Little Thai Carnival at Jusco Metro Prima, Kepong Baru

Last week, while going to Jusco Metro Prima Shopping Center to shop for some groceries, it happen that there is a Little Thai Carnival going on there from 10th May 2011 till 9th June 2011. Located at ENEOS Center, there are kiosk selling clothes, shoes, handicraft and of course food from Thailand.

My only interest is the Thai food kiosk. The food kiosk is selling Thai food and snacks such as tom yam, Thai laksa, Somtham (Thai Green Mango Salad), Yam Wun Sen (Thai Seafood Salad), Mango Rice, Papprik Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice, Spring Roll, Prawn Crackers, and Coconut. Each dish cost on RM5.

Some of the ingredients for Somtham (Thai Green Mango Salad)

Prawn Crakers, and Spring Roll

As for dessert, one can opt for Mango Rice. I was so tempted but I've already decided to order Somtham.

The Somtham will only be prepared when order is placed. The cook will ask if you want spicy or very spicy. I chose spicy which he then use one bird eye chilli to mix the Somtham. Very spicy, he'll use two bird eye chilis. Trust me, even the spicy version is already quite spicy. Those that can't eat spicy food at all will probably be better to order non-spicy version.

He will then starts to pound and mixes lime, raw long beans, tomato, fish sauce, bird eye chili, green mango, lime juice, peanuts, and sugar in a big ceramic mortar. When he finished with the pounding and mixing, he asked me to taste it. I told him not sour enough, so he add more lime juice.

I packed it home and eat it with other dishes as dinner. The somtham here is quite good, the portion is quiet big too for just RM5. If you happen to be in Jusco Metro Prima, do drop by to this Little Thai Carnival at Ground Floor in ENEOS Center. This carnival ends on 9th June 2011.

Thai Stewed Pork Knuckle at Restoran Blue White Teochew Poriddge

After partying at Tiffany & Co presents the Debut of The Official Lounge: Malaysia Grand Prix 2011, I went to look for food as the traffic is very slow along the Pavilion KL road. Traffic in KL is very unpredictable.

Walking towards the back of Fahrenheit 88, there is one coffee shop near Imbi just opposite Bintang de Palace Night Club. There's a stall there that serve a wicked Thai Pork Knuckle. A set of the Thai Stewed Pork Knuckle rice for one person cost RM8, which comes with hard boiled egg cooked in kueh chap gravy, bean curd and of course pork knuckle.

The lady boss is from Thailand but this pork knuckle has similarity with kueh chap. The different is the chili, garlic, lime and fish sauce mix that comes with the set. The sourish and spicy goes very well with the tender pork knuckle. I also like the fact that the lady boss took great care in removing the hair from the pork knuckle. I can't stand seeing there's still hair sticking out in my pork knuckle. The kueh chap gravy is quite normal, nothing to shout about.

Rating: 3.75/5

Address:
Restoran Blue White Teochew Poriddge
Jalan Walter Grenier,
Bukit Bintang, 55100
Kuala Lumpur
(I think the Thai Stewed Pork Knuckle opens from late afternoon until late night)

Funky Villa, e@Curve, Mutiara Damansara

If it is not for CityGal invited me for lunch at Funky Villa, I won't have know that it is a restaurant serving very authentic Thai cuisine instead of a lounge and bar. One will have to forgive me for the misunderstanding because the interior design of Funky Villa doesn't really linked my mind with Thai cuisine at all. If I ask my friends like, "Hey let's have Thai for lunch at Funky Villa", they would have looked at me like I'm some sort of crazy person. Who would have thought that a place named Funky Villa serves up really good and authentic Thai cuisine?

We have quite a sizable group that day for lunch. KampungBoyCityGal, Chris & Christine, Ai Wei, Wen Ching, WMW, Jason, Squall and I. First time meeting Wen Ching and Squall. I've been reading Sugar Sugar Bean Bean for more than a year already.

Our bottomless drinks, Roselle (Fresh Ribena), Tamarind (Asam), and Lemongrass (Serai).

If it's not for the Thai MV playing on the screen, one won't have know that this is a Thai restaurant.

There are three areas where one can enjoy the food here. There's the normal dining area, the more relax sofa area and the open air area.

Funk Villa is having lunch set promotion, so we decided to order a few lunch set and then order a few dishes from the a la carte menu to share. The set lunch price is starting from RM 9.90++, damn value.

Click to enlarge.

Let us start with the appetizer. Pamelo Salad (RM15.00++) which is pamelo tossed with chillies, dried shrimp, cashew nut, shredded chicken & prawn. The pamelo is imported from Thailand because the local pamelo will give a bit of bitter taste so it's not too suitable to used in a dish. I think this salad is not too common in Malaysia where the usual Thai salad we encounter is the Mango salad. Especially when the pamelo can't be locally sourced. It's nice change from the same old stuff. Believe me, it tasted as good as mango salad.

Pamelo Salad (RM15.00++)

Fish Cake wrapped in Half boiled egg (RM13.00++ 4pcs) is one dish that you won't commonly find in other Thai restaurant in Malaysia. A Northern Thai Specialty Dish, which is prepared by the Thai chef of Funky Villa. I am salivating just by looking at the picture.

Fish Cake wrapped in Half boiled egg (RM13.00++ 4pcs)

I was just watching Chua's Choice 蔡瀾歎名菜 a day before this lunch. In that episode it shows the process of making this dish, Cat Fish Mango Salad (RM 22.00++) . I was wondering where to find this dish in Malaysia, and voila on the next day I am already having it in front of me. Talk about coincident. To make this this, first the cat fish have to be cooked and then the meat will be taken out from the bone. The fish meat will then be chopped very finely and then fried till crispy. It's quite a effort to make this dish, so it's worth every sen. Imagine crispy fish floss and eat it with sourish young mangoes. Damn, I'm salivating again.

Cat Fish Mango Salad (RM 22.00++)

A Thai meal is not complete without the famous Tom Yum Kung (RM23.00++) and each chef have their own special recipe for Tom Yum Kung (Kung means Prawn in Thai). For Funky Villa the Tom Yum Prawns is cooked with young coconut pulp so the spiciness is not too intense, and you'll get the pleasing coconut taste. Try eating the coconut pulp, you'll love it.

Tom Yum Kung (RM23.00++)

Another soup dish that we had is Tom Kha Seafood (RM22.00++). Instead of coconut pulp, coconut milk is used in this soup to make this soup. Don't feel jelak when seeing that the soup is filled with coconut milk. For an unknown reason this soup don't feel that way at all.

Tom Kha Seafood (RM22.00++)

Some of the set lunches that we had are:

Shredded Green Mango Salad with Dry Shrimp & Coconut Flakes, Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken (RM 9.90++)

Vegetable Spring Rolls, Green Curry Chicken & Steam Rice (RM 11.90 ++)

Tom Yum Gung, Pad Thai Seafood Noodle (RM 17.90++)

Pamelo Salad, Thai Herb Fried Rice with Seafood (RM 13.90++)

All sets come with bottomless Lemon Grass drink. If this is a not a bargain, I don't know what is. Remember the set lunches are available from 12pm to 3pm daily.

I've tasted Penang otak-otak, and Johor otak-otak. This time I get to try Thai Steam Otak Otak in Coconut (Homok) (RM23.00++). Homok is steamed fish with red curry & herbs served in fresh coconut. Very different from the Malaysian otak-otak that wrap the fish in pandan leaf. Yummy.

Thai Steam Otak Otak in Coconut (Homok) (RM23.00++)

I'll have to say that the Thai Herbs Minced Chicken (RM12.00++) is a very good dish to go with a pint of nice cold beer. Crisp- fried Battered Minced Chicken Meat with an Array of Thai Herbs & Crunchy Rice, beer dish, no? Too bad I didn't have any that day.

Thai Herbs Minced Chicken (RM12.00++)

The Stir fried squid in salted egg yolk (RM17.00++) is kind of different from the fried squid with salted egg yolk that we had in our Chinese tai chao. First of all, you won't see the salted egg yolk.

Stir fried squid in salted egg yolk (RM17.00++)

After so many dishes, we're almost have enough but wait, there's still room for dessert lol.

Dessert Twin Dessert special - Mango sticky rice & Red Rubies (water chestnut with jack fruit) to serve with vanilla ice-cream (RM16.90++). It's best to eat the mango sticky rice first when it's still warm.

Ginkgo Nut in coconut served with shaved ice (RM7.90++). Ginkgo nut, so healthy, no?

Cantaloupe with sago in coconut & shaved ice (RM7.90++)

The fun doesn't ends here. Let me introduce you to the mother of all cocktail. Giant Cocktail, Funky Rita 750ml (RM55.00++). Compare the glass with Wen Ching's hand and you'll have grasp of how big this Funky Rita is. I drank like 1/6 of it and I slept like a baby when I reached home after the lunch.

Giant Cocktail, Funky Rita 750ml (RM55.00++)

This is the best Thai food I had recently. I'll be sure to drop by and more Thai food here, and of course the Funky Rita.

Origin of Funky Villa

Funky Villa is inspired from the infamous Full Moon Parties in Koh Phangan. Moons ago, a group of tourists found that the most beautiful moon was in Koh Phangan. They arranged a party along the crescent-shaped beach of Haad Rin to celebrate the Full Moon night. From then on, people from all over the world come to join the monthly celebration. As twilight descends and the moon reveals itself fully, the beach comes alive with 7,000 to 10,000 party people going into a dancing frenzy with international MCs spinning on the decks, buskers entertaining the crowds, fireworks firing up the party and surf of waves lapping up the atmosphere.



Address:

Funky Villa
Lot No. G-03A, G-06 & EG-06, Ground Floor, e@Curve
No. 24, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel / Fax : 603 7725 2308
Email : enquiry@funky_group.com
Facebook Page: FunkyVilla – e@Curve

My Lunch: Thai Stall in Restoran Jackson, Section 17, Petaling Jaya

There is one Thai stall that sells quite authentic Thai small fry in Restoran Jackson in Section 17, Petaling Jaya. There's a variety of fried rice that you can order from such as Thai fried rice, prawn fried rice, pineapple fried rice and etc. I suspect that the owner of this stall was once working for the Thai fried rice stall in Restoran Say Huat just opposite Restoran Jackson. I think that's why the quality of the Thai fried rice stall in Say Huat dropped.

The Thai stall in Jackson not only sells fried rice but also have a few Thai dishes like Thai style stir-fried pork rice, chicken feet mango salad, prawn mango salad, stir-fried petai with prawn rice, and a few more dishes that I don't remember.

Chicken feet mango salad.

The chicken feet mango salad is very nice. Just the right sourness. My favourite except for the fried rice is the Thai style stir-fried pork rice. The pork is stir-fried with a lot of Thai basil which make the dish very aromatic and appetizing.

Thai style Stir-fried pork rice.

I've try the stir-fried petai sotong rice which is very good too. This place is a good choice for a more affordable Thai affair is there's craving. Too bad I only come here on Sunday when I am working morning shift.

Thai stir-fried petai sotong rice.

Maybe next time I come here I'll try something different. Do give it a try if you want to try affordable authentic Thai style small fry dishes.

Address:

Restoran Jackson
Jalan 17/27, Petaling Jaya

Google Map here.

Phai Lin Thai Restaurant, Sri Damansara Club

Simon Says: Get yourself invited for the media screening of Land of Lost this Friday.

I was invited by KampungBoyCityGal to a food review which was organized by one of their reader. It's quite a new Thai restaurant that is in Sri Damansara Club. Fellow foodies that were there too are Tham Jiak and Jason If I was not told, I won't know that the club is open to public, of course only some of the facilities like restaurants and food massage is for the public I think. As you reach the entrance of Phai Lin, you'll be greeted with two Thai statues.

Sawadika!

Phai Lin is actually a Thai and Chinese restaurant, which means besides your normal Thai food, you'll have Thai food with Chinese influence or vice versa. There are already two outlet in Myanmar and the lady boss decided to expand the business to Malaysia. The Phai Lin in Myanmar is very big and grand from the photos that she showed us. Phai Lin is also a pork free restaurant and they are trying to apply for the Halal certificate. The lady boss is a Chinese Muslim herself.


My drink that I forgot the name. It's something like "honey something" but I won't recommend this.

First dish to arrive is the Spring Roll (Big/Small RM13/RM 8). There's sengkuang inside. Fried till crispiness and the interim is still juicy. Not too bad.

Spring Roll

Next up is Claypot Glass Vermicelli with Prawn (Big/Small RM 22/RM 15). One of my favourite Thai dish but I prefer crab instead of prawn. While using prawn is also not bad, crab gives the sauce more kick with the sweet taste from the crab. Nevertheless the prawns used is very fresh and the glass vermicelli absorbed the prawn's sweetness and the sauce. Slurp.

Claypot Glass Vermicelli with Prawn

Deep Fried Garoupa with Sweet and Sour Sauce (RM 35) got no complain from us except that we can't take a good picture with it lol. This dish I think it's a Chinese dish, if not mistaken is call (糖醋鱼). The fish is fried and then cover by the sweet and sour sauce, a very appetizing dish.

Deep Fried Garoupa with Sweet and Sour Sauce

After devouring the garoupa, it's time for Deep Fried Chicken Wings with Herb Thai Style (Big/Small RM18/RM12), such a long name lol. The herb is very aromatic and goes very well with the chicken wings.

Eating Thai cuisine wouldl not be complete without Tom Yam and that night we had Seafood Tom Yam Soup (Big/Small RM28/RM18). The tom yam is very nice and it's sourish enough. It's not too spicy so it's suitable for most people but not enough kick for me that can it very very spicy food. The soup is kept warm by the burning wax in the center of the pot.

Seafood Tom Yam Soup

Time to balanced the high protein meal with Stired-fried Mixed Vegetable (Big/Small RM17/RM11). Just your normal stired-fried vege nothing much to comment.

Stired-fried Mixed Vegetable

Mango Salad (Big/Small RM15/RM9.5) was served next and it's a good ending to a meal full for meat and seafood. Young mango is used and mixed with peanuts, shallot, bird eye chili, lime and fish sauce. It's quite addictive.

Mango Salad

When I thought that's the end of it, comes a special order that night, Raw Prawn Salad (Big/Small RM22/RM12). I think this is the house specialty because I seldom see this dish in other Thai restaurant. Very different of prawn sashimi because instead of soya sauce and wasabi, lime, raw garlic, Chinese parsley and mint leave were added to each raw prawn. The prawn is real fresh with a bit of springy texture and the mixes of the condiments covered the fishy taste of the raw prawn. Highly recommended to those that like raw food.

Raw Prawn Salad

Some hits and misses but nevertheless the food here is of good quality and affordable price. There's still a lot of dishes yet to be tried, so I will surely make another visit here with my friends and family. Good news is that they are looking to open another outlet and is now scouting for good location. Any recommendations?

Updates: I forgot, if you mentioned that you got to know Phai Lin from my blog, you'll get a discount on your food.

Address:
Phai Lin Thai & Chinese Restaurant
Sri Damansara Club Berhad
Lot 23304, Persiaran Perdana
Bandar Sri Damansara
52200 Kuala Lumpur

Click here for map.