Nam Sing Oyster Omelette and Prawns

Nam Sing was a surprise of sorts for me. I had been here several times over the decades (for work). This trip - feeling a little braver with some local context - I made a beeline to Nam Sing for an unethical delicacy almost synonymous with Bangkok. Sharks fin. Yes don’t judge me. I opted for the brown sauce version at THB1000 per claypot. Just ‘enuf’ for two pax. The bean sprouts and coriander accompaniments made it more delectable - but if I’m honest, it was only a 7/10 overall. It could be age.

But with rarity of such dishes - you get ‘fans’ of fins dished up in your bowl - it’s hard not to give this a 7.5. Just.

I offer this analogy- if you’re about to jump onto the EV bandwagon, why not ride out the sunset in your ICE? For the last few times.

The other crustacean indigenous to the Mekong region/; the Thai river prawn. For the uninitiated these can grow to the size of adult lobsters. The westerners might call this crawfish looking- but this Thai denizen is way larger.

The head butter (a deep orange to crimson colour) is most prized - oozing lava like, glacial like, onto your plate. These crustaceans are best grilled with salt. Pure elegance by the chef. The prawns were so fresh and juicy, springy almost. This is easily a 8/10 and a contender for top dish.

The other contender: the oyster omelette. Again pure skill by the chef. The Thai oysters were so plump and looked round (instead of oblique), looking like the part like the flavourful umami bombs they’re supposed to be. This dish did not disappoint one bit.
Another 8/10.

The other dishes: salt & pepper squid, 7.5/10. Very good but ample elsewhere in Malaysia.

Crab

The birds nest in coconut was also unique. 7/10 only bcos it’s sweeter than usual for my liking. But the coconut infusion made it silky to the last drop. Ironically, we didn’t finish this - it was too ‘rich’.

If you’re in Bangkok hankering for those less ethical dishes - I suggest Yaowarat’s very capable Nam Sing. You may have heard more about Scala (nearby), but that’s a tourist trap. really. And the hygiene levels are unappealing. If you use simple judgment - live seafood and fishes swimming, happy smiles from staffers, etc. also, just order with precision- the fin, the, and birds nest . You don’t need anything else. Not even rice

Total THB3,540 for 6 pax. River prawns, crab, oysters and shark fin, and squid . All were 7.5 and above.