Thai fare takes an interesting twist at restaurant

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Thai fare: The Pad Thai noodles is served with fresh bean sprouts and sprinkled with chilli powder and roasted ground peanuts.

STICKY rice served with mango may be a common dish as far as Thai cuisine goes but at the Kinnaree Thai Restaurant it is served with home-made gelato.

Maggie Ang, who is a partner in the restaurant, said she was introduced to the owner of the original Kinnaree in Bangkok and decided to open an outlet in Malaysia.

“I do not have any background in food and beverage but things went smoothly because the Kinnaree team from Thailand came to design and set up the restaurant. Even the chefs were brought in from Thailand,” said Ang.

She said the Kinnaree Bangkok only had the durian gelato but they came up with the lemongrass flavour in Malaysia and was well received.

“Customers can choose which flavour they want with the sticky rice.

“We make the rice less sweet so it goes well with the gelato,” said Ang.

She said the restaurant had a slight French influence and they were particular about the food presentation.

The appetiser platter (RM32), for instance, consisting of the Golden Taro Bags, Thai Fish Cakes and Fresh Papaya Salad was served in a shallow rattan basket with garnishing on the side.

Ang also recommended the Mieng Kham Gung Sod (RM18), a traditional Thai starter with fresh chillies, lime, roasted peanuts, toasted coconuts, fresh and dried shrimps, onions and ginger.

Popular item: The Deep-fried Boneless Fish with sweet and sour tamarind sauce is one of the best sellers at the Kinnaree Thai Restaurant.

“Just fold the betel leaf into a small cone, put on some sauce and put a bit of every ingredient onto the leaf. You have to put the whole piece into your mouth and chew slowly. You will get a different taste of the ingredients with each bite,” explained Ang.

Besides the more common papaya salad, Kinnaree also serves up a refreshing Spicy Pamelo Salad (RM16) which is served with minced chicken, fresh shallots and gravy made with coconut milk and chilli paste.

She said one of the more popular dishes was the Deep-fried Boneless Fish with Sweet and Spicy Tamarind Sauce (RM40 for the tilapia and RM60, the garoupa).

In the noodles selection, there was the traditional Pad Thai (RM15) but for something with a fusion twist, the Green Curry Spaghetti (RM15) was worth a try. The thick creamy sauce gave the dish the texture of cabonara pasta.

Good for sharing: The appetiser platter consists of the Golden Taro Bags, Thai Fish Cakes and Fresh Papaya Salad.

To cater to the needs of customers, there was also a page on the menu with a selection of vegetarian dishes like the Green Curry with Mixed Vegetables, Steamed Veggie Fish and the Grilled Veggie Duck.

Besides the gelato, the other items in the dessert menu include the Tub Tim Krub (coated water chestnut with jackfruit), Chocolate Spring Rolls with Ice-cream and the Klue Bod Chi (warm banana coated in coconut milk).