The Caravan is the food truck version of Simple Eats, a series of concept restaurants focused on introducing authentic Thai cuisine to Singapore.
Most Singaporeans are familiar with Thai milk tea and The Caravan’s Thai Iced Tea is very sweet and creamy.
You can choose egg noodles, thin rice noodles and bee hoon noodles when it comes to the noodle dishes. I was recommended to have thin rice noodles to go with my Stewed Beef Noodles. Thin rice noodle is thinner and chewier than the “guo tiao” Singaporeans are familiar. It goes very well with the stewed beef which is very tender and the flavorful beef broth.
I was really looking forward to having Pad Thai with Chicken, but I am rather disappointed. The Caravan’s version is really dry. Everything from the noodles to the dried shrimps is dry. It’s either they forgot to give me the soup or I have been eaten unauthentic pad thai all this while.
Pa-Lo Chicken is one of the restaurant’s signature and the chicken has been stewed in a secret soy sauce blend for many hours. It would have been the perfect dish if only the broth is not so sweet. It tastes almost as if I am eating sugar.
Thai Mixed Seafood Sukiyaki is one of the premium soups available and it is a fusion of Thai’s sweet and spicy with Japanese’s sukiyaki way of cooking. Again, it is a little sweet but this sweetness is still acceptable. Top-up $1 for a bowl of rice to be mixed with the soup and it is instantly transformed into a hearty meal that warms your heart.
Green Mango Salad is a popular side dish in Thailand. It is normally served as sliced green mango with dressing, but The Caravan is the do-it-yourself version where you are given a whole green mango and a bag of sweet and spicy dip.
Fried Chicken Wings is one of the side dishes available and it is so good! The marination has penetrated every fibre of the chicken wings, the meat is tender and flavorful.
Mango with Sticky Rice is one of the most popular Thai dessert and most people in Singapore are familiar with it. The Caravan takes this humble dessert to the next level but by soaking the glutinous rice in coconut milk before cooking to give it the additional fragrance not found anywhere else. The only downside is that the mango is rather small and it is just about the most expensive version I have ever seen at $7.90.
Pandan Sangkaya with Toast is a traditional Thai kaya made with pandan leaves. Bright green in colour, this kaya may look a little artificial but it is actually very fragrant and tasty.
Panna cotta is an Italian dessert which means “cooked cream” in Italian. The Caravan’s Mango Panna Cotta is a little lacking somehow. The pannacotta itself is flawless but the mango purée on top is too sweet so it covers the richness and creaminess of the pannacotta. I would suggest using raspberry purée so that the tanginess from the raspberry will bring out the natural taste of the pannacotta.
The boss assures me that all dishes are as authentic as you can get in Thailand. Although I may not be able to testify to the authenticity of the dishes because I have not eaten them in Thailand before this, the hospitality of the staff and the deliciousness of the food is well worth a visit.
The Caravan
Address: 252 North Bridge Road, Raffles City #B2-16
Thai Noodle Bar
Address: Changi Airport Terminal 1, Level 2, Departure Lounge Central, (Behind DFS)
Talad Thai
Address: 311 New Upper Changi Road, Bedok Mall #L1-78/79