Craving Thai food in Singapore with a creative twist? At IM JAI in Icon Village, chef Vincent Pang brings a contemporary and casual take on the cuisine.

When I think of Thai cuisine — and Thai food in Singapore more broadly — I think of the homeliness of a clear tom yum soup, or the creamy, coconut richness of mango sticky rice. At IM JAI in Icon Village, Singapore, Chef Vincent Pang carries the warmth of these familiar favourites and layers in clever, contemporary twists across the menu.

Fittingly, Im Jai translates to “full heart” and today’s meal unfolds like a love letter written by a passionately creative chef... one who treats Thai cuisine with affection, curiosity, and care.

That passion is not incidental. To leave a hedge fund career for Thai cooking is no easy feat. Chef Vincent Pang trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok and went on to work in Michelin-starred kitchens... making it clear that his calling has always been food.

Located near the entrance of Icon Village if you enter from the temple side, IM JAI is easy to miss at first glance. I wandered past it twice. Its inconspicuous, dark, earthy exterior blends quietly into the brick-lined mall itself.

The entrance of IM JAI by Pun Im

Inside, the space takes on an almost cave-like feel. The walls are beautifully finished with cement paint, making it look "embossed" with subtle floral designs and textures that cast shadows and depth. It’s a wholly contemporary setting, one that sets the tone for what comes next.

Beautifully "embossed" with floral designs (cement paint!)

Here, Chef Vincent Pang takes us through the lunch menu, explaining each dish along the way.

After listening to Vincent's hearty sharing, we realised that there’s a playful precision to his creative cooking.

For instance, three proteins go into his tom saap – more than is typically seen – while its usual pairing of plain white rice is replaced with a self-developed fried rice built from three ingredients: coriander roots, white peppercorn, and garlic.

Elsewhere, Chinese sausage finds its way into his take on pineapple fried rice. The menu even includes a Thai bento designed to balance the full spectrum of flavours: spicy, sour, sweet, and savoury. These, however, are just the tip of the iceberg.

While there were many strong dishes on the menu, this article focuses on the standouts that resonated most with us.

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Homemade drinks. Thai coconut milk tea (dairy free), Roselle Juice with lemon basil seeds, bael juice.

We started with the drinks, and the Thai coconut milk tea and roselle juice were clear standouts for us. The bael juice was enjoyable too, though more herbal in profile, with flavours that felt closer to a traditional wellness drink. Thai milk tea is a household staple, but coconut milk is less commonly used. That said, the combination is hardly strange, and likely won’t be the last of its kind.

Me giving the creamy drink a whirl!

This next dish was a showstopper. If looks could kill, the in-house cured egg yolks alone would have done the job. Perched atop a bed of crisped egg whites, they glistened as we clicked away on our cameras. Sliced into four like a pizza, each of us took a portion.

Golden cured egg yolks on a crispy egg-white bed, complete with lime and chilis!

I went in expecting something salty and sharp, but it delivered something more balanced instead. The yolks leaned sweet and savoury, earthy without being overwhelming. What lingered was the contrast: crisp whites against the gooey smear of egg yolk. Unusual, yes, but surprisingly balanced. The technique, Vincent shared, was something he picked up during his internship at a one-Michelin-star restaurant in Bangkok.

Tasting platter!

We also tried the tasting platter, which surprised us in the best way. It featured tom yum balls, fried pork belly, in-house prepared moo ping, and chicken.

Our favourite, and clearly a crowd favourite too, was the moo ping, with the tom yum balls coming in a close second. Made from scratch and marinated in-house, the moo ping tasted distinctly different from the cookie-cutter versions commonly ordered in by other shops. The meat was tender, almost melt-in-the-mouth, finished with a savoury glaze.

Glistening moo ping <3

Up next was the claypot vermicelli, an understated marinated dish. Marinated overnight and served with generous river prawns, it surprised us with its restraint. The vermicelli absorbed the marinade fully without tipping into saltiness, delivering depth and a pleasing texture. It was one of those rare dishes we agreed we could order repeatedly. Gwen even swore she’d come back just for this.

The unassuming claypot vermicelli that won all our hearts.

We also enjoyed the pineapple fried rice, served in a similar claypot style to the vermicelli.

The crispy pork floss is made in-house at their own factory, and the addition of smoky Chinese sausages added an unexpected depth. Rather than leaning on sweetness, the dish was richer and more rounded than the typical pineapple fried rice elsewhere.

The irregular shards of pork floss brought texture to the Pineapple Fried Rice!

If you’ve read this far, you may have noticed that we ate far more than what would be comfortable for three people, especially with other dishes we enjoyed, including the tom saap, holy basil chicken, and kai lan. Portions here are generous.

We then moved on to desserts, which were no less touched by Vincent Pang’s inventive hand.

Clockwise from the left: Mango Sticky Rice rendition (seasonal), Red Ruby, and Bualoy

We had never tried bua loy before, but it was an immediate favourite. Chewy glutinous rice balls were served in sweetened coconut milk, made more intriguing by a salted egg lava cream sauce poured tableside. The red ruby was equally enjoyable. Here, it was paired with sa rim, delicate sweet mung bean noodles, and served with smoked coconut milk instead of the usual sweetened version. The coconut milk was even turned into an ice cream, adding a cool, smoky contrast.

Us tearing into the desserts (despite being really full)

The menu is gargantuan, filled with creative twists. It’s not how we usually encounter Thai food; left to our own devices, we would likely gravitate toward the classics done the traditional way. But then again, this is precisely the kind of detour Unique Finds exists for.

📍 IM JAI by Pun Im, 12 Gopeng St, #01-78-81 Icon Village, Singapore 078877