For the love of Thai food

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ

ASIAN TERRACE,
No. 1, Ground Floor, Jalan Solaris 2,
Solaris Mont Kiara, Off Jalan Duta Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-6204 9100.
Business Hours: Noon to midnight (Tuesday to Sunday).
Closed on Monday.  

JOSEPHINE Tan visits Thailand at least once a year, for the love of the country and her food,  

“I love everything about Thailand – the food is excellent and things are cheap, and I have a great holiday each time I am there with my friends. “Although I have travelled to other countries, Thailand remains my best destination,” the 32-year-old said.  

Inspired by her interest in Thai cuisine and the food business, Tan, together with a partner, opened a Thai restaurant in Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur six months ago.  

The corner outlet, called Asian Terrace, is located just behind Maybank as one enters the Solaris area.  

Appetisers: (Clockwise from top) Seafood and Pomelo Salad, Saigonese Fresh Crystal Roll and Mieng Kam.

“I love spas, too – hence the outlet resembles a spa to a certain extent,” Tan said.  

With a Thai chef in the kitchen, the outlet offers a selection of authentic Thai cuisine, featuring starters, soups, main courses and desserts.  

The traditional Thai appetiser Mieng Kam is all about fresh ingredients served with a special thick sauce, with condiments such as roasted peanuts, grated coconut, lime, ginger, dried shrimps, cili padi and onions folded in a fresh kadok leaf.  

Other refreshing appetiser options are the Seafood and Pomelo Salad and Saigonese Fresh Crystal Roll.  

Cosy: The interior of Asian Terrace is quite like that of a spa.

For a non-spicy option, the Saigonese Fresh Crystal Roll is great, with ingredients like shredded carrots, radish, cabbage and parsley, as well as some prawn stuffing. The dish is served with Vietnamese sauce that is more sweet than sour.  

“Vegetarians can request it without prawns or the optional beef,” said Tan.  

Apart from Thai cuisine, the outlet also has a few Vietnamese dishes on its menu. A must-try is the Sour Chicken and Coconut Soup. This clear soup is somewhat like tom yam without the stinging chillies.  

The main ingredient that gives the soup its slightly sweet taste is young coconut flesh. Added to this are cherry tomatoes and oyster mushrooms, as well as some lime juice.  

For something with a strong flavour, diners can opt for the Thick Tom Yam soup. With plenty of seafood, the soup is tasty and will have you wanting more despite its spiciness.  

Tan said the Deep-Fried Grouper with Thai Chilli Sauce was a house favourite.  

The fish, which is usually around 800gm, makes a nice dish for a group of four diners.  

Meanwhile, the Thai Red Curry with Roasted Duck may be a clever pick for duck lovers. The thick curry is laden with aromatic spices and comes with chunks of pineapple and sliced cherry tomatoes. The chunks of roasted duck also go quite well with the gravy. 

For dessert, the Thai Sticky Rice Mango comes recommended. The warm rice is soft and delightful even on its own.  

“The mango is seasonal. Sometimes we get very sweet ones but there are times when it is not so sweet or even sour. But the quality of the rice is consistent and it is the house favourite,” Tan said.  

The outlet is running a set-lunch promotion, with melas priced from RM9.90++ to RM21.90++ per person, with free soup and free flow of drink.  

Its Happy Hour deal, available from 3pm to 8pm, offers two mugs of free beer for every four mugs purchased.  

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.