Refined Thai food in
homely, yet stylish elegance in a trendy suburb
Stylish, yet traditional. That’s the impression upon
stepping into Ekkamai, with its raised wooden flooring and sectioned seating
areas. Drapes, waiters attired in black with cues of traditional Thai costume,
tables laid out in a cosy arrangement under spotlights, make for a luxurious
feel that’s neither ornate or obvious – no Thai masks or costumes here, yet touches
such as the brass cutlery, blue-and-white and enamel plates, leave little doubt
that this is a Thai restaurant.
The staff are friendly without being obsequious, and the
menu, with a wider and more interesting choice than your stock-standard Thai
family restaurant, mixes traditional with modern - salmon and Wagyu beef make
guest appearances and some dishes carry calorie counts.
The restaurant stays open until 1.30am daily, although the
kitchen takes last orders at 10.30pm, but there’s live music, a long bar
running along a wall and an extensive drinks menu running into several pages.
Our appetizer was a street-food favourite not commonly found
in Malaysian restaurants. Rice Cracker Dip (Rm16) consisted of puffed rice
crackers with a bright red sauce, simple and encapsulating the appeal of Thai
cuisine – contrasting textures and colours, a cheerfully spicy and tangy curry
paste of minced meat and vegetables.
That was just the start of it – a parade of colourful,
appetizing dishes followed – bold, combining sweet, sour, salty and spicy in
that delightful and creative blend that makes Thai food the most interesting of South-East Asian cuisines.
The food at Ekkamai is more refined than you’ll find at most
Thai restaurants: blends are fine, presentations are pleasing and eye-catching,
making the most of the medley of bright colours of Thai food, and flavours are
strong and well-balanced throughout with plenty of fresh ingredients and
garnishes.
True to the tradition of northern Thailand, diners can opt
for Sticky rice (Rm4), but also white rice (Rm3) or brown rice (Rm4), so take
that, you low-carbohydrate dieters. Sure
enough, the following dishes were meant to be taken with rice: bright curries
with vivid flavours, vegetables with fish sauce, full-bodied meat dishes.
The Pomelo Salad with tiger prawns (Rm24) had plenty of
coriander to balance out juicy pomelo, evened out with a tangy sweet dressing,
with the addition of crunchy nuts into the mix for textural interest.
Presentations were homely yet appealing, tossed together in
a seemingly insouciant manner, yet obviously well-orchestrated. So it was with the Whole Deep Sea Barramundi
(Rm48), deep-fried and steeped in a thick red curry, with fresh herbs and
scattered pea eggplants presented in a black oval plate. Or the Prawn and
Pineapple Curry (Rm32), with fresh prawns, caramelized pineapple and tomatoes
swimming in a sour-sweet-spicy curry of vivid orange, served in a mini-wok. With rice, they were superb, the type of
eating that doesn’t allow for polite and drawn-out conversation.
From the vaunted Josper, a charcoal-fired grill-oven, we
sampled the Stuffed Squid (Rm22), and the highly-recommended Chiang Mai Grilled
Chicken Wings (Rm24). The squid, stuffed with marinated, minced chicken and
prawns, was beautifully tender and yielding, not stringy or hard. A sweet sauce
transformed the experience into one of eating precious nuggets oozing flavor.
Neither were the chicken wings the street-variety type:
these were skewered, grilled to a deep brown, with the bony bits discarded.
Served with a pucker inducing Som Tum papaya salad, a few fresh leaves of
vegetable, sticky rice and a sweet-sour sauce, it elevated chicken wings to a
new level: crispy yet juicy, with the delightful array of accompaniments.
A simple, homely meal of shredded fish with rice and belacan
blossomed into the Pla Tu Rice (Rm24), servelacan. (shrimp paste). Wholesome
and appetizing.
The highly-anticipated desserts did not disappoint: thick, warm
Bubur Cha Cha (Rm12) with coloured jellies and yam, the earthy, comforting
Steam Tapioca and Banana (Rm12) in a thick coconut syrup, the brilliant Mango
Sticky Rice (Rm18), and everyone’s favourite, the Mango Sago Sweet Soup (Rm18),
a delightful mixture of sago pearls and pomelo pieces in a thick, sweet yellow
mango cream.
Cosy yet glamorous, Ekkamai attracts a trendy crowd to this
upmarket neighbourhood, with its servings of refined Thai food, retaining the
authentic deep flavours, without veering into the sometimes raw flavours of
Thai street food.
Ekkamai Bar
and Thai Kitchen,
Lot 8-1
& 8-2, Jalan Batai,
Damansara
Heights,
50490 Kuala
Lumpur
Tel:
03-20952772
Business
Hours: 11.30am – 1.30am daily (Kitchen takes last orders at 10.30pm)
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