[Review] Full-Hearted Flavours: A Taste of Chef Vincent Pang’s Culinary Passion at IM JAI by Pun Im

Tucked away in the urban confines of Icon Village in Tanjong Pagar, IM JAI by Pun Im is a deeply personal project with a story that resonates through every carefully crafted dish, making it one of the most soulful culinary additions to the neighbourhood. You will discover why later.

The name, meaning “a full heart” in Thai, perfectly encapsulates the experience.

The chatty and suave chef-owner Vincent Pang trained in Bangkok at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit and apprenticed at the Michelin-starred Wana Yook before returning to Singapore to launch this restaurant. What makes the place unique is that Vincent built it not only as his culinary project, but also as something personal for his mother to manage after his father passed away. His mum is the friendly auntie greeting diners at the door and you feel that warmth the moment you enter. Having lost my dad last year, I could resonate with Chef Vincent’s experience and what he is doing for his mother is noble.

Vincent spares no expense or effort to maintain authenticity and quality. For example, the pork-floss used in many dishes is curated and made in a Singapore factory under his precise direction to match the Thai-style pork floss quality he is familiar with. He also imports a number of ingredients from Thailand to ensure fidelity to the flavours.

We were invited for a dinner tasting at IM JAI, and the breadth of what we sampled gave a good sense of Chef Vincent’s thoughtful, bold, generous, sometimes playful vision.

To start, the drinks kicked off the evening with an assortment of natural colours.

The Bael Juice ($6 for 300 ml) is a refreshing traditional Thai herbal drink made from dried bael fruit, while the Thai Coconut Milk Tea (dairy-free, $6 for 300 ml) uses ChaTraMue Thai milk tea but infused with fragrant coconut milk, perfect for vegans.

The Thai Orange Juice ($3 for 300 ml) is imported from Thailand, made from special green Thai oranges, naturally sweet and sour with chunky pulp and a hint of salt for balance.

The Roselle Juice with Lemon Basil Seeds ($6) offers a tart-sweet hibiscus note with a crunchy texture from the basil seeds, while the Dried Butterfly Pea with Nata de Coco & Aloe Vera Jelly ($6) presents a layered drink/treat that is not just visually pretty, but lightly sweet and pleasantly textural.

Among the starters, the Appetisers Platter ($10.80 for one pax) is a smart move for those who wants to sample a bit of everything. You get Moo Ping (Thai pork satay), Tom Yum crab balls, crispy pork belly and popcorn chicken saap (inspired by Thailand KFC’s “Wing Saap”) in one order.

This presents a lively mix of textures and flavours that is great for sharing or as a solo nibble for a large eater.

Next, the Thai Crispy Spring Rolls ($10.80) feature glass noodles, shredded vegetables, minced pork and dried shiitake mushrooms in a crisp golden wrapper, served with house sweet-vinegar chilli sauce. A simple, satisfying dish.

Two of the dishes truly stood out as must-tries for us.

The first is the beautifully presented Crispy Cloud Egg ($16.80, serves 2-3), a clever innovation on a Thai omelette.

Kampong eggs are used, with the egg whites deep-fried to maximum fluffiness, and topped with six yolks that are house-cured for five hours. It is served with raw shallots, chilli-padi and a squeeze of lime.

The dish not only look spectacular, it also taste as good as it look. The flavours are intense, with the crisp but light whites giving way to soft-jammy yolks with each combined bite. The lime and chilli cut through, making it fun and memorable.

The other is the Grilled River Prawn with two sauces ($39.80).

These are jumbo wild-caught Thai river prawns (~330 g each) flown in from Southern Thailand and flash-frozen at their peak. The sweetness and creaminess of the prawns is immediately evident. You really taste the difference from standard farmed prawns. One sauce is tamarind-garlic while the other is sour-spicy. Both sauces are great, but the prawn itself was the star.

Moving to mains, the Stir-Fried Melinjo Leaves with Eggs ($14.80) is a Southern-Thai dish you rarely see here. The leaves stir-fried with eggs, topped with large dried Thai-style shrimps. A nicely herbal, slightly bitter-green, comfort dish.

Next, the Pineapple Fried Rice with Wild-Caught Black Tiger Prawns ($18.80) is a customer-popular dish added by request. Here, jasmine rice is seasoned with turmeric and curry powder, stir-fried with raisins, Chinese sausage, roasted cashews, diced pineapple, served with three wild-caught black tiger prawns and garnished with the signature house-made IM SABAAI pork floss that can also be bought home in bottles at the restaurant.

The interplay of sweet pineapple, smoky sausage, savoury floss and big prawns made it complex and fun at the same time.

Next came the Spicy & Sour Pork Ribs Soup & Thai Mirepoix Fried Rice “Tom Saap” ($18.80), an adaptation of an Isan signature. This features a rich broth with pork ribs, soft bones, tendons and topped with toasted rice powder, made from a house-blended three-herb mix and grounded in-house.

Spice level is customisable, with chili on the side and lime to tone. The flavour was deep and layered, enjoyed as a comforting dish together with the rice.

Then the Signature Duck Confit Red Curry ($25.80) reimagines a Thai red curry by using French-style duck confit (marinated 24 hours, slow-cooked 4 hours) in a house-made red curry paste, brightened with seasonal fruits like Candy Hearts grapes and pineapple.

The curry was intensely aromatic, packed with coconut richness, spices and fruit sweetness. If I had one minor quibble it was that the duck meat could be a little more tender.

Next, the Claypot Vermicelli with Wild-Caught Black Tiger Prawns ($18.80) features marinated noodles, wok-tossed with peppery spice blend, served with three wild-caught black tiger prawns, crispy pork lard, and a spicy-sour seafood dipping sauce. It hits all the right notes on texture, depth and flavour nicely.

Dessert helped round off things in a light and crafted way. The Palm Sugar & Coconut Pudding (3 pieces for $5.80) is a steamed two-layer dessert, with a pandan-palm-sugar custard base, topped with a smooth salty coconut cream that is sweet-savory, light.

The Bualoy ($7.80) features house-made glutinous-rice balls in fragrant sweetened coconut milk, topped with young coconut flesh and a finishing touch of salted-egg lava cream that is fun, rich but not overwhelming.

The Black Sticky Rice Pancake ($7.80) offers grilled black sticky rice pancakes with crispy exterior, soft chewy centre of coconut and young coconut flesh.

All in all, the portion sizes are generous for the price points and there is a strong value proposition especially for their lunch sets. The flavours are on the intense side and will appeal to those who like bold, hearty food. While it is a casual concept, you can sense that each dish has been thoughtfully composed rather than thrown together, and they come across elevated at a reasonable price point.

As for ambience and service, the space sits in the CBD at Tanjong Pagar MRT (3-minute walk from Exit A) and the warmth of the mother-and-son team is truly heart-felt if you encounter either or both of them at the restaurant. The modern decor still retains Thai cultural touches with hand-painted Benjarong-style plates and motifs of Thailand’s national flower.

Overall, IM JAI by Pun Im brings together authentic Thai techniques (thanks to Chef Vincent’s training and sourcing), bold flavour, a strong personal narrative, warm hospitality, and a smart menu that ranges from interesting starters to show-stopper mains and satisfying desserts.

If you are looking for Thai food in Singapore that goes beyond the familiar green-curry cliche, yet remains accessible and generous, this place is well worth your time.

Address:

Icon Village, 12 Gopeng Street,
#01-78/81 S(078877)

Operating hours:

Monday to Friday
11:00AM to 3:00PM
(Last order 2:30PM)

4:00PM to 9:30PM
(Last order 8:15PM)

Closed on Saturday, Sunday & PH