He’s built his F&B name on local fare, from zi char to fish soup and even kopitiams, but Mediacorp actor-host Ben Yeo, 47, is now taking a detour into Thai cuisine.

His newest concept, Benkok13 (pun very much intended), is a no-frills standalone Thai eatery at the void deck of an HDB block in Taman Jurong. The joint, which opened on Apr 1, serves up popular Thai street foods such as tom yum soup, pad thai and basil pork rice. There is also a small selection of local breakfast items like kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and French toast, plus kopi and teh.

The “13” refers to its tightly curated menu of 13 mains, based on what his Thai business partner, who has years of experience running Thai eateries here, identified as Singaporeans’ favourites.

While the concept may seem like a departure from his usual fare, Yeo says Thai food wasn’t the original plan.

When he and his partners found this space, they initially toyed with the idea of serving local fare, including fish soup, a concept Yeo is well known for, but quickly ruled it out. 

“We already opened a few stalls in the past year, so it’s enough for now,” he said. “And this is a neighbourhood space, so we wanted something more friendly for everybody [rather than a single-dish offering].”

Thai food eventually emerged as the best fit – familiar, widely liked, and versatile enough for different diners.

The team partnered with a friend who has been running Thai F&B brand Hom Aroy Thai Food in Singapore for over a decade, with outlets at Coronation Shopping Plaza and Toa Payoh. The kitchen is helmed by two Thai chefs.

According to Yeo's partner, these 13 dishes make up about 80 per cent of orders at her eateries. Prices are from S$7.80 for fr...