Thai Singha House To Go

106 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 568-2390

Thai Singha is one of a couple of Thai places within a relatively small radius close to Rittenhouse, and they are known specifically for their incredibly cheap steam-tray lunches from Monday to Friday for around $6. I have dabbled, and found them to be cheap. That's about it. So I wanted to check out some of their real food, and also satisfy the hole in my soul that only lemongrass soup can fill. The Mom and Pop that run this place are incredibly cute, and they are also pretty much hilarious. See below.

So the first order of business was some Tom Yum. They call it lemongrass soup, but we know what it actually is: a slightly spicy sweet and sour broth, large straw mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, and with (an awfully generous) five shrimp, the $3 price tag made for a pretty satisfying starter. I really love the funkiness that the fish sauce offers this Thai staple.

The soup came out right away, and while I was waiting for my entrees, I threw an order of veggie spring rolls into the mix to tie me over. Keep in mind, when you are ordering from the À la cart menu, everything is made to order, so it may take a little while for your noodles to come out.

The spring rolls were just about the same as any others I have had. Fried, vegetabley, and served with a standard sweet and sour sauce.

Two go-to's when I am trying a new Thai place are Pad Thai, and Drunken Noodles. These are not very exciting, but when done well, they indicate a kitchen that will probably make a mean curry. Neither are very complicated, but they require finesse, otherwise it gets real heavy, real quick. Not to mention bland. They ask you how spicy you would like your order. I said very spicy, but I know they were holding back. I don't want American spicy, I want Thai spicy. I wish there was a discerning way to convey this when ordering at Asian/Indian restaurants. The broad, drunken noodles with chicken were pretty tasty, not overly heavy, and had a nice depth of flavor. I could have used some more heat (even though I added extra chili sauce), but overall, not a bad version of this hybrid.

The crispy tofu Pad Thai was also pretty tasty. Again, nothing mind blowing, but a solid offering nonetheless. The tofu was nice and crispy, and they certainly did not skimp on ingredients.

This place is incredibly tiny, and the owners are pretty amazing. I would recommend coming here on an off hour, or for takeout (call ahead). The prices can't be beat. This entire meal was around $20 and I had enough leftover for later. It's no Circles Thai, but it's a cheap, quick fix for Center City.