Casual Thai: Joining sister restaurants Chachawan, 208 and Fish School in the JIA Group, Mak Mak is located in The Landmark luxury mall, but it’s not your typical pinstriper restaurant. It’s unpretentious and casual, with a quirky design and approachable price points.

Look & Feel: Designed by the same folks behind Foxglove and Mrs. Pound, Mak Mak has that similar hidden-away feel with a market facade that opens into a nostalgic 1960s-inspired interior making great use of colors, patterns and textures.

Meet the Chef: Executive Chef Mumu steers the ship towards Central Thailand where she grew up and brings experience from her run at (the now closed) Kha in Singapore.

On the Menu: Since it’s all about Central Thai food, the extensive menu covers rice and noodle dishes, curries, meat, seafood and smooth, slightly sweet sauces. The meal starts with a tangy tom yum soup.

Service: Drink orders take a bit long to get going whereas the food comes out in a flash. The timing can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the occasion.

Jeng: The large portions make you feel like you’re getting good value, plus it’s nice to see some many vegetarian-friendly foods on the menu. There are a couple of clear standouts, including the ultra-tender lamb massaman curry ($208), creamy hor muk salmon ($128) and kai jiaw wok-fried omelette ($128-138) which comes with big chunks of pork, crab or chicken. For dessert, we recommend the well-balanced supparaod shuem pineapple carpaccio with coconut ice cream ($88).

Not So Jeng: Following in the huge footsteps of wildly successful sister restaurant Chachawan, Mak Mak lacks a sense of surprise. The food is satisfying and the atmosphere approachable, but Mak Mak’s lineup of pad Thai ($128), mango salad ($108), and Panang curry ($198) is simply not that exciting. Skip the gluay todd banana fritter dessert ($78), as it’s an oil explosion. The cocktails should pack more of a punch, as at the moment they taste a bit like juice boxes aside from a few tasty garnishes.

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Great For: After-work eats, casual lunches, big groups and family outings.

FYI: Ring the waiter bell to get inside! Or grab some bites to go from the marketplace if you’re passing by.

This writeup was based on a complimentary media tasting. The Loop doesn’t guarantee/sell restaurant review coverage. See our editorial policy here.