That instinct to search for a ‘lepak and makan’ makes Kuala Lumpur an especially fun place to live and eat - the city’s charming urban fabric are famous for hiding all manner of culinary riches.

One such ‘makan place’, the Malai Thai Cuisine at the Fraser Place KL, had its potential for charm. Located neatly in the middle of the golden triangle KL, it’s a walking distance from our office as well as all the main attraction around from KL Tower to KLCC to Bukit Bintang. If you driving there, they have valet service at your disposal.

Malai is Thai name for a flower garland that you will almost certainly see during your stay in Thailand. It’s a symbol for luck and respect. We were told the restaurant is barely a few weeks old, yet the staff is polite and attentive to our food order, which is part of what makes Malai so delightful.

Having heard the head chef is a native Thai’s who combine traditional Thai with a twist of modern flavor, we decided to try few combinations and shared across the table. We start with a spring roll, followed by Gaeng keawwaan Thai green curry, deep-fried shrimp with tamarind sauce and stir-fry mix vegetable to name a few. The service is quick, the food served with fresh ingredients with great flavors, intensely aromatic, and kind of mesmerizing when paired with spicy Prawn Tum Yum.

We finish the lunch with sticky rice drown in fresh coconut milk, and sweet Thai mangoes on the side. It was a lovely combination of flavors and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't fault this. Simple, and wonderful..  Presentation on point, taste is beyond expectation.