BKK Bistro and Bar Review: ORTO’s Thai Food and Boat Noodles Joint!

We’ve visited ORTO several times and have walked past BKK Bistro and Bar without trying out its 80cents boat noodles! This time, we decided to stop by (but still have not tried the bubble tea next door) to taste some of the Thai food offerings available at BKK Bistro and Bar!

The BKK Bistro and Bar menu is rather extensive. They serve all the famous Thai offerings such as its signature 80 cents boat noodles, Thai papaya salad (Som Tam), Thai milk tea, grilled meats and also the mango sticky rice! This time, we went with:

1. Thai Ice Tea – $4.80
2. Boat Noodles (Glass Noodles, Tom Yum, Prawn) – $0.80
3. Boat Noodles (Glass Noodles, Tom Yum, Beef) – $0.80
4. Boat Noodles (Glass Noodles, Herbal, Pork) – $0.80
5. Boat Noodles (Rice Noodles, Tom Yum, Pork) – $0.80
6. Glass Noodles, Tom Yum, Beef Bowl – $7.80
7. Thai Papaya Salad – $8.80
8. Crispy Pork Belly – $10.80
9. Mango Pomelo Ice – $7.80

The total came up to $50.85 inclusive of GST 😊

There are a few interesting things to note about dining at BKK Bistro and Bar. Firstly, it is located at ORTO. This means that there are some areas with water views over the fishing ponds of ORTO. Secondly, in the evenings, the fairy lights will be switched on, giving it a cozy alfresco feel. Thirdly, train enthusiasts would love that the MRT train passes by ever so often (see photo above) and you can time your shots to capture the head of the train overhead as you sip on your favourite drink or dessert!

1. Thai Ice Tea – $4.80

The Thai Ice Tea (Milk Tea) tasted as how it should be. A taaaaad bit on the thin side. But nothing to complain about. However, with regard to drinks, we noticed that many regular customers would just order the bubble tea next door and not order drinks from BKK Bistro and Bar – apparently this is allowed. Do give this option a try on your next visit!

2. Boat Noodles (Glass Noodles, Tom Yum, Prawn) – $0.80
3. Boat Noodles (Glass Noodles, Tom Yum, Beef) – $0.80
4. Boat Noodles (Glass Noodles, Herbal, Pork) – $0.80
5. Boat Noodles (Rice Noodles, Tom Yum, Pork) – $0.80

We’ve ordered a few combinations that sort of encompassed all the available options. So let’s work through the options

Soup: In terms of soup, you can choose between Tom Yum and Herbal. For us, Tom Yum comes up tops. It was tangy, slightly spicy and rather enticing. On the other hand, the herbal option was…meh. Didn’t really get what it really was. It wasn’t herbal nor was it savoury. A rather odd choice of soup base.

Meats: Beef came out tops with pork coming in a close second . The prawn option looked rather miserly though it could be due to the comparative prices between these options.

Noodles: As for noodles, it was a tie. Tom preferred the rice noodles while Kate preferred the glass noodles.

Hence, to conclude, if you’re trying out the BKK Boat Noodles at ORTO, go with either the Beef Tom Yum Rice Noodles or the Pork Tom Yum Glass Noodles.

6. Glass Noodles, Tom Yum, Beef Bowl – $7.80

In fact, we enjoyed these combinations so much that we went for the large portion instead. Size and portion wise, we guesstimated that it was probably the same if you ordered 10 of the same bowls. Hence, if you already know what you want and not want to “struggle” with multiple small bowls, the beef or pork bowls (priced at $7.80) would do the trick.

7. Thai Papaya Salad – $8.80

During our visit, we took a look around and saw that almost every table ordered the Thai Papaya Salad. We wouldn’t say that it was reasonably priced as the portion was actually quite small for an almost $10 dish. However, taste wise, it was shiok! The papaya had a fresh crunch to it and the fish sauce coupled with the dried shrimp, gave the entire dish an authentic taste. 😋

8. Crispy Pork Belly – $10.80

This dish was the biggest disappointment. It was dry. Although the name of this dish does sound tempting, we will avoid it the next time. Probably go with the BBQ chicken which we saw at several tables.

9. Mango Pomelo Ice – $7.80

We originally wanted to have mango sticky rice to round up the meal. Unfortunately, they were out of mango sticky rice! Correspondingly, we were devastated! 😭😭😭 Hence, we had to go with mango pomelo ice as recommended by our server. It was good but we probably wouldn’t order it for our next visit – a little too “icy” on taste.

Conclusion

After dinner at BKK Bistro and Bar, we took a short stroll at Lower Seletar Reservoir to walk off the calories 😅

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The reflections over the waters as well as the hues in the skies during sunset was simply beautiful. In all, we enjoyed the meal but would probably do a few “tweaks” during our next visit. Firstly, we’d request for a seat next to the waters at ORTO. Secondly, we’d order a bubble tea from the store next door. Thirdly, we’d order the BBQ chicken (whole or wings). Lastly, we’d really want to try out the mango sticky rice.

If you have tried out the dishes at BKK Bistro and Bar, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below as well!