March 2013
Everything good begins with a little 'chok dee' or good luck in Thai. Amidst the myriad Thai eateries on the island, Chok Dee settles itself well above the rest and is often packed with customers during peak hours. This restaurant is family run and has been standing for over a decade now. There’s a charm to its simple interior, an intimacy that gives you a feeling as if you’re stepping into their personal dining room. And the food they serve is pretty good too.
Most fo their ingredients are sourced from Thailand which contributes to their menu's authenticity. They, of course, serve familiar Thai fare of tom yam, green and red curries, a myriad stir-fried vegetables but what we’d like to recommend a couple of unique dishes here. Perhaps ones you wouldn’t have typically ordered when in a Thai eatery.
There’s a lovely dish of squid cooked in a gravy made of salted eggs. Not only is its colour of bright tangerine appetising, but there is a creaminess that lends flavour to the fresh, chewy squid rings in each bite. The distinct delicate after taste of the salted egg in the gravy is apparent, and quite delicious too.
Another one is the stir-fried kacang botol or four-angled beans. Instead of heavily coating it in the sambal belacan like most places do, theirs has only a light touch of the spicy sauce. This way, the dish leaves the beans to be the hero ingredient with its crispy freshness and almost nutty flavour.
To pair these two exotic flavours, it’s an idea to add the light flavours of steam fish steeping in a clear, tangy assam sauce. It’s served piping hot atop a burner to keep the sauce bubbling. It’s also addictive and you’ll be going through a large fish pretty quickly. A whole fish is good for two or three people along with two other dishes to go with your steamed rice.
Dishes are from around RM7++ here and meaty dishes from around RM12++. Their dessert menu is simple and consists of only two or three choices such as pulut or sticky rice in creamy, thick coconut sauce and jellied water chestnut in light coconut milk. Su Aziz