Review: Trumpet: Bangkok Street Eats at Ara Damansara

Sound the trumpets for this likeable new Thai restaurant, which showcases the skills of chefs Sukmee & Pimchanok, both reputedly veterans of Bangkok’s well-established Greyhound Cafe.

Thai Cuisine

Trumpet hits the familiar & pleasant notes of Thai cooking, serving reasonably enjoyable renditions of everything from opening riffs of prawns stuffed in crunchy spring rolls with sweet chilli sauce (RM12 before taxes), fried fish cakes, pandan chicken …

… fresh-tasting grilled squid (RM18), river prawns, chicken or beef …

… to a soupy interlude of ‘tom kha kai’ (RM16), comprising chicken with coconut milk, coriander, mushrooms & galangal …

… to a finale of classic curries including the beloved green (RM18 for chicken, RM20 for beef).

The Massaman

Our personal favourite, the massaman (RM20 for beef); Trumpet’s version is not as nutty as expected though.

Veggies

Veggies span the likes of morning glory stir-fried with garlic & oyster sauce (RM14) & kailan with salted fish.

Pad Thai

Can’t go wrong with pad thai, fairly priced at RM14 & nice enough.

Beverages

Lemongrass juice & Thai iced tea. Desserts are available, ranging from tab thim krob to banana fritters with grated coconut & mango with sticky rice; maybe we’ll order those next time, but this sufficed for this round.

Final Thoughts on Trumpet

What could elevate Trumpet further might be more nuances & complexity in the cooking; these flavours could still stand to leap out more strongly. Spices here seem a bit muted, which nonetheless works well for those of us with a low threshold for fieriness.

Trumpet blares open at 11:45 a.m. & winds down at 10:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays; it’s located amid the shop-houses that face the main roads around Oasis Ara Damansara.