Thai cuisine – Eris Goes To

Restoran Krua Thai, Puchong

August 22, 2022Posted in FoodTagged Asian cuisine, dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, food review, foodie, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, restaurant review, Thai cuisine, Thai food2 Comments

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

Aroy-D-Thai Kitchen, Taman Putra Impiana, Puchong

June 8, 2022Posted in FoodTagged budget eats, dining, eating, eats, Featured, food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant review, Thai cuisine, Thai foodLeave a comment

“Aroy” is Thai for ‘tasty’, making it a preferred moniker for many Thai restaurants. One such place is Aroy-D-Thai Kitchen in Taman Putra Impiana, Puchong, a no-frills spot serving authentic Thai favourites the likes of tom yam, pad thai, and pad krapow gai.

So, does the restaurant live up to its name? Let’s find out!

It’s hard to miss the store, what with the colourful posters of Thai tourist destinations plastered against the glass. Inside, an air conditioned interior offers diners a cool respite from the heat. The restaurant is simple with minimal decor, but comfortable enough for a quick lunch.

The restaurant offers a selection of ‘single’ rice and noodle dishes, as well as ala carte items meant for sharing and to go with rice. There’s tom yum, curries, stir-fried vegetables, seafood, pork, and chicken dishes.

The Moomins ordered her favourite – pad krapao gai (basil chicken with rice), minus the chilli as her stomach problems make it difficult to eat spicy food. They were very accomodating, and the rice came in a hefty portion as well, topped with fried egg.

The Hub’s had tom yum fried rice, which again came in a generous portion. The ingredients were fresh and the rice had been stir fried over high heat, imparting each grain with a fragrant aroma and smokiness. Although the dish packed some heat, I couldn’t really tell it was tom yum per se – tasted more like spicy fried rice. Still, a tasty and filling dish to keep you going for the day!

As for me, I went with the pad thai, fresh out of the wok with wisps of steam when it came to the table. On top of a bed of rice noodles lay two large pieces of shrimp, tofu cubes, a fluffy omelette, a side of crushed peanuts, and a lemon wedge.

What can I say? It’s pretty decent pad thai. I like the sweet and sticky sauce, which goes well with the noodles’ chewy texture, and the overall flavours are well balanced.

We also got fried mushrooms to share. The dish surprised me: mushrooms are notorious for soaking up oil, but these were light and not greasy at all. The batter was crispy and not too thick, and the mushrooms were well seasoned too.

Considering that you get to dine in air conditioned comfort, and the dishes are tasty, I’d say Aroy-D-Thai offers great value for money – a good spot for a lunch break for office workers, or people who live in the nearby housing areas. Single dishes start from RM10.90.

AROY-D-THAI KITCHEN

38, 1, Jalan Putra Impiana, Taman Putra Impiana, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 10.30AM – 8PM

Mama Mee Yah, IOI Mall Puchong

May 26, 2022Posted in FoodTagged dining, eating, Featured, food, instant noodles, Malaysia, mama noodles, Puchong, restaurant review, Thai cuisine, Thai food, tom yumLeave a comment

Mama is a household name in Thailand. In fact, the brand is so popular, the term ‘Mama’ is used as a generic term to refer to all instant noodle brands (kinda like what we do with Maggi here: Vits, Cintan, Ibumie = Maggi).

While Mama noodles aren’t hard to find in Malaysia, they are pretty rare in most supermarkets, so you’re more likely to find them in Thai grocers, specialty shops, or restaurants. One of the newer places to get a ‘fancy’ version of these noodles is Mama Mee Yah@IOI Mall Puchong. As the name suggests, the resto specializes in Mama noodles, spruced up with ingredients like seafood and chicken, but you can also order Thai rice dishes like stir-fried chicken with basil.

Nice interior, which hasn’t changed much from when this space used to be Pho Street.

The Hubs and I weren’t particularly hungry, so we decided to share one main meal and order a side dish. We were disappointed when it came to the table, because there wasn’t a lot of noodles, and just four average-sized chicken meatballs plus an egg. Not worth the price, which is close to RM20 per bowl. I could have cooked five packets of Mama mee plus my own fancy trimmings with that budget.

Okay, so portions aren’t great. What about the taste?

It didn’t do well in that regard either. The tomyum was quite bland and watery. It wasn’t bad to the point of being inedible, but I really cannot justify paying that much for average food that I could have made at home. We also regretted our order of grilled chicken skewers, as they were drier than the Sahara desert.

Unfortunately, the signatures that we ordered at Mama Mee Yah did not impress. Considering the hefty price tag, I don’t think we will be giving this place a return visit.

Now if you want cheap, authentic Thai food, I recommend this. Or if you want a fancier place with lots of variety but won’t burn a hole in your pocket and actually gives you good value for money, this.

MAMA MEE YAH (IOI MALL PUCHONG)

Lot FS-20, First Floor, Batu 9, Jalan Puchong, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 10AM -10PM (daily)

PS: Opinions here are entirely my own and are based on my personal taste. They are not to disparage businesses, but to provide an honest review of my experiences.

PS2: Please consider supporting my blog via Patreon, so I can make more. Or buy me a cup of coffee on Paypal @erisgoesto

Review: Chiang Rai Style Restaurant, Bandar Puchong Jaya

September 3, 2019September 2, 2019Posted in FoodTagged Chiang Rai, dining, eating, Featured, food, food review, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant review, Thai, Thai cuisine, Thai food, thai restaurant, where to eatLeave a comment

Next to Malaysian cuisine, Thai food holds a special place in my heart (or should I say, stomach?), thanks to its unique flavours (sweet, salty, sour, savoury and spicy), and liberal use of spices and herbs, which Malaysians love. The city of Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand is especially famed for its cuisine, which has influences from neighbouring cultures such as Burmese, Laotian and Chinese.

There’s a Chiang Rai Style Restaurant in Bandar Puchong Jaya that dishes out northern Thai cuisine, so the fam and I went there one weekend to satiate our cravings. The resto is simple and sparsely furnished, but one comes here for the food and not the ambience. Even so, expect to fork out above average prices for their dishes.

Framed photographs of the Thai royal family adorn one side of the wall, alongside faded photographs of the dishes they serve.

Minced chicken/pork with basil is a must-have at any Thai restaurant, so we ordered one (chicken). The version here came served on tomato slices with deep fried century eggs, which was a nice addition. The minced chicken meat was tender and juicy, having fully absorbed the juices from the stir frying process.

Can’t go to a Thai resto and not have tom yum. We opted for a small pot, which came chock full of seafood – clams, shrimp, mushrooms, squid. A rather rare ingredient that they use here is crab; you don’t see that too often in other places. Tastewise, the broth was not too strong but still sour and appetising enough to go with bowls of rice.

I enjoyed their stuffed chicken wings with chilli dip. The wings are deboned then stuffed with rice noodles and pork, so you get crispy chicken skin on the outside, juicy minced meat on the inside, and a springy, crunchy and slightly gelatinous bite from the rice noodles.

All in all, a good spot to satisfy your Thai food cravings in Puchong. 🙂

CHIANG RAI STYLE RESTAURANT

No 12A-01, Jalan Kenari 18A,
Bandar Puchong Jaya,
47100 Puchong, Selangor

Phone: +603-8070 9686
Opening hours: 10.30AM – 3.00PM, 5.00PM – 10.30PM

Best Tom Yum and Fried Squid @ Thai Thai, Sunway Pyramid

August 13, 2019February 19, 2021Posted in FoodTagged dining, dinner, eating, eats, Featured, food, food review, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, restaurant review, Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian food, Sunway Pyramid, Thai, Thai cuisine, Thai food, tom yumLeave a comment

Been awhile since I went to Sunway Pyramid! The original plan was to have hotpot with C, but we ended up getting Thai food instead at Thai Thai. Despite being rather pricey, they’ve been consistently good on previous visits, and they did not disappoint this time either.

The interior hasn’t changed much – but they added some colourful murals of plants/flowers and animals on one side of the wall.

Thirst quenchers: Ice blended coconut shake and iced three-layer Thai milk tea. A bit hard to drink because they don’t give straws anymore, but gotta do our part for the environment! The coconut shake was refreshing and sweet – good ice to coconut ratio. Milk tea was milky but not too sweet.

I highly recommend getting the Tom Yum (you can choose from chicken, seafood or shrimp). We ordered the chicken for 2 pax (RM39++). It was hard to get the soup out with the spoon because the pot was kinda narrow – but taste wise, this is one of the better tom yum soups that I’ve had in the Klang Valley. Sour with a spicy kick (but not to the point that you breathe fire; just makes you sweat a little), it’s chock full of flavour from the lemongrass, chilli and other herbs. The chicken meat was also cooked to tender perfection. You can easily polish off bowls of rice with this.

I also suggest getting the fried squid appetiser. Coated in crisp batter, the springy pieces of squid come with a sweet Thai chilli dip.

We only ordered two dishes to go with our rice because the stuff is rather pricey, but they have loads of other dishes as well, such as the popular Thai basil chicken, fried omelette, steamed fish, mango sticky rice, and more.

Prices average from RM20+ up to RM60++ for dishes such as the whole fish.

Thai-Thai Restaurant
LOT G1-135.Oasis Boulevard, Sunway Pyramid, No.3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway,46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel: 03-74919428

Business hours: 10am – 10pm (daily).

Review: Mor Mu Dong, Phuket – The Michelin Bib Restaurant In A Mangrove Swamp

June 20, 2019June 20, 2019Posted in Southeast Asia, Thailand, TravelTagged dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, food review, gastronomy, Michelin Bib, Mor Mu Dong, Phuket, restaurant review, Thai cuisine, Thai food, travel, unique restaurantLeave a comment

When I went to Phuket recently, I wanted to look for off-the-beaten path experiences to write about, rather than the usual attractions. That was how I stumbled upon Mor Mu Dong, a hidden gem in the Chalong district that apparently has a Michelin Bib Gourmand (it’s kinda like a ‘budget’ Michelin star award).

Because it’s far from commercial centres and rather difficult to find, not many foreigners frequent the place. It is, however, very popular with the locals – which is always a sure sign of a winner!

Our driver took us through small roads past quaint housing estates, until we pulled up to a …mangrove swamp? The place looked trippy: there was a garden filled with shrooms (mushroom shaped buildings, that is) and various nipah huts, some floating over the water’s edge, others on stilts over the sand. You dine cross-legged on the floor in the private huts, while the larger huts have simple plastic tables and chairs.

Despite the scorching weather, it was surprisingly cool inside one of the larger huts. The rustic settings were quaint and charming – from the old-school calendars (the type where you have to tear off pages each day), to the standing fans set up at strategic corners for better ventilation and cooling. Peering up, we noticed that the inside of the roof had been covered with cartoon bed sheets, presumably for an extra layer of protection against the heat.

View from our table!

It was lunch time and the restaurant was filled with locals, mostly families. There was only one other foreign couple. There are waiters here who speak English though, and the menu has an English translation. Food is Thai style and they have lots of dishes, from chicken, pork and beef to seafood offerings, veggies, tofu and egg.

If you like spicy food, their signature is the Pla Tu Yat Sai, or boneless mackerel. This tedious dish involves deboning the fish and blending the scraped flesh with chilli paste and curry powder, before stuffing it back into the fish and deep frying it. When we ordered, the waitress cautioned it would be spicy, but thankfully my Malaysian palate held up well (ie some sniffling but no pain in the ears or crying). Really liked how crispy it was on the outside, and packed with the flavour of fish and spices on the inside.

We also ordered stir-fried squid with garlic (fresh and garlicky!), flambe-style morning glory and Tom Kha Gai (chicken boiled with coconut milk and galangal), which was good but not as good as the one we had at OrientAsia @ Movenpick Karon Beach. The dishes were served with pineapple and guava slices as well as cucumbers and long beans with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

While the settings are rustic and the service is basic, Mor Mu Dong is a must for those looking for an unconventional dining experience – and prices are reasonable too!

HOW TO GET THERE

Look out for Phuket Zoo as a landmark. Turn left down the last road before Palai Seafood on the beach and carry on until you see a blue Luk Lay restaurant sign. Keep going straight and turn into the first lane heading right.

MOR MU DONG

9/4 Moo 3, Soi Pa Lai, Chao Fa Road, Mueang, Phuket

Business hours: 10AM – 9.30PM (Daily)

Tel: +66 (0)76 282 302

Review: Phranakon Thai Cuisine,Bandar Puteri Puchong

May 20, 2018January 24, 2021Posted in FoodTagged dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Phranakon, Puchong, restaurant review, Thai, Thai cuisine, Thai food2 Comments

*Update as of January 2021: This restaurant is now permanently closed.

Mother’s Day was last week – hope you guys had a good one!

Treated the Moomikins and Pops (minus the bro, coz he was working outstation) to a meal at Phranakon in Bandar Puteri Puchong, since the Moomin was craving Thai food. Almost every restaurant in the vicinity was packed to the brim with families that night; we were lucky we got seats within 10 minutes.

No pic of resto interior, but nothing fancy. Simple wooden tables + cream coloured walls.

Of course, I ordered the customary Thai Milk Tea (a must have every time I go to Thai restaurants) and Pops had the Matcha Milk Tea. It had a bit too much ice which watered down the sweetness. Big portion though.

Fried Oyster Mushrooms were decent. They weren’t greasy, which is common with mushrooms since they tend to soak up oil, but taste wise, the dish was quite bland and floury. The only saving grace was the extremely addictive dip, which was sour and creamy.

Clear Tomyum Soup came in generous portions, enough for three small eaters. It was chock full of seafood goodness, with squid shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs. Spicy, tangy and appetising, it was excellent with rice, with a strong hint of lemongrass, chillies and galangal.

My favourite dish of the night was the BBQ pork on skewers. Served in thick slabs, it was extremely juicy (no sauces needed!) and had a nice balance of lean and fat. The exterior was caramelised but not too sweet.

To wrap up the meal, we had Red Ruby Dessert, comprising shaved ice topped with red ‘rubies’ ie water chestnuts, jackfruit and coconut milk. Light and refreshing, the crunchy water chestnuts contrasted with the chewy jelly exterior, and the ice cut through the sweetness of the jackfruit.

Food: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Price: Above average

PHRANAKON

2, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Business hours: Daily 11AM – 10PM