Salsa-Teriyaki-Som Tam-Wonton

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, 17 July 2017

Quirky and creative food choices housed in a whimsical, colourful setting in the heart of KL

The duplex penthouse at the top of WOLO, in the midst of sleepless Bukit Bintang, hosts Mr Chew’s Chino-Latino Bar.  Be prepared to be bedazzled by the swirl of colour, textures and shapes. Floor to ceiling windows look out onto the cityscape below, a larger-than-life video of evolving light and motion.

No Ordinary Thai

First Published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, May 1, 2017

Some things change, like the location and décor, but the food at Erawan continues to enchant.

Erawan Restaurant needs no introduction, having long held a prominent position in the pantheon of the best dining available in the country. Having moved from its longtime residence in Kota Damansara, it now occupies new and spacious digs at DC Mall.  

The space is used to good effect, with an ambiance of restrained luxury. Glorious bursts of colour from bouquets of fresh orchids are highlighted against a subdued backdrop of polished brown table tops, wooden chairs and natural coloured stone flooring, with a bright orange screen at the far wall, accented by gilded classical Thai motifs.   Waiters attired in white shirts and brown aprons are in attendance, while Anand, co-owner, bustles about, making recommendations and small talk with guests.

Refined Thai Dining

Fist published in Options, The Edge, June 6, 2016

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.

Thai Style with Passion

First published in Options, The Edge, Sept 28, 2014

Ensconed within the residential enclave of Damansara Kim in Petaling Jaya, a row of shophouses is becoming gradually gentrified with the conversion of traditional businesses into trendy cafes and eateries. One of the more established of these is the Thai Fusion Restaurant, KomPassion.  A favourite with residents of the surrounding housing areas, the restaurant has relieved the weekend crowd by doubling its floor space, extending the restaurant with upstairs dining a little over a year ago.

The décor is the by-now tried and trusted industrial chic, with bare cement floor and walls, black ceiling and unfinished surfaces. Warm lighting from naked patterned filament bulbs with dangling wires is supplemented by floor-level concealed lighting, while a corrugated metal panel on one wall reflects a metallic sheen.  Furniture is simple, industrial style plastic and metal chairs, and wood-topped tables.  Whimsical wall posters of a bygone era provide a retro touch. Nothing fancy, yet the décor establishes the restaurant’s cred as modern and stylish. 

Upstairs, the décor is more rustic, with one wall in unfinished brick, deliberately hacked to an uneven texture and further enhanced with dabs of cement. A plywood-backed bench runs along one wall, and lighting is from overhead lamps, making for a more relaxed, cosy and quieter atmosphere with less of an edgy frisson than downstairs.

The menu, presented in a school-type exercise book format, introduces the diner to an extensive selection of rather interesting items, of Thai provenance but given an original twist.  There are single person meals in the form of rice and pastas, as well as burgers but we ordered to share, traditional Asian style, from various sections of the menu.

Railay Rediscovered

First published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, Feb 21, 2015

Magic happens when rock, sea and sand come together in an isolated peninsula in southern Thailand

When I first visited Railay, many more years ago than I care to recall, there was no airport at Krabi. The trip involved an overnight train journey from KL, stepping down at the Malaysian-Thai border for Immigration formalities in the morning before continuing on to Haadyai.  A small minibus, with passengers and luggage squished inside, wended its swaying way on Thai B-roads from Haadyai to Krabi town, then a quiet backwater.  The last part of the journey involved a songtheaw (longtail boat) for the 20 minute journey over the sea, hugging the coastline, which was overgrown with mangrove forests, beneath pale and towering cliffs.