WITH most restaurants offering balik kampung cuisine, to find flavours from our northern neighbour, Thailand, on the buffet table is like a breath of fresh air.

As its name suggests, Soi23 is on the 23rd level of the Pacific Regency Hotel Suites and, barring a thunderstorm or smoke from burning forests drifting over from our other neighbour in the west, it’s recommended that you get a table near the tall glass windows so you have a view of the twinkling city lights.

The restaurant serves an a la carte Thai menu on regular days but for Ramadan, the Thai specialties are offered alongside kampung dishes. This way, you can have the best of both worlds.

TASTE OF THAI
Chef Suphakit Khammungkhun brings with him 12 years of experience in northern Thai cuisine. His green curry is a mild but exciting symphony of flavours best served with white rice while kai hor bai toey (pandan chicken) is so well marinated that the otherwise mild meat positively bursts with aromas sealed within the wrapping of pandanus leaves. Not only that but the meat is moist and succulent.

But before you dig into these, get helpings of Thai appetisers such as glass noodles and prawn kerabu, tripe kerabu and mango kerabu which have a tangy taste that’s perfect for waking up the appetite after a day’s fasting.

Or wet the lips with steaming hot tom yam prawn. The clear soup belies the fiery taste that lights up all the senses. Tod man plaa-krai (fish cake) is another spicy treat. Eat with Thai sweet chilli sauce if you like your food really hot.

Pineapple and prawn fried rice is another of chef Suphakit’s specialties. It’s not pedas and those fasting will appreciate the fruity sweetness that the pineapple cubes add to the dish.

MALAY MUSINGS
Lined up on one side are Malay dishes, starting with bubur lambuk and a hot soup, right next to the chilled drinks of soya bean, sugar cane, orange and air bandung as well as pots of teh tarik and coffee.

Salads — banana bud, pucuk paku (ferns), ikan bilis, beansprouts and nangka — are crowd pullers as is the popiah and gado-gado.

Crisp greens and ulam-ulam come with a choice of dressings from Thousand Island and balsamic vinaigrette to sambal belacan, tempoyak, cincaluk and budu.

The hot dishes beckon. Claypots are filled with chicken livers cooked with soya sauce, udang galah sambal with torch ginger flower, flower crabs with chilli padi, tempeh with long beans, mutton masala and beef rendang.

Take your time to savour each. I love the patin fish cooked in coconut gravy with turmeric and chilli padi. Simple, rustic and nostalgic.

Not everything comes in pots and trays. Watch chefs grill fish (stingray, kembung and cencaru) and satay to order or carve a whole roast lamb to serve with rosemary gravy.

Noodles are also dished up a la minute.

DAINTY DESSERTS
While there are western-style pastries and local dessert items such as sago gula melaka, tapai pulut as well as pastries including seri muka, tepung pelita, kuih cara manis, ondeh ondeh and lepat pisang, you won't want to miss out on the delicate Thai desserts.

In fact, you may want to start your dinner here.

I am drawn irresistibly to luk chub, made with mashed steamed green beans and shaped to look like tropical fruit such as mango, mangosteen and jambu air. These are dipped in a jelly to give them a shiny coat. Just pop them into your mouth for a delightful nibble.

Then there is the Thai favourite, tab tim krob or water chestnut rubies in coconut cream. Shredded jackfruit add a sweet flavour to this dessert.

Met khanum looks like the seeds of the jackfruit but it’s made of mashed mung bean and coated with sweet egg yolk.

Or have a bowl of cendol or ais kacang to cool down. It’s perfect, given the recent searing daytime temperatures.

SOI23
Where
Pacific Regency Hotel
KH Tower, Jalan Puncak, Off Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2332 7777
Email: fnbadmin@pacificregency.com
Opening hours
6.30pm to 11pm
Getting There
Off Jalan P. Ramlee, near KL Tower
What’s cooking
Northern Thai cuisine and kampung dishes
Must try
Thai specialties
You’ll pay
Second and third week: RM88++
Fourth week: RM78++
Atmosphere  
Elegant, with view of city skyline
The loo
Clean, with bidet
Service
Attentive
Overall verdict
Go give it a try