* Some of the establishments / dishes below are not halal.
There is something beyond words about how the tropical herbs and spices — like the sweet, zesty lemon grass; earthy, woodsy galangal; warm, spicy ginger; citrusy kaffir lime leaf — come together to bring you that mystical, distinctly Thai flavor that so many have fallen in love with. Of course, we aren’t forgetting the chilies (loads of them!) and quintessential fish sauce.
Still, even with Thailand immediately to our north, finding great (read: out-of-this-world) Thai food that won’t break your budget has proven to be a wee challenging in our neck of the woods. So, to help solve the quandary, here are 10 exquisite Thai restaurants in the Klang Valley that every Thai food lunatic won’t want to miss! (Click on the restaurant names for addresses and OpenRice members' reviews.)
This is the first outlet of the popular Thai restaurant chain. It offers a variety of original Thai dishes that are bold in flavor and yet won’t create a gaping hole in your wallet. As with any superb Thai restaurants, it serves up a seafood tom yum that is thick-ish and packed with flavor; steamed lemon squid, barbecued pig’s neck, custard in baked pumpkin, as well as mango sticky rice. However, place a reservation with the restaurant before you come. It can get crowded especially at dinnertime!
If you happen to be near Petaling Street or any one of the nearby tourist attractions and suddenly hanker for Thai food, you might want to pop by here. The restaurant can get crowded; however, thankfully, the service is swift and staff is friendly. Some of its signatures are Crispy Deep-fried Squid, Pandan Chicken, Sizzling Homemade Bean Curd, and Kangkong Belachan. Another thing noteworthy is the portions served here are fairly generous!
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1. Lai Thai Mini Market @ P.J. Section 17
This unpretentious food store / diner is Thai in every way, from the vibes, ownership, and staff to food and groceries. Never let its one-page menu turn you off. You’ll find some of the most authentic, amazing Thai street food here. Check out its larb moo with glutinous rice, som tam, stewed pig’s leg rice, green chicken curry, kway teow nam tok, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice dessert, among others. You can also choose from an array of ready-to-eat desserts, freshly prepacked in house, to take home with. Thanks to word-of-mouth, this little gem is getting popular. With the limited space — four to five tables to hold 20 people at most — do come early to beat the crowd.
2. KomPassion Thai Fusion Food @ P.J. Damansara Kim
The culinary concoctions here are genius. While Executive Chef Nikom Uatthong, who hails from Chiangmai, northern Thailand, offers delicacies as true to his roots as possible, he throws in influences from Italy and across Asia. The restaurant will impress your palate with its crosscultural fare, like pad Thai linguine; pork satay; panang curry with scallops; salted duck, raisins, and pear; as well as smoked salmon, bacon, and kimchi salad or a chilled salad of octopus with fresh herbs, chili, and lime. For dessert, its red rubies with coconut gelato, among others, will not disappoint!
3. Jan Jan Thai @ Kepong Bandar Manjalara
Rumors have it that this is the brainchild of the former head chef of the Janwa Thai restaurant, which is just across the road. Now, they are competing neck and neck with each other! Here, your taste buds will be delighted by unbelievably tasty Thai fare. Its seafood tom yum is chunky with shrimp, squid, tomatoes, and so forth, whereas the pineapple fried rice, pandan chicken, Thai-style steamed fish, and Thai “golden” Manila clams (“la-la”) are to die for.
4. Sanook Thai Café @ Taman Desa
This hole-in-the-wall shares half of its retail space with a hair salon. The diner, whose name means “fun” in Thai, houses a simple interior but serves lip-smacking, homey Thai foods in stainless-steel bowls and plates. Savor its delicacies, such as som tam salad, pad Thai, larb moo salad, house-made pork sausage with ginger-chili sauce (a northeast Thai specialty), crispy moo krob pork belly, and green pork curry. Then, wash everything down with bottomless lemon grass beverage or water. As for dessert, you won’t go wrong with its mango sticky rice. And if you happen to be nearby at lunchtime on weekdays, pop by to sample its set lunch options.
5. My Elephant @ P.J. Section 17
On the ground floor of the Happy Mansion flats is this contemporary restaurant. It’s been touted with serving insanely tasty, yet healthy Thai food. Its steamed rice is a blend of nutty brown rice and floral (white) jasmine rice. Its menu includes the famous Thai appetizer mieng kam, panang chicken curry with lychee, som tam, tom yum, green curry, and roast duck curry with seasonal fruits. To cool the heat, you’ve got Thai iced coffee and the restaurant’s signature Citron Cooler, scented with lemon grass, pandan leaf, and calamansi, among others. Remember to make a reservation before heading over thanks to its cultlike following and limited space!
6. Khuntai Authentic Thai @ Off Jalan Gasing
Besides its grilled seafood, the restaurant is known to serve pungent, fiery Thai food — not for the faint-hearted! The tom yum is thick, flavorful, hot, and chunky with seafood. Its pucuk paku and sambal belachan stir-fry, mango kerabu, green chicken curry, steamed lemon fish, pandan chicken, and seafood otak-otak are must-tries. Don’t forget to order dessert, like its thab thim krob, or a cooling beverage like kedondong juice to “put out” the heat!
8. Fish Farm Thai Restaurant @ Hulu Langat
Here, experience freshness of food with just-caught fish and newly harvested veggies. Make sure you order the restaurant’s signatures like the salt-baked tilapia, grilled cockles (which are larger than the average!), salted-egg shrimp, steamed Mantis shrimp, seafood tom yum, Manila clams (“la-la”) in black bean sauce, and mango kerabu. Savor these and more by the restaurant’s pond, in its space surrounded by lush, thick, green forests, away from urban hustle and bustle. Want fresh, local produce to cook at home? There is a stall that sells vegetables grown around the restaurant!
9. Nong & Jimmy Thai Seafood BBQ @ Ampang Taman Cahaya
The owner Jimmy started the restaurant about 20 years ago to celebrate and share with fellow Malaysians the cultural heritage of his Thai wife, Nong. That said, authenticity is a given here. Even the chefs are Thai. Head down here for its addictive Thai version of yao char kwai (cruller) served dipped in a silky and rich kaya; hot, hearty, chunky seafood tom yum; and many other droolworthy, budget-friendly Thai delicacies.
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