Explosion of flavours in your mouth
While Thai dishes can be found at almost every corner in Malaysia, getting to experience the authentic Thai cuisine and ambience will practically have you digging for a needle in a haystack. All the Thai foods lovers, look no further as we have compiled for you a list of the 10 best Thai restaurants around Malaysia. Satisfy your cravings and hunt them down now!
1. myElephant
This contemporary Thai restaurant is on everyone’s list of favourite eateries for many reasons. myElephant executes Thai cooking to perfection, especially the enticing aroma of its signature roast duck curry with fruit (Gaeng Phet Yaeng). Apart from the curry, snow fish and deep-fried chicken strips are also popular among diners.
The serene décor compliments the overall experience in a way that resembles the warmth of family dinners we all long for. myElephant outlets are located away from the bustling malls so you can get the best out of your Thai food exploration in a relaxing atmosphere. At lunch time, you can get a set lunch for just RM9.90 which includes a main and a fresh pandan drink.
Check out their website here for a list of outlet locations.
2. Boat Noodle
A ubiquitous dish at Thailand’s waterway snack stalls, single-gulp bowls of noodles were brought into Malaysia under the flagship of Boat Noodle restaurant and it has certainly become a big hit among Thai foodies. Even after a year since the opening of their first outlet, people are still queuing up for these tiny bowls of noodles.
Expect to get the full aromatic flavour of all the ingredients including chicken ball or beef slices in gravy soup, crispy bean sprouts and coriander in one slurp. Let the burst of flavourful Thai cuisine satisfy your taste buds to the max for as low as RM1.90 per bowl. Also, don’t forget to round up your Thai adventure with their special fresh pandan-coconut dessert.
Address: G3A Heritage Lane, Empire Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya 60000
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9pm
Website: Here
3. Rama V Fine Thai Cuisine
Rama V Fine Thai has been around for a decade now and its regulars can never stop craving for their signature dishes – tom yam coconut soup with prawns (Tom Yam Kung Mae Nam) and dumpling stuffed with minced chicken and sprinkle of peanuts (Chor Ladda) among others.
Situated in the midst of a lush garden, the ambience at Rama V alone is almost enough to warrant a visit.
Address: 5 Jalan U-Thant, Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +603 2143 2428 / +603 2143 2663
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 3pm & 6.30pm to 11pm
Website: Here
4. Nong & Jimmy Thai BBQ Seafood
It is such a shame if one visits Nong & Jimmy without trying out its heart-warming Tom Yam soup. The dish is served in a clay pot with a great chunks of prawns and mushrooms, squid and other signature tom yam ingredients. Imagine sipping a spoon of spicy hot soup that could burn the roof of your mouth, in a satisfying way of course, and warm up your soul on rainy days. What a life!
Set in an open Ampang neighbourhood area, this restaurant doesn’t offer much of a fancy scenery but the food is undoubtedly a rich Thai experience.
Address: Lot 27363, Jalan Cahaya 1, Taman Cahaya, Ampang, Selangor
Contact No.: +60 16-756 8058
Opening hours: Tues to Sunday from 6pm to 11pm
Website: Here
5. Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion
If you’re looking to mix things up with some Thai fusion, then Erawan is the place for you. This Thai owned restaurant with authentic tastes of Thai fresh ingredients will leave you wondering whether you’re still in Malaysia. You will surely get your money’s worth with these array of uniquely fused Thai gourmets.
Ranging from Pomelo to crispy papaya salads, these appetizers are just the beginning of the fusion dishes you’ll see on the menu. A must try are their famous curry dishes. What sets this restaurant apart from the rest is its many creations of Thai and Western cuisines combined. Well, have you ever tried a grilled steak with Thai strong flavour sauces and basil leaves?
Savouring heaven in your mouth while drifting in the delightful ambiance of the vintage Thailand is probably one of the best experiences that you will get here at Erawan.
Address: 22-1, Jalan PJU 5/16, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Selangor
Contact No.: + 603-614-123-93
Opening hours: Friday to Sunday 12pm to 3pm & Tuesday to Sunday 6pm to 10.30pm (Closed on Monday)
Website: Here
6. Chang Thai Restaurant
This newly opened restaurant is surprisingly popular among other Thai eateries. Its authentication (while ensuring the spiciness level is tolerable) will have you falling in love with the country itself. The restaurant offers the best of Thai culinary arts with tom yam soup, green curry, Thai fish cake and steamed fish being the top dishes that are must-try. The portion of the food here deserves a big thumbs up! You get to savour the classical gastronomic taste of Thailand to the fullest on a minimum budget.
Address: Valenza Hotel & Café, Lot 118, Batu 3, Jalan Klang Lama, 58100 Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +60 3-7972 6100
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 2.30pm & 6pm to 10pm
Website: Here
7. Tiffin’s by Chef Korn
Take a trip down to the villages of Thailand with the ‘magic-maker’ of Erawan – Chef Korn Yodsuk’s family recipes at Tiffin’s. While Erawan focuses on the modern culinary arts, Tiffin is adored for its hominess in every dish, hence why the authentication of Thai home cook foods is unbeatable.
Do try out their famous minced pork balls (Fire Balls). The sensational combination of tangy deep fried pork meat seasoned with chilli, shallots, spring onions and coriander served with Thai fresh salad will woo you to foodgasm! For a complete Thai experience, add on to your dining menu their signature clear tom yam soup, grilled pork neck and quench your thirst with special Thai milk tea.
Address: Third Floor (North Court), Mid Valley Megamall, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +60 3-2201 7368
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Website: Here
8. Kompassion
With the reputation of Chef Nikom Uatthong – the former food consultant and executive chef at myElephant, this restaurant soon gained its popularity among Thai eateries. While still ensuring the authentication of Thai cuisines, Kompassion won even the most demanding food critics with its menu of aesthetically presented and flavoursome foods that will satisfy every bit of your taste buds.
Thai cuisine is known for the use of spices and herbs to create the combination of an appetizing and scrumptious meal. So start off with their signature Pucuk Paku Salad – a mixed of fresh fern shoots, light-sweet young coconut, shrimp and a bundle of capsicum and subtly seasoned minced pork. Continue with the must-have tangy curry served with white rice or brown rice to produce an unbeatable flavour of Thailand’s quintessence.
Once your palate is aroused, satisfy your cravings with the restaurant’s famous darling crab if you long for a seafood treat, or traditional Thai pineapple fried rice along with tom yam clay pot and tantalizing green curry.
Address: 5, Jalan SS20/11, Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya
Contact No.: +604-881 3493
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 10:30pm
Website: Here
9. Lai Thai Market
Not fancy a fine-dining Thai experience? Well, we have found a true hidden treasure of the real Thai street foods for you! Lai Thai market, as spoken from its name, is where Thai immigrants and even chefs of other Thai restaurants find their ingredients, spices and other products imported from Thailand. Tucked away in a small shop lot at Section 17, this restaurant is the perfect place for a quick authentic Thai meal.
The dishes here are the most common Thai foods so it’s hard to go wrong regardless of what you order. Do try out their Kao Ka Moo (Pork leg with rice) and be wood with its harmonised seasoning of spices and the tenderness of pork meat and half of full-boiled egg then tossed with pieces of coriander.
Address: AG-3, Block A, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Section 17, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Contact No.: +60 4-218 9141
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Website: Here
10. Vicchuda Tom Yam
What makes this restaurant an unforgettable sojourn for Thai food lovers is its signature clear tom yam soup and other street foods that are famous to the Thai locals. Vicchuda offers authentic tastes of the true Thai hawker stalls and the total cost for a decent meal is way cheaper than dining in the top famous Thai restaurants. Even though the restaurant doesn’t offer an exceptional atmosphere, its tom yam campur will still do wonders. A single slurp of the delightful spicy hot soup and a mouthful of fresh peeled prawns, squids mixed with the sweet and sour taste of tomato make the perfect harmony, especially when eating with rice. Be prepared for a strong kick from its spiciness!
Address: 24, Jalan SS21/35, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Contact No.: +603-7722-3481
11. Surisit Thai Kopitiam
Surisit Thai Kopitiam is truly a hidden gem. It is the first Thai kopitiam in the area and offers the most authentic home-style Thai food you can get in a comfortable and clean kopitiam ambience. The food quality here can even be compared to high-end Thai restaurants but at a price that wouldn’t break your wallet.
The must try here is their Tom Yam Soup which doesn’t just look gorgeous but has an extremely well balanced flavour – a little more sour than spicy with a tinge of sweetness.
Address: No. 17, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +60 3-7710 0173
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 11am to 3pm & 6pm to 10.30pm; Saturday and Sunday 11am to 10.30pm
Website: Here
12. Thai Somtam Seafood
The only place where you can get affordable and authentic Thai food in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Bukit Bintang, the heart of KL – Thai Somtam Seafood. Although located at an ‘atas’ area, don’t expect to get anything fancy other than food.
This place is famous amongst the Thai-locals and a well-kept secret, until now. People often come here eager to try their delicious Green Curry Soup. Other must tries include their Somtam (papaya salad) and Pla Nueng Ma Naw (steamed fish in lemon). Their menu offers seafood / chicken / beef / vegetarian dishes which is great for all customers! Be careful though, their dishes are known to be a tad too spicy even for Malaysians.
Address: 88, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +60 3-2145 8458
13. BAAN 26 Bar and Restaurant
Baan 26 directly translates to ‘House 26’. Come to Baan 26 to feel like you’ve stepped out of Malaysia and into Thailand. With its interesting concept of being a Thai bar and restaurant, it is a great place to catch up with friends or for celebrations. If you’re dressed down and have nowhere to go in Changkat but want to stay out late, here’s a place you can hang with your friends till 3 in the morning.
Other than their famous Tom Yam Soup, their Mieng Kam (Thai DIY salad) is a must try as it is the only Thai restaurant in KL which serves it!
Address: 26, Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +603-2142 8878
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 3am
Website: Here
14. Baan Nok Thai restaurant
Originally just a grocery and sundries shop called Thai Market Front, it now also features an excellent Thai restaurant named Baan Nok Thai just above. The food here generally has more of a northern twist to it as the wife of the owner, also the cook, is from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai.
What’s great here is the fresh ingredients which you get to personally pick and choose from the van for the your salads. What you do is you order your papaya and mango salad (highly recommended) from the lady at the van and head upstairs to make your other orders. If interested, you could try to stay and watch them make your salad but most likely, you’ll get ordered to go upstairs. The Pad Thai here is also ridiculously tasty.
Address: 43A, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6b, Pandan Indah, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor
Contact No.: +603-4296 7525
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 3pm & 6pm to 12am
15. Veg Fish Farm Thai Restaurant
Treat yourselves to fresh seafood cooked Thai-style surrounded by a spectacular ambience – away from the hustle and bustle and hazy air of KL at Veg Fish Farm Thai Restaurant. From just 30 tables, they now hold 800 tables on the floating platforms, so don’t worry about not getting a table at this popular eatery.
All of their seafood are of high quality and the variety is also quite impressive. If you’re tired of having normal prawns, go for their King Prawns! You can choose to have it in either milk or BBQ style. Another thing to note is that all of their vegetables are organically grown in their vegetable farm just 10 minutes away from the restaurant! Like most other places, the Tom Yam Soup here is also a must-have.
Address: KM 4, Jalan Ampang – Hulu Langat, 43100 Hulu Langat, Selangor
Contact No.: +60 19-260 6493
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 12am
Website: Here
16. Bangkok Tom Yam
My family’s little secret is officially out (sorry, mum and dad). This little house you see is actually a restaurant, a really good Thai restaurant.
What’s most special here is not the Tom Yam (although very good), papaya salad or pad thai. What’s good here is their omelet. It is crunchy and soggy at all the right places, fried to perfection and to add on to that, consistent as well. The prices here are just a little more than average but it is worth it.
Address: 23, Jalan 2/23, 46000, PJ Old Town
Contact No.: +603-77824469; +6012-6171862
Opening hours: Daily 5pm to 10 pm
17. Yen Wen Thai food
Also one of the favourites of the locals in KL is Yee Wen Thai food restaurant. You know a Thai restaurant is serves authentic Thai food when the whole a family of Thai locals is managing it, even the staff are Thai. Communication here is a little difficult if you can only converse in English as most of them can only converse in Thai or Chinese. No problem though, sign language is welcomed!
I had Hor Mok (Thai style otak otak) for the first time here. It consist of a mix of fish fillets, shrimp, and squid, cooked in red curry paste and of course, coconut milk. It isn’t just served beautifully, the flavours of spices burst in your mouth. Another must try is their Mango Kerabu fish, simply deep fried till golden brown and crispy, topped with mango strips, onions, and chilli padi.
Address: Lot 01-3813, Jalan Helang Merah, 52100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +6016-272 8223
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
18. BBQ Thai
BBQ Thai serves traditional and modern Thai food that includes barbecue, street food, seafood and desserts, which is basically everything I know Thai food has to offer. The restaurant has an open air concept that is cosy and unpretentious. If you would like to dine in their air-conditioned room, you will have to make an early reservation and also will be required to spend a minimum amount.
They are popular for all the ‘bakar’ dishes – duck, salted thai talapia fish (must try!), chicken wing, pork neck (super juicy), anything you want they’ll probably have.
Address: 17, Lorong Jugra. Off Batu 3 ¼, Jalan Klang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Contact No.: +60 3-7981 9888
Opening hours: Sun to Sat 12pm to 12am
Website: Here
Thailicious experience
Explore the best of the Thai culinary arts to get to know why Thailand is called the land of smiles. As an old adage goes, “Good food, good life!”! Enlighten your ordinary meal with an infusion of Thai’s savoury dishes from these restaurants right now.