Bangkok House serves up spicy favourites

by OH ING YEEN

ingyeen@thestar.com.my

BANGKOK HOUSE,
De Palma Inn Shah Alam,
Jalan Nelayan 19/15,
Persiaran Jubilee Perak,
Section 19, Shah Alam
Tel: 03-5542 8080, 012-2069872
and No. C-13-01, 3Two Square,
Jalan 19/1, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 03-7954 9872
Business Hours: 11am-11pm daily

YOU do not necessarily have to travel to Bangkok to satisfy your taste for Thai cuisine as Bangkok House in Petaling Jaya aims to bring in the authentic flavours of the Land of Smiles.

Bangkok House general manager Farah Hassan, who is of part Thai parentage, hopes to provide authentic Thai cuisine to customers.

That means the spicy dishes will have a fiery kick.

Sweet treats: Be spoilt or choice with the variety of desserts such as (clockwise from left) Mango with Sticky Rice, Thai Cendol, Red Cube Water Chestnut in Coconut Milk, assorted Thai desserts of the day and Look-Choob.

“Some Thai restaurants alter the food to suit local tastes so it is difficult to get authentic Thai cuisine.

“Most of what you can find in Bangkok, you can find here,” she said.

They first started operations in 2003 in Pandan Indah, Cheras.

“We have changed the menu twice, in 2005 and 2009. There’s more variety now.

“We also provide catering services to hotels and convention centres. Some order our desserts for events at the convention centres.”

The best compliment they received from a customer was, “Finally I don’t have to go to Bangkok for authentic Thai cuisine.”

Appetising: You can opt to have chicken or beef to go with the Som Tam (green papaya salad).

Most of the customers are locals, with the lunch crowd comprising those working around the area and families during dinner time and weekends, while Thai customers make up for 20%.

“We have some regular Thai customers who like the choices of food and taste.

“They sometimes request for something special that is not in the menu, especially those who made group bookings. As long as there is advance notice, our chef would gladly oblige,” said Farah, adding that the sous chef and pastry chef are from Bangkok.

There are seven types of salads to choose from but the most popular one would be the Som Tam (green papaya salad), with a choice of chicken or beef.

Seafood lovers will have a ball with the food offered such as the stir-fried crabs, Hoi Maengphu Horapa (stir-fired mussels with sweet Basil and chilli), and fresh water prawns.

The Tom Yam, a flavoured concoction that scores a thumbs up, is good to go with rice or enjoyed on its own. The spices add to the aroma and each mouthful is a mixture of flavours.

Flavourful: The Thai Spicy Seafood Tomyam will have you going for seconds.

The chef’s speciality includes Pla Boh-Ran, which is fried Siakap fish topped with lemongrass, ginger and the chef’s special sauce, is one of the dishes I enjoyed.

According to Farah, the Kae Paneang, pan grilled lamb topped with Bangkok House gravy, is a favourite among customers.

“We added this to the menu last year as some customers do not take beef or seafood.

Be spoilt for choice with the variety of desserts such as Mango with Sticky Rice, Red Cube Water Chestnut in Coconut Milk, Thai Cendol, assorted Thai dessert of the day, and Look-choob, which are desserts with mung bean fillings made into miniature fruit and vegetables.

The colourful Look-choob (RM10 for a set of eight) are often ordered for special occasions like door gifts at a wedding and they need to be pre-ordered.

Bangkok House has relocated from their Pandan Indah outlet to Shah Alam early this year.

Farah and her co-partners are looking into opening a branch in Ampang or Damansara by the end of the year.

“We are still looking for a suitable place with convenient parking,” she said.

There is free parking at the Shah Alam branch and the restaurant can cater to 250 pax.