For those looking for authentic Thai food in Puchong, Restoran Krua Thai ticks all the boxes.

Tucked along a quiet road behind Lotus Pusat Bandar Puchong, the place has the ambience down pat, from the no-frills dining area and the ‘stalls’ at the back where staff pound som tam and whip up Thai milk tea, to the shelves of imported Thai snacks and sauces, as well as the TV airing dramatic Thai soap operas. The wait staff and chefs are Thai, while the lady boss speaks good Mandarin.

Krua Thai offers a good selection of dishes. You can opt for individual rice or noodle dishes; families can get larger portions of dishes to share. They have all the popular Thai staples, such as tom yum, green curry, fried bamboo shoots with pork, basil pork, and more.

I didn’t feel like having rice, so I got Kha Mu (slow braised pork leg) noodles. The noodles were the typical Mama instant noodles type, but they had a nice, al dente texture and bounce. The braised meat was soft and tender where the fatty bits were, but the lean parts were a bit stringy. The dish also came with half a braised egg. Tasty as far as it goes!

For sharing, more pork! The Moo Ping (grilled pork skewers) were perfectly grilled with bits of char lending a smoky aftertaste. The meat was also well marinated, juicy, and had a great balance between lean and fat.

I’ve gone through some reviews of the restaurant on Google and it seems the consensus that the tom yum here is ‘sweet’. I think it is slightly sweeter than other tom yums, but the flavours are still well balanced, and the soup comes chock full of ingredients such as mushrooms and seafood. You can choose to have ‘clear’ or ‘red’ tom yum, the latter having nam prik pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) and coconut milk.

Bro’s pick was a simple minced pork omelette. Nothing fancy, but it was puffy, not greasy, and tasted homemade.

We also ordered Pandan Chicken, wrapped in pandan leaves and deep fried. The pandan leaves lock the moisture of the meat inside, making each boneless piece tender and juicy.

Wrapping up the meal on a sweet note was Thrap tim Kop (Red Ruby Dessert), which gets it’s name from t the cubes of water chestnuts soaked in grenadine, then boiled in tapioca flour – so it has this unique gel like texture on the outside, whilst remaining crunchy on the inside. The dessert is also typically served with slices of mango and coconut with ice cubes. The version here is a bit diluted in taste compared to my favourite from Thai Hou Sek, but still pretty good and refreshing.

Although Krua Thai is not a fancy place, I like the ambience and I think it hits the spot for quality, authentic Thai cuisine served in a rustic atmosphere. The prices are average for this type of establishment, ranging from RM20 for sharing plates, and RM12 + for individual rice or noodle dishes.

KRUA THAI

36, Jalan Bandar 13, Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Open for lunch and dinner: 10AM – 3.30PM, 5.30PM – 10PM