Nampla.

Have been passing by Nampla. quite a fair bit whilst going around the Marine Parade area — these folks have been around for quite a number of months now; while they had first started operations being a single shop unit, they have made quite a swift expansion by taking up a shop unit that is two shop units away from their very first at Blk 83 Marine Parade Central, though they had first set-up the operations of their second stall a little bit differently from how they are like now. The recent change saw the second shop unit originally being one that housed mobile food carts serving up a slightly different menu from the other shop unit being revamped into a dining hall equipped with a kitchen — the second shop unit now being decked very similar to the first whilst also featuring photos of its founders as well. Both shops feature a rather industrial decor theme that is rather reminiscent of some dining establishments in Thailand; the interior featuring concrete walls, concrete floors and a black ceiling — all of that matched with dining tables and chairs of a wooden and metallic accent. Whilst there is a mix of both tables catering to groups of two (2) and four (4) at the original shop space, the second shop unit does feature tables catering to groups of four (4) pax — that being said, the space is still easily configured for bigger and smaller groups considering how the tables can be easily moved around to fit the situation. The menu at Nampla. is fairly extensive — with dishes ranging from starters to curries / soup, rice and noodle dishes, as well as omelettes, seafood, vegetables, pork, chicken and dessert, there seems to be something for everyone be it a single diner or a group looking for communal dishes to share around the table.

We wanted to go for something that isn’t quite the usual that we can find at other Thai dining establishments around the island and found ourselves being intrigued enough to order the Steam Crab Meat Vermicelli — this would be pretty similar to that of the Ob Woon Sen; a Thai dish that is typically served in a claypot that comes with steamed glass noodles and shrimp. The menu at Nampla. does not describe on the elements that comes with each dish; that being said, a first look of the Steam Crab Meat Vermicelli before digging would suggest that the dish comes with steamed glass noodles, crab meat, and garlic. The steamed glass noodles have been simmered in soy sauce that provides a savoury note — all of which being well absorbed into the noodles that provided the chewy glass noodles with flavour. The addition of minced garlic also helps to add a bit of a flavour contrast; all that whilst the noodles also carried a slightly peppery and gingery note that runs at the back of the tongue; does provide some kick, though not necessarily heavy enough to tingle the tastebuds. The crab meat does provide that subtle sweetness that one would expect out of crustaceans; the crab meat being sufficiently chunky and fibrous. Interestingly, the Steam Crab Meat Vermicelli at Nampla. also features slices of Shiitake Mushrooms as well as strips of bacon; was told that the strips of bacon are actually something that one would be able to find in Thailand for Ob Woon Sen as well, though this is the very first time we had come across one served like this in Singapore (perhaps we hadn’t been ordering the dish enough here) — the bacon being chewy, though does add a bit of a meaty touch that makes it more substantial as what we would usually come across.

We also managed to give one of their Crispy Omelette offerings a go; Nampla. offers six different types of Crispy Omelettes — this includes the Plain, the Chili, the Vegetables, the Minced Pork, the Prawn and the Shallot Crispy Omelette. We went for the Shallot Crispy Omelette which did come with some slices of onions, though did still feel very close to having a Plain version of the dish. We were told by the servers that the dish is sized to a portion that would be good to be shared with three (3) pax; sure enough, the Crispy Omelette does come huge. Whilst being a little greasy, the Crispy Omelette does come in the manner that one would expect from a Thai dining establishment; coming in a shade of beautiful golden brown, the Shallot Crispy Omelette does come crisp on the exterior with a fluffy interior — worked especially well with the accompanying garlic chili that came on the side. During the same visit, we had also managed to try the Fiery Holy Basil Minced Pork. Interestingly, Nampla. allows for one to opt for their desired level of spiciness for the dish; there are Spicy Levels 0 to 2 that are served at the base price, while Levels 3 to 5 are charged at an additional $1.50 on top of the base price. Opting for Spicy Level 1, the level of spiciness is pretty mild and should be pretty manageable even for those whom are not that tolerable to lower levels of spiciness — it barely tingles the tastebuds, though going for a lower level of spiciness would also mean that the dish comes a little saltier since the spiciness would help to cut through the savouriness of the dish. The version of the Fiery Holy Basil Minced Pork does come a little wetter when one reaches the bottom, though the aroma of the basil is still pretty prominent throughout the dish. We would feel that the dish is probably best to be enjoyed at Spicy Levels 2 or 3 where there is just enough spice and to provide the balance with everything else there.

We ended our meal at Nampla. with the Lod Chong; a Thai version of the chendol that comes with sweetened coconut milk, Pandan jelly and sticky rice with crushed ice. The sweetened coconut milk can be a little too sweet for some but we found this to be fairly adequate for a Thai-style dessert — the sweetened coconut milk being all rich and fragrant as well with a light hint of earthiness from the Gula Melaka added, while the slurpy Pandan jelly comes thick with a hint of natural Pandan fragrance that perfumes the tastebuds while the sticky rice provides a bit of a textural contrast; a little bit on the dense and stiffer side in our opinion, but still works our pretty decently otherwise. Despite being a relatively new addition to the local F&B scene, it does seem that Nampla. is already getting fair share of popularity on social media in recent times — the establishment also does seem a healthy crowd dining in the dining halls of both the shop units that they occupy as well. While some of the dishes that they offer are priced a little steep, Nampla. does deliver in the authenticity of the Thai fare that they serve up; they are also very generous with the portion size of their food especially for the communal dishes as well. Marine Parade may not be a neighbourhood that is most notable for the Thai dining establishment situated there; that being said, Nampla. is perhaps one to think about if one is to be craving for Thai fare whilst wanting to head to an independently-run establishment to get their cravings resolved — definitely wanting to return again to give other offerings such as their Creamy Omelette dishes, the Kanom Jean (i.e. Thai Laksa) and the Kanom Krok a try!