With so many mookata restaurants in Singapore —owned by both Thais and even Chinese— and reviews on the web, how do we know which ones really make the mark? We asked our Thai friends living in Singapore and sussed out the best mookata restaurants according to them.
Below, the top five places to go to for your Thai steamboat barbecue fix:
1. Cheese Story
Singaporeans love anything with cheese, as evident by the plethora of cheese KBBQ options in Singapore. Now, the cheese trend has made its way to mookata and successfully captured the taste buds of Thai themselves. Cheese Story Mookata Buffet at Golden Mile Complex reigns as one of the preferred cheese mookata places around, due to the generous servings of cheese dips they offer. The cheese is also grilled in a separate compartment on the stove — perfect for achieving that luscious cheese pull! Our Thai recommender, Adelina, frequents Cheese Story as her favourite restaurant because of their cheese dips and affordable price.
Location: 5001 Beach Road Golden Mile Complex #02-01
Opening hours: 3pm-6am (Mon-Thurs), 12pm-6am (Fri-Sun)
Price: $29.90 (Adult), $15.90 (Child). Additional $3 for adults on Fri-Sun, eve of PH AND PH
Recommended by: Adelina Teo (half-Thai living in SG for 9 years)
2. Siam Square Mookata
Siam Square Mookata is considered one of the few mookata pioneers in Singapore, so you can trust them to bring an authentic taste. There are several Siam Square locations in Singapore, but our Thai recommender, Nuttawe, frequently patronises the one at Golden Mile Tower — one being the location, and another being the variety of food they have. Find a selection of over 70 food items including meat and seafood, four types of signature chilli sauces, as well as free ice cream! Select outlets also carry draft beer from Phuket.
Location: Full list of locations here
Opening hours: Various timings for every outlet
Price: A la carte pricing from $1.80/plate, $29/person for buffet
Recommended by: Nuttawe Muneerat (Thai living in SG for 4 years)
Food item worth mentioning: Pork belly
3. New Udon Moo-Kata
Yet another mookata restaurant in Golden Mile that makes the list — for New Udon, they’re known for their beautifully seasoned meats and extra sweet Thai milk tea. Choose from platter sets that come with a variety of seafood, meat, vegetables and glass noodles. They also have their own in-house made chilli sauce. Our Thai recommender, Chula, especially loves the juiciness of the grilled meats.
Location: 5001 Beach Rd, #01-66E Golden Mile Complex
Opening hours: 11am-9pm
Price: From $45 for a 2 pax set
Recommended by: Chula Srikamma (Thai living in SG for 2 years)
Food item worth mentioning: Grilled pork, chicken
4. ORTO Mookata
For those concerned about smelling bad after a mookata session, head to ORTO. The restaurant’s dedicated exhaust system ensures you get the same smoky indulgence minus the stinky odour. What’s more, food is cooked from a large traditional charcoal pot instead of a gas stove. Our Thai recommender, Walkacha, especially likes how the charcoal pot retains the rustic experience and fragrance of mookata. He recommends that everyone “should try at least once” for an authentic Thai mookata experience. He also likes how the pot skillet is also large enough to ensure meat doesn’t slide into the soup — something I’m sure almost everyone struggles with.
Location: 81 Lor Chencharu, Singapore 769198
Opening hours: 5pm-12am (Mon-Thu), 5pm-1am (Fri), 12pm-1am (Sat), 12pm-12am (Sun)
Price: $25.90++ (Mon-Thu), $28.90++ (Sat-Sun)
Recommended by: Walkacha Phimtong (Thai living in SG for 11 years)
Food item worth mentioning: Pork belly and collar
5. Bangkok Street Mookata
Bedok may be commonly associated with hawker food (Bedok 85, we’re looking at you), but did you know they have a fantastic mookata place as well? Bangkok Street Mookata is as close as you can get to eating in BKK, especially with their affordable prices. A set for two here would set you back about $22 — that’s slightly above $10 per person each. Our Thai recommender, Nuttawe, especially likes that for that price, you get a good mix of fresh seafood such as king prawns, scallops, slipper lobster and lots more. She’s also a fan of their authentic extra spicy homemade chilli sauce!
Location: 88 Bedok North Street 4, #01-125, Singapore 460088
Opening hours: 5pm-3am
Price: From $10/pax
Recommended by: Nuttawe Muneerat (Thai living in SG for 4 years)
Food item worth mentioning: Smoked duck
