ronnycakes reviews: Kompassion by My Elephant, Damansara Kim

My Elephant has branched out to include a new non-halal Thai cuisine outlet by the name of Kompassion; and because My Elephant’s Thai food has always been something we enjoyed, Kompassion naturally made its way into our must-try list.

We arrived on a Sunday afternoon at about 1pm and already the entire shop was almost full to the brim. Luckily there was a tiny table for 2 that was available.

One thing you’ll notice on the menu is that there are a lot of fusion concepts at play and the dishes such as Thai Curry Ramen and Linguine Pad Thai to name a few, are dishes that you definitely don’t see in usual Thai restaurants. Another major plus point about Kompassion is that they serve pork whilst most commercial Thai restaurants are restricted to just duck/chicken/fish/beef offerings.

For starters we had the Smoked Salmon, Pork Bacon & Kimchi Salad (RM18.90). Who would have thought salmon, bacon and kimchi could go so well together? Both of us loved this so much and practically had to fight each other off for the last bite. Absolutely delicious and definitely out of the ordinary!

For mains, I had the Tom Yum Fried Rice with Grilled Seafood (RM18.90). A generous helping of scallops, prawn, squid and a piece of grilled salmon was served up with my rice. I loved the fried, but found that it lacked a little oomph in terms of spiciness and sourness but I suppose that is just personal preference.

Kimchi was also served on the side for the rice and it lent a sour-ish and savoury taste to the rice.

Wils had the super hearty Linguine Phad Thai served with Prawn, Crab Stick and Squid (RM15.90). Fried linguine noodles tossed with peanuts, chili flakes and seafood. Very refreshing!

 

If we had come to Kompassion with a larger party we could have tried their sharing platters of pork or Tom Yam Soup (costing about RM50 per bowl :O) but since it was only the two of us we went for the lighter stuff.

The next time round, I’ll definitely be trying that curry ramen for myself, and not forgetting a repeat order of that Smoked Salmon, Bacon and Kimchi Salad!

Address:
KomPassion Thai Fusion Food (same row as Euro Deli),
5, Jalan SS20/11,
Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya.

Map *here*

ronnycakes reviews: Serai @ Empire; Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang

On strong recommendation from a friend, we decided to check out this Thai/Western/Malay fusion place in Empire Shopping Gallery all the way in Subang. Before I even stepped into the compound, I did the obligatory research and found myself drooling over the menu on their website and pre-deciding all the things I already wanted to try.

I pre-booked a day in advance since many other food bloggers noted how packed it gets during lunchtime and were they right about that! At 12pm literally 80% of tables had been occupied and we were ushered to a small table at the brighter end of the restaurant. Forgot to take a photo of the interior, but I loved the ambience and deco; all whites and wood and modern minimalist.

In the background is Serai Iced Tea (RM12) – Lemon sorbet, lemongrass extract and a hint of fresh mint, and in the foreground is Minted Calamansi Soda (RM10.50) – Soda with crushed mint leaves and calamansi. Personally I preferred the Minted Soda (I’m a sucker for anything minty and fizzy!). The Iced Tea was just the right amount of sweetness and very refreshing.

How could we ever pass up a chance to have Tom Yum Seafood (RM8) in a Thai place? Serai’s version was a bit sweeter than usual and the taste of lemongrass was a tad overpowering.

The portion might look small but if you’re ordering a few dishes to share then one bowl is enough for two people.

The Deep-Fried Brinjal with Serai Spice (RM12 for standard portion) was fried to a crisp with a hint of lemongrass, generous amounts of scallions. Very crunchy!

We seem to be having a thing for squid lately… Hot Chilli Basil Squid (RM20 for standard portion). Tender pieces of squid fried with chilli and basil is one of my favourite combinations. Abundance of sauce went well with rice; love the aroma of basil so a thumbs up from me!

Wils had a long time craving for fish so we had a Garoupa Steamed with Lime Sauce (RM49 based on market price).

The dish came with fresh lime, but sauce-wise it was still a little too much on the sweet side for me (I love anything sour, the sourer the better!) but the fish was very fresh. My only gripe would be that portion seemed to be a bit small for the price we were paying.

Serai’s signature dessert is it’s Berry Pavlova (RM14) and it is a definite looker. I fell in love with it seeing the photo in the menu and just had to try one at the end of the meal no matter how stuffed I was. And I absolutely didn’t regret it!

It consists of a meringue base with layers of whipped cream, strawberries and grapes. It was very refreshing with the mix of tanginess from the strawberries and grapes, even for someone who was stuffed to the brim and sweetness of the dessert was controlled very well.

Layers of meringue and whipped cream!


The Chocolate Banana Parfait (RM10) on the other hand was quite disappointingly average.

Chocolate and vanilla ice-cream with layers of crushed oreos, honey cornflakes and sliced bananas.

All in all, I had a pretty satisfactory experience at Serai even though the bill came up to about RM160 for just two of us (must be the fish!!). Serai’s menu is pretty extensive, with fusion pastas, western food, Malay fusion dishes and even Chinese style dishes! So I can’t wait to make my return trip and try one of the delicious looking pastas or the nasi lemak which was given good reviews by other food bloggers.

If you’re looking to head down here for lunch or dinner do call in advance as it can get really packed.

Address:
LG37, Empire Shopping Gallery,
Jalan SS16/1, 47500 Subang Jaya.
Tel: 03-56370706

Map *here*

ronnycakes reviews: Baan 26, Changkat Bukit Bintang

Changkat Bukit Bintang houses a horde of charming pre-war colonial buildings that have been converted into restaurants and nightspots, including the highly acclaimed fine dining place, Frangipani; and the Spanish place that Wil keeps raving on about, El Cerdo.
There are so many little restaurants in the Changkat Bukit Bintang stretch that it is sometimes easy to overlook some of them and one of these is Baan 26, which serves Thai cuisine reputedly served up by chefs from the land of Siam.

The bright exterior (yes that’s me yawning in the front *extremely shy*).

Baan 26 is a bar-cum-restaurant located right opposite from Frangipani and next to The Magnificent Fish and Chips (which attracted a lot of expats and Caucasians so we’re guessing it should be quite good).

Deco is reminiscent of alley-style casual Thai restaurants, all wood and bright yellows and reds.

The bar area with air-conditioned dining area all the way inside.

Wooden tables, chairs, and fences lining the alfresco dining section.

Thai Iced Tea (RM 8) to quench ourselves on a particularly hot day.

For starters, we had a Thai Mango Salad (RM8), which is a spicy mixture of unripe mangoes, roasted peanuts, dried shrimps and chili. I personally find that mango salad I’ve tried at other Thai places have difficulty getting it just right, it’s either too spicy or too sour or too bland. Here at Baan 26, the spiciness is just right but it could be a little more sour to be spot on perfect.

Mounds of rice (RM1.30 per portion) for our mains.

What’s a Thai meal without Seafood Tom Yam Soup (RM29)?
Baan 26’s version was the creamy red style and boy was it spicy (but in a good way). You can probably gauge how spicy a dish is judging by how red the soup is. :p

Ingredients in the tom yam were abundant: straw mushrooms (my favourite type!!) large fresh prawns and fish fillet meat. I loved how the prawn meat fell off the shell easily and were deveined properly.
The soup was just the right degree of sour and spice, and incredibly fragrant; one of the better tom yam soup’s we have tried. Even though the weather was so hot and we were sweating buckets, we couldn’t resist slurping up bowl after bowl.

Last up is another well-known Thai dish, Green Curry Chicken (RM21); pieces of tender chicken drumstick and brinjals cooked in a mildly spicy gravy with coconut milk, lime leaves, chili and spices. Green curry goes great with rice but for me this version was not mind-blowing, average compared to what I’ve tried in other places before. Nonetheless, it was still easy on the taste buds!

Wil took copious amounts of gravy with his rice hehe.

To end the meal and quench our numbed tongues, we had a classic dessert (one of my favourites as well) Red Rubies (RM12). Water chestnut with shaved ice in coconut milk and slices of jackfruit.

Food at Baan 26 was surprisingly good considering how low profile it is (not extensively reviewed by other food bloggers) but the only downside is that prices are a little steep considering the portion that you are paying for. Then again, service is friendly and food served is authentic, prepared by chefs from Thailand so it should probably be worth the steeper price.
Parking is a small problem as the nearest parking lot costs RM7 per entry whilst hotel parking lot which is a bit further (which is also slightly dodgy) is RM2.50 per hour if you’re willing to walk.

Note: Baan 26 does not serve pork but offers alcohol on its menu.

Address:
No. 26, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2142 8878

Map *here*

ronnycakes reviews: Basil at Bangsar Village I

Good Thai cuisine is hard to come by and I've yet to find a place in KL with amazing Thai food. Basil Thai Nudle Bar serves average Thai food with reasonable prices, which explains why it always gets really crowded at during office lunch times with patrons ranging from executives to office workers.

The group that owns Basil (SEA group) actually also owns more than 8 other restaurants under different names such as: Amarin, Thai Thai, Just Thai, Good Evening Bangkok etc and I find this to be rather strange as I used to think all of them were different restaurants until I discovered that.. they have a highly similar menu. XD
That's a bit misleading for people who don't know about it, don't you think?

View of Bangsar from our window-seat.

Anyway, every time we visit Basil, we always always have their Pandan Chicken which is actually one of the best that I've tried. A while back my Mum and I took a trip to Coca Restaurant for Thai food (instead of steamboat; I suppose that was our first mistake) but was utterly disappointed with the dry and bland Pandan Chicken (and pretty much dry and bland everything else xp).

Lovely Pandan Leaves Chicken (RM15.90 for 5 pieces) fresh-fried, glistening with oil.

The chicken unwrapped - the drumstick meat is incredibly tender and packs a punch in flavour. Not too oily and one can tell that no spices were spared when marinating the meat!

Sadly, the Tom Yam Soup in Basil does not live up to my standards, as the soup that they have here is much too sweet for my taste. As for the clear Tom Yam Soup, I had an even worse experience with it. It was spicy in a way that numbed my insides and gave my stomach a sort of "gastric-feel" to it after a few sips. Needless to say, I never order the Tom Yam anymore when I eat here. :P

Instead, we now almost always have the Red Curry Chicken (RM14.50) which is incredibly good! It is in fact pretty spicy, but as my boyf put it: "spicy in a good way". Very fragrant and concentrated, not watery or anything, and the amount of coconut milk is just right for me as well! The chicken used is of the breast variety, but is the meat is not tough or hard.

Some vegetables to balance out the meal: Stir-fried Baby Kailan with Salted Fish (RM10.90).
Loving the salted fish used in the frying!

Japanese Beancurd with Minced Chicken (RM11.90); normal fare like what you would get in Chinese restaurants outside.

All in, if you’re craving for Thai food and don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket, Basil is a worthy choice.
Also, if you are a holder of the Jusco MemberCard, you also get 10% off your total bill! That's one of the reasons why my mum loves to come here so much. :P

Address
Lot G10 Ground Floor, Bangsar Village
1 Jalan Telawi Satu, Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur