SINGAPORE – When Fi Woodfire Thai it opened in January 2024 at Robertson Walk, it was part of a new crop of modern Thai restaurants offering fresh, bold takes on th e c uisine. 

Since July 8, it continues to do so at its new, more convenient town location at Shaw Centre. 

The space seats 60 people – up from 40 before – with an open kitchen featuring its double-insulated wood-fire oven that reaches temperatures of up to 450 deg C. 

At the previous location, I was hunting for a spicier kick to the food and I like that here, several dishes offer a choice of three levels of heat and a non-spicy option. 

The heat comes through most prominently with the grilled green mango salad ($12), a tongue-tingling medley of charred green mangoes, cherry tomatoes, long beans, roasted peanuts and dried shrimp.

Another new dish is the Son-in-Law Eggs ($10 for three), hard-boiled eggs with crisp fried edges that retain a gooey yolk. The name comes from a Thai legend, in which a protective mother is said to have fried two hard-boiled eggs as a warning to her daughter’s husband. Eating these eggs, however, feels more of a treat than punishment. 

The signature dishesremain, and are better than before. 

They include the roasted French Poulet ($32, half a chicken), basil minced pork on charred eggplant ($18) and my favourite Signature “Moo Ping” Rib ($48, 500g bone-in), slow-grilled over lychee wood until tender, then flame-kissed for the perfect charred ends. 

The pork ribs now come with char-grilled sticky rice cake glazed in coconut sugar and a punchy nam jim jaew (Thai dried chilli dipping sauce). 

Pair the dishes with the new Pineapple Rice Stack ($24), pineapple fried rice loaded with prawns and spicy chicken floss, then topped with ikura and tobiko. 

For dessert, there is the quintessential Mango & Butterfly Pea Sticky Rice ($12) with two types of mango – Australian, prepared as a compote cooked in mango puree, and Thai; and Red Ruby ($12) with housemade “rubies”, sago, strawberries, jackfruit, chia seeds, coconut flesh and coconut gelato.

Here, I discover my new favourite matcha combination – iced matcha Thai tea ($8), the best way to beat the heat. 

Weekday lunch specials start from $12, while the $12 Happy Hour menu (5 to 7pm daily) features Thai-influenced cocktails such as the Tom Yum Mule, made with gin, ginger, chilli paste, lemongrass, kaffir leaf and ginger beer.

Where: 03-14/15 Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts RoadMRT: Orchard Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 5 to 10pm dailyInfo:

@fi.woodfire

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