Folks Collective

Came with my family to discover the restaurant very quiet on a Sunday afternoon. Only another family other than us. We ordered many of their signature dishes and though there were not many people ordering, the food took a while to come. Lucky for us, we were enjoying a lazy Sunday lunch so we were in no rush. We saw later that the kitchen was only manned by 1 chef so maybe that's why. The food is actually not bad, some were even very good. The not-bad ones were:1) Cashew Nut Chicken - a tad spicy and served over a basket of yam!2) Grilled Pork Collar - not much taste on it's own but the accompanying dip was too sour for my liking3) Okra - normal nice4) Pad Thai Seafood - texture ok but a tad too sweet for my likingThe food dishes were: 1) Basil Stir-fried Pork - I didn't have any as my eldest girl ate them all and did a 👍🏼 when I exclaimed "no more for me?!"2) Crispy Fish Skin - super crispy and laced with salted egg = Yumz3) Olive Rice - nicely fried and fully flavour, another favourite of my eldest girl4) Pandan Chicken - good marination so the meat was tasty and nicely fragranced with pandan5) Prawn Cake - not the factory made ones, you can tell from the bits of prawn in the patty. Was the right kind of crunch6) Red Curry with Roast Duck - this is an interesting dish with mild lychee sweetness and red curry spiciness in a good combo! 7) Soft Shell Crab Salad - didn't see much of the salad but the crispy soft shell crab made up for the dish8) Tom Yam Potaek - not a big bowl but the ingredients were fresh and the soup not overly spicy that it'll kill your tastebuds. 9) Street Omelette with minced Pork - fluffy egg fried with minced pork and onion strips! Let's just say the kids ate through the first one so fast that we had to order another!…查看更多

Set lunch is the brainless solution when you totally have no idea where to lunch and you are dying for a seat during the super packed lunch time. It is surprisingly very spacious inside the restaurant. So people working around Raffles Place area, if you are in a big lunch group looking for a lunch venue, can consider here. Moreover, there are 4 different sets to choose from, and IF, there's not good enough for your lunch kakis, there's still ala carte menu to choose from. =)Set A (Ex colleague's order)Set B (My order)The food came in small red tingkats, presentation was really neat. And it probably speeds up the serving time since the serving staff can carry a few tingkats at one go. I guess that helps during crazy peak lunch hour? LOLFood wise, pretty decent. I quite liked my green curry, mainly because it was not really spicy. Haha. The only bad thing was probably the portion, too small for big eaters. Although my green curry (Set B) did come with lotza chicken pieces, so that was fine with me.Click on http://fun-hideout.blogspot.sg/2014/03/folks-collection.html to read more! ♥ ♥ ♥ …查看更多

I love having Thai food and ever since I heard of this new hipster thai cafe, Folks Collective, I had to check it out! Had lunch with 2 of my friends here around 1 plus pm and the restaurant was pretty empty. I guess it was already past the lunch hour ;) Initially wanted to order the lunch sets but ended up ordering dishes to share among the 3 of us. Hot/Cold water is chargeable at $0.50 each and it was serve in a pretty looking cup. For drinks, we ordered the Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) and Lime Juice. I really love the Cha Yen here as it tasted so authentic!! It had the right balance of bitterness from the tea leaves and sweetness from the condensed milk and sugar. Pad Thai is a must to order when you dine in at a Thai restaurant and we had the one with chicken. It is not bad! Tom Yum soup is also another must-order item and we had the seafood version which came in a clear broth. I was scared initially to taste it as I heard the clear versions are actually the killer spicy one compared to the red version. However, it was not that spicy at all! I guess they tweak the taste a little to suit Singaporeans. The sambal kangkong was also not that spicy as I expected. The cereal prawns were yummy! However, I find that it's too small a portion for the price they charge for it. This is my favourite dish out of all! I just love the combination of chicken and cashew nuts The 3 of us were very full already but we can't just leave the place without trying one of their desserts! I really love the coconut icecream from Thailand and the version they serve here is so authentic! It is coconut icecream with traditional toppings on top of glutinous rice. The decor of this entire place is so pretty and I can tell a lot of effort being put into setting up this restaurant. I will want to come back here again to try their lunch sets as they come in really cute looking vintage tiffin carriers!…查看更多

The restaurant theme is very strong with the food container used for the food and water cup too but there is charges for a small cup of water, the food is a disappointment to me, we order set lunch at around 10bucks before gst and service charge, food portion very small, tom yam soup not spicy, food ingredients a bit, not full at all, i wonder why so many youngsters craze over this restaurant, i got total disappointment in this restaurant, they should put more effort into preparing good food and let people eat more full for set lunch. Thai food taste not strong enough and taste so so only. won't go back eat again.bad service, difficult to call staff for assistance as they are too busy during lunchtime, yet there is service charge.…查看更多

Prior to my friends' vehement recommendation of Folks Collective, I had not heard of it before. But once we reached the restaurant, I knew I had to be an isolated case because it was packed with the CBD lunch crowd!Upon entering the somewhat dark and and dimmed space, located along the row of shophouses of China Square Central, the communal bar counter of alcoholic drinks first greets you before the vintage mismatched furniture and quirky art paintings hanging on the wall do. The next thing that strikes you is that the staff all speak Thai, not only do they greet you in Thai (as do every other Thai establishment), they communicate with each other in Thai as well! I was impressed. One up for the authenticity factor!We ordered the Signature FOLKS Wings $6.90 which is supposedly one of their best sellers. Problem was, these were not wings but drumlets! My friend who is fan of wings, was very disappointed. Nonetheless, we moved on from that and ate it anyway. Taste wise, although the marinate was sticky sweet with a hint of spice and the chicken itself was fried to a crispy skin that was addictive to munch on, sadly between us, we all agreed it that this appetizer was marginally underwhelming.The Pad Thai Goong $8.90 seemed promising with its fragrant notes and motley of colors that was extremely appetizing. At first bite, the rice noodles were chewy with the right texture and the overall consistency was not oily. The pad thai sauce however was much too sweet with the absence of a balanced tangy sourness from the tamarind.Folks Collective also offers affordable set lunches at $9.90 each. And seeing how every table had tiffin carriers, we ordered ourselves a set to try as well.Set B: Green Curry with Chicken, Minced Shrimp Omelette with Steamed Jasmine RiceBut while the gimmicky concept of using the tiffin carriers to serve the food was cute and novel, sadly that was really all to it. The food was lackluster- green curry was watery with few ingredients and the omelette was just normal. I think the ala-cartes fared a lot better.We ended with a traditional Thai dessert- Mango Sticky Rice $6.90 which I could not fault. The slices of mangoes were fresh and sweet and the sticky rice had a nice creaminess contributed by the coconut milk. This pretty much saved the day in my opinion.Overall, it is not hard to understand why crowds flock to Folks Collective. The place has been designed especially to model after the hipster cafes that have been taking Bangkok by storm in the recent years with a charming and vibrant atmosphere that is inviting. Folks Collective is unlike any concept you can find in Singapore at the moment and its uniqueness is likely to keep the people coming...Make a reservation beforehand if you are dropping by!…查看更多

Specializing in Thai cuisine, Folks Collective is located along Nankin Row at China Square Central. I have a particular liking for this area for despite the renovations and modern touches, it managed to retain the heritage aspect of the vicinity and rather than outshining Chinatown, which is a stone's throw away, this area of eateries plays a complementing effect.Folks Collective is a place which allows all the good folks to gather over shared meals and shared memories. Stepping in for the first time, we were not quite sure what to expect with a bar at the front and heritage memorabilia and decorations lining the walls and the most part of the restaurant.When we were shown to our table and finally presented with the menu did I realize that this is a Thai restaurant. You might have noticed that the setting had a mix of vintage touch yet jazzed up with strokes of contemporary fashion which resulted in a fusion cross-over.They have a happy hour till 9pm where selected beers (Heineken and Tiger) were offered at one-for-one but moving on, the food was crucial for we were starving by now! We were divided on what to choose so we figured the best bet was to leave it to the experts to advise us and we based our orders on their recommendations.Tom Yam Poteak (Seafood, Kaffir Lime, Sweet Basil and Lemon Grass) (S$8.90/++)You usually do not leave a Thai restaurant without trying their tom yum soup and on this occasion, it was a no brainer appetizer to tease our tastebuds. Innocent looking it might seem, but the soup packed a great deal of flavours, albeit strong too. The last bowl of good tom yam tried was at Ah Loy Thai and while this rendition was not as spicy, it sure was savoury. While the flavours were bold, it was also subdued in a pleasant fashion, making it enjoyable as a whole.Do not be fooled by this petite bowl for it packed a great deal of seafood in there, with prawns, fish fillet and squid, topped with sliced red onions, dried chilli and coriander to enhance its flavours. The amount of seafood in there sure was generous and while we waited for our mains, this tom yam did its trick in titillating our senses!Before you mistaken these cups to be some Royalty decorations, these were actually cups for our plain iced water. Instead of serving them in the usual glasses, we were given these petite cups and the iced water was refillable too.Grilled Pork Neck (with dried chili dip) (S$7.90/++)With limited stomach space, we had to strike out one of the recommended dishes and between the two, the lady recommended the grilled pork neck. While we loved the marinade of the protein, it however seemed to have spent a little too much time on the grill, leaving it slightly over-cooked. The meat was unfortunately considerably stiff.That being said, the dried chilli dip was a winner and coupled with the marinade of the pork, it won us over easily. We would have enjoyed the dish a lot better if the protein was cooked perfectly. The dip was spicy yet not to the extent of having you scurrying for water to wash it down.While we enjoyed a more value-for-money dish and did not mind the generous serving portion, the elongated plate seemed unable to keep the sliced pork neck on the plate and had pieces of it protruding outwards and almost touching the table. Perhaps an improvement to the cutlery would do the trick?Overall, I thought that it was a good dish in terms of flavours and taste but let down by the technique and to a certain extent, the presentation.Pad Thai Goong (flat noodle, banana prawns and tamarind dressing) (S$8.90/++)Surprisingly, the best plate of pad thai tried so far was in UK in a humble little city at Leicestershire. Unfortunately it closed down a few years ago and since then, I had been on the search for a good enough pad thai for me to return to consistently.I loved everything about this rendition. The various ingredients and elements were checked, top down from the crushed roasted peanuts, dried chilli flakes, crunchy fresh bean sprouts, stir-fried noodles and that wedge of lime to sum it up neatly with a subtle touch of acidity.The flavours were spot-on and there were elements of sweetness, sourness, savouriness and a hint of spiciness and the soft noodles were complemented with the crunchy bean sprouts and gritty crushed nuts. It was good enough for me to consider ordering another plate!Ice Cream Kati (coconut ice cream, traditional toppings and glutinous rice) (S$4.90/++)If there is one reason I need to return to Folks Collective, it would have to be for this. The dessert menu looked simple but any foodies would know this undying need and desire to end off a savoury meal with a sweet offering, so we asked for recommendations for just one MUST-TRY dessert.This was a homemade ice cream and no, it is nowhere close to your commercial ones. The coconut ice cream had a strong scent and taste and it was fresh and gave a clean and refreshing slate. There was a harmonious balance in terms of textures with the sticky glutinous rice as the base, then the smooth ice cream and all the crunchy toppings. The sweetness was enough to please one's palate and not overly done and overall the combination with the slushy coconut ice cream won both us over completely.Different parts of the restaurant had different themes and sets of furniture so throughout our dinner, we seemed to always keep finding some new aspects and elements to learn about. There was the vintage perspective, the modern takeaway and even an old-school gramophone to give the setting a spiced up shuffle.The hospitality offered by the waiting staffs was immaculate and they were attentive to our requests though at times it seemed a little hard to catch their attention with the briskness of their business. We were greeted upon arrival and thanked with wide smiles on our departure. I also noticed that when a table of diners had left, they would clean the table almost immediately with antiseptic spray and cleaning fluid. It was in general an enjoyable dinner with a nice ambiance for a reunion with friends matched by good customer service and quality Thai food. If anything, I would surely return one of these days for their Pad Thai and the memorable coconut ice cream dessert!For full review and more photos, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2013/09/sg-folks-collective-let-all-good-folks.html…查看更多

I read quite a number of reviews that were of a similar vein in commenting about the lack of taste in the food at Folks Collective. but i was surprised to find my experience otherwise though! haha maybe they took some action after all the reviews, and have now increased it by leaps and bounds. it was really spicy!!!!!! but definitely yummy (: I was SO devastated that they didn't have the set menu for dinner :"( it's only for lunch! and i'd been so looking forward for my food to be served in the tingkat carriers but i guess that didn't dampen my food enjoyment one bit (: the green curry ($8.90) had a really spicy kick - my stomach felt like it was on fire after that haha. i felt that it was quite watery though, but i didn't mind that too much because it tasted yummy! and there was a very generous serving of meat inside ;) plus points! ^^ All of us loved the pad thai ($9.90) for its fragrance! (: it had a lovely sweet flavour that shone through, and coupled with a fiery spiciness, it was a wonderfully balanced dish. perhaps the only issue people could have with this place is their portion sizes. i read numerous reviews about how the portions were only good enough to satisfy OLs. haha and i agree, because it didn't satisfy my ravenous tummy that day. but honestly i'm quite happy with those portions that would keep me just full, but not overly so (: For full review and more photos, please visit http://thelittlemomentsofmylife.blogspot.com/…查看更多

This new Thai food place sees quite a huge lunchtime crowd. Serving up food in tingkat, this is indeed a throwback to the old days. Food wise, it was pretty decent. The set menu costs 9.90SGD and you can pick 3 dishes in the tingkat portion so that's good for sharing. The tom yum soup was pretty good. Not too fiery yet sour enough with good portions of ingredients. We also liked the fried chicken that was very fragrant. Will certainly be back.…查看更多

If you are working in the CBD district, you should be familiar with Folks Collective. Opened for barely 3 months, this new Thai restaurant is already creating a hype in the F&B scene. Located in a 1920′s converted shophouse, everything in Folk Creative is so vintage, retro TV, jackpot machine, wooden chairs and tables..Read more: http://www.misstamchiak.com/folks-collective-thai-food-served-in-tingkat/They have a set menu ($9.90/set) where you get to try 3 dishes in tingkat portion. It makes me relive the good old days when my Grandpa would bring lunch in these tiffin carriers to school for me! The portion is suitable for OL - just enough not to get you into food coma. Pad Thai Goong ($8.90) is fragrant and has a lovely sweet tang, but the noodles are slightly too chewy for my liking.I had too much expectations during my first visit. But I guess we must come back again to try more dishes before forming a conclusion. Heard their signature FOLK wings is one of the recommended dish. So that is in my top list for now.…查看更多

For more details, please visit http://foodesteem.blogspot.com/2013/05/folks-collective.htmlLocated in CBD, this Thai restaurant seems to be surprisingly affordable, yet effort has been taken into the decor which creates a cosy ambience for diners! Seeing crowd in the weekends, moreover in the CBD.. seems good enough to look forward to?Menu is not yet completely fixed, due to this period which is still their soft launch. But food range is not too limited, and you wouldn't find it hard at all to get the food down your throat Ordered shrimp pancake with plum sauce, crispy tofu with sweet chili sauce, crispy chicken skin,sambal prawns, thai basil stir fry, mango sticky rice, and ice cream kati, totaling to around $66 with drinks, steamed rice, gst &tax all inclusive.Their food are not very awesome, but it is still yummy! I think it is super worth it, as most of their dishes are less than $10,and their service is super courteous. If you are looking for a drink, they have a bar counter as well. To view more photos and detailed review, please visit my blog, as above …查看更多

I chanced upon this new chick through the IS-Asia mailer. This place is a fresh new bud located at China Square Central, and it just recently opened. Before you even entire the restaurant proper, you will be welcomed by the old school vintage style bringing you back to the 60s/70s settings, with posters lining the walls. The front section of the restaurant has a western Victoria setting and at the end, there is a stretch of small drawers just like those found in traditional Chinese medicinal hall where they store herbs. It may seem a lil out of place, but I love how the east-meet-west combi turns out to be. And of cos, not being the usual Thai restaurant, its cuisine is definitely has got some western fusion WE were there on a Sat evening around 5-ish and the restaurant was pretty empty with 2 to 3 tables occupied (out of the 50 odds). The service staff greeted us with the typical "Land of Smile" smile and ushered us to the table. Actually to my dismay, I would prefer the service staff to be Thai rather than other nationalities, not that I despise or boycott any, but I would feel more at home with the same nationalities serving their homecooked food. Anyhoots, the dishes came promptly without any mistake but just that the prawn cake took exceptionally long to be served.The food they served are pretty decent, nothing impressive, and lack the kind of homecooked, authentic Thai flavour. If I were to return perhaps, it would be more for their signatures such as Green Curry and Tom Yum Goong And for what they preached "Let all the good folks gather over shared meals and shared memories", I would give them a try again.…查看更多

For full review and photos, please visit http://thumbsforfood.blogspot.sg/2013/04/folks-collectives-soft-launch-china.htmlWhen you walk pass the restaurant, you will definitely be attracted by the restaurant's decor. It's interior is inspired from a vintage market in Bangkok. Hence, the mismatched furniture, vintage posters and reminiscent displays around the restaurant. Do note that I was there for the soft launch and there are actually more dishes in the actual menu! The food they serve are Thai food and some dishes are fusion of Thai and other cuisines. Let me introduce you the various dishes we tried! Prices of the dishes vary from $5 to about $13. I feel that the price is reasonable for the quality of food. I would update the individual dish prices once I get them from Akira! The Green Curry Chicken ($8.90) can be seen below. For those who like green curry, I would say this is a must try. You can see that the bowl is overflowing with ingredients like brinjal, chicken and spices. This dish is not spicy, so, for those who can't take spicy food, try this. The coconut milk taste is not too overpowering so it suits my palate. This dish goes really well with rice! We were given free flow lemongrass drink that day as their opening special. But, we couldn't help it but order our own cup of Thai Milk Iced Tea! It's about $2 for a cup if I'm not mistaken. The cup is specially purchased to go with the restaurant's theme. The Thai Milk Iced tea is really refreshing. As I am not a lemongrass fan, I would choose the milk tea over the lemongrass drink.The mini bucket of chicken drumsticks were free flow that day. On the actual menu, it would be sold at $6.90 per mini bucket. We liked the marinade and the sauce drizzled over the drums. A great appetizer to whet your appetites.The mango salad with soft shell crab is about $10 and was recommended by Akira. I got to say the mango salad is really nice! The mango salad is not overly unripe and thus, not too sour. The soft shell crab was fried well and tasty.The Ice cream Kati ($4.90) is coconut icecream topped with some nuts. The base has sticky glutinous rice which suprisingly goes extremely well with the icecream. Even though I'm not a coconut fan, I love the dessert! Do try it if you're there.If you're looking for a new Thai restaurant, do try out Folks Collective for their classic Thai dishes and innovative Thai fusion dishes! And you'll definitely enjoy the ambience and the decor that is carefully thought through by the owner of the shop! If you're curious as to why it's called Folks Collective, do ask the people there!For those who are interested in cocktails, they do serve alcohol and unique cocktails priced below $20!…查看更多