. My dessert, Thai Jellied Water Chestnut was excellent. It was mild and soothing. Absolutely perfect after the heavy meal.
The service at Soy Soi was attentive. Everyone who attended to us, from the lady with the warm smile who greeted us and showed us to our table, to the last person who brought us our bill, they were all courteous and had seen to our needs with a smile. We even had a surprise visitor during our meal, one of those who run the restaurants Soy Soi and Savya Rasa. (I think his name was Leo. With all the food around, I didn’t pay attention and hence I’m not sure.) He asked us about our experience with the food and service and invited us to dine at Savya Rasa soon. It was a nice personal touch, one that won’t be forgotten.
After an excellent Father’s Day lunch, came the decision to review and decide favourites. And it has taken a week to actually make up my mind as to the top two spots. My top three favourite dishes, in order, Lotus Root Crisps, Char Kuay Tiew and the Thai Jellied Water Chestnut. There are many more options and, of course, chef’s recommendations are noted in the menu. You may be a little spoilt for choice, but I think Soy Soi requires a few visits to narrow down one’s top three favourites.
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Frost At Midnite 