Leng Saap – XXL Pork Spine “Mountain” at Golden Mile Tower

Golden Mile might be known as the unofficial Little Thailand of Singapore. It was no surprise that the reason why we were here was for some good Thai food. Usually, we would have been indulging in a sinful mookata, but today we had something even better lined up. Let us introduce you to Leng Saap.

Leng Saap is loosely translated as spicy pork spine soup — a flavourful pork broth dish that is prepared by boiling pork bones for several hours. The dish is finished with Thai aromatics and fish sauce.

An XXL version of the dish was popularized in the Train Night Market in Bangkok, where heaps of pork bones are stacked like firewood in a campfire. As with many popular food trends that have emerged in our region, the XXL Leng Saap has also found its way to our shores.

Size M $18 (for 2 pax), Size L $25 (for 3 pax), Size XL $40 (for 4-5 pax), Size XXL $55 (for 6-7 pax)

Watching the kitchen staff assemble our XXL Leng Saap was certainly an eye-opening experience. Stacks of soft bone ribs were used to build the base, while racks of pork spines were laid against the bone ribs, giving the ensemble its signature “campfire shape”. Cut chilli and cilantro were scattered lavishly before the dish was drenched with a piping hot pork broth.

When the “mountain” Leng Saap arrived, our jaws dropped. Numerous passers-by turned their heads and stared. Well, it’s truly a stunner! We put on the plastic gloves provided and tackled the dish flintstone-style. We each grabbed a huge bone, spooned some broth over, and ravenously gnawed the tender meat off the bone. As you can probably guess, the flavours of the dish are very intense, so if you love pork and mouth-numbing spiciness, you won’t go wrong with this. Eating with my hands helped to get every tiny bit of meat out — hey, it’s precious! And, I guess it’s just more shiok to pull the meat off with my teeth.

It was not an easy feat choosing my second favourite dish, but the Fried Shrimp Pancake ($12) was it. Hand-moulded into a patty, the shrimp pancake was a playful mix of textures. The crisp exterior gave way to a springy prawn filling that tasted exceptionally delicious with the sweet chilli sauce.

We also tried the Fried Squid with Thai Chilli ($10) which was crispy on the outside and not too chewy on the inside. The batter held a little heat, so proceed with caution if you cannot handle spicy food well. The squid was really well-seasoned and would be the perfect snack to enjoy with an ice cold beer!

The Sauteed Kangkong ($7) packed a garlicky kick and will certainly please those who love a heavier dose of garlic in their food. The crisp greens kept things light and refreshing, especially when we have a table full of spicy and very flavourful dishes.

Cooked like a scrambled egg, the Creamy Omelette with Prawn ($10) was smooth and light. If you’re not as adept as your pals are in stomaching spicy food, the omelette will be a great option for you. It might seem simple, but it’s a pretty good starter, and definitely great with rice.

I know just the Leng Saap alone is enough to entice you to visit, but you should most certainly give the other dishes a try too. Bring along a few friends because the monstrously large Leng Saap surely isn’t made for one or two people. We left Golden Leng Saap-เล้งแซ่บ Rot Fai Market stuffed to the brim, and immensely satisfied with the sight of the now dismantled tower which we relished every bit of.

This post is brought to you by Leng Saap.

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Also, check out our articles on the places to eat in Bangkok Part 1 and Part 2.