15 Thai restaurants to try in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor

Malaysia’s northern neighbour has seen its cuisine skyrocket in global popularity in the last few years. So it would only be logical to see some great places to get tom yum, pad thai and the like here in Malaysia – they do share a lot of ingredients and a geographic border, after all. Here are our picks for places to try Thai in the Klang Valley:

1. Erawan in Kota Damansara

Generally regarded as the best Thai restaurant in the Klang Valley, Erawan features a plethora of recipes rarely available elsewhere. For instance, instead of the standard pandan chicken, Erawan offers a pandan wrapped salmon instead. Try the creamy and flavoursome curry, packed with possibly a hundred succulent cockles.

Read review: Erawan at Dataran Sunway
Find: Contact details and map for Erawan

2. Thai Camp at Taman Paramount

Run by a young couple, this casual joint offers good Thai food such as hot snacks and single-bowl meals at fair prices; nearly everything on the menu currently costs below RM10, with no service charge or additional taxes. This is one of the Klang Valley’s few Thai eateries where you can indulge in Chiang Mai-inspired khao soi kai.

Read review: Thai Camp at Taman Paramount: 2016 menu
Find: Contact details and map for Thai Camp

3. Tiffin’s by Chef Korn at Mid Valley

Tiffin’s strives to capture the soulfulness of classic flavours and breathe fresh life into them, imbued with the integrity of Chef Trakool ‘Korn’ Yodsuk’s own experience of being brought up on the honest, home-nurtured cooking of the people of Chanthaburi province.

Read review: Tiffin’s by Chef Korn: 2016 Menu
Find: Contact details and map for Tiffin’s by Chef Korn

4. Boran Classic Thai Street Food at Seapark, PJ

Run by husband-and-wife team, Yang and Donut, this place aims to channel a sense of Thailand’s charm through its street grub; this casual spot serves soul food inspired by Donut’s home province of Chonburi. Yong and Donut have crafted a compact menu of fairly priced, fulfilling meals such as this grilled pork neck.

Read review: Boran Classic Thai Street Food at Seapark
Find: Contact details and map for Boran Classic Thai Street Food

5. Ekkamai at Damansara Heights

Helmed by the F&B veterans behind The Social, El Meson & Estilo, and swathed in sultry shadows, Ekkamai celebrates traditional Thai cuisine with a modern flair with dishes like chicken and beef skewers that are grilled in a Josper charcoal ovenand served with sweet sauce and massaman peanut sauce.

Read review: Ekkamai at Batai, Damansara Heights
Find: Contact details and map for Ekkamai Thai Kitchen & Bar

6. Mango Chili Thai Café at Nexus, Bangsar

This likable eatery dishes out a hearty helping of social consciousness to complement its tasty Thai temptations; Mango Chili collaborates with charities to contribute meals to underprivileged children and other communities each time customers eat here. Being the Malaysian member of Bangkok’s well-known COCA & Mango Tree F&B family; there’s enough expertise here to create crowd-pleasing recipes.

Read review: Mango Chili Thai Cafe at Nexus Bangsar
Find: Contact details and map for Mango Chili Thai Cafe

7. My Elephant at Sri Hartamas

The cult of Thai cuisine is setting the suburbs on fire, with five outlets around the Klang Valley, all serving up tasty Thai fare, including crowd-pleasers such as their duck and lychee curry.

Find: Contact details and map for My Elephant (Sri Hartamas)

8. Rak Somtam at Kota Damansara

Helmed by a Malaysian restaurateur and his Thai wife, here you’ll find terrific Thai temptations that tickle the taste buds and linger in the memory including one of the most satisfying shredded papaya salads we’ve tasted in the Klang Valley.

Read review: Rak Somtam Urban Thai Eatery Kota Damansara
Find: Contact details and map for Rak Somtam

9. Moobaan Thai at Taman Desa

Moobaan Thai offers a promising mix of crowd-pleasing classics in prices that won’t hurt the wallet, with a kitchen helmed by a chef from Chiang Rai. The setting is pleasantly cheerful and colourful, showcasing pieces that Moobaan Thai’s Malaysian founders purchased from Bangkok’s Chatuchak weekend market.

Read review: Moobaan Thai at Taman Desa
Find: Contact details and map for Moobaan Thai

10. Kompassion at Damansara Kim

Thai temptations take on tantalizingly triumphant twists at Kompassion to showcase the swoon-worthy skills of chef Nikom “Kom” Uatthong on a unique menu of the most inventive contemporary Thai cooking around.

Find: Contact details and map for Kompassion

11. Riverboat at Taman Desa

Malaysian founder Louis once vowed to his Thai wife Prinyanut that they would someday run their own restaurant that specialises in the cuisine of her homeland. Well, Riverboat represents a promise fulfilled as it has swiftly earned a reputation in Taman Desa and beyond for honest cooking that strives to do justice to Prinyanut’s heritage.

Read review: Riverboat at Taman Desa
Find: Contact details and map for Riverboat

12. Go Thai at SS2 PJ

Specialising Thai street fair, Go Thai is a simple, spacious set-up, flaunting a few colourful flourishes but maintaining the focus on the food. This Malaysian-owned outlet with an all-Thai, all-smiles kitchen team prepare soulful dishes like the tender ‘khao kha moo’ – stewed pork trotters with rice and duck egg.

Read review: Go Thai at SS2 PJ
Find: Contact details and map for Go Thai

13. Boat Noodle

With outlets around the Klang Valley, Boat Noodle offers promising Thai street snacks in a trendy, casual setting. In a broth of your choice, this snack-sized noodle soups was an instant hit, delivering punchy and tasty flavours.

Read review: 2015 menu: Boat Noodle
Find: Contact details and map for Boat Noodle

14. Lobbee Thai Connection at Empire Damansara

Tucked on a secluded corner of Empire Damansara, this casual restaurant spearheaded by brothers Aiden & Adrian whips up fun fare to tempt fans of Thai flavours as the brothers seek to recreate the food they love best from the Land of Smiles.

Read review: Lobbee Thai Connection at Empire Damansara
Find: Contact details and map for Lobbee Thai Connection

15. B2B Burns 2 Bottles at Solaris Mont Kiara

This place fires up the imagination with a crowd-pleasing collection of sharing plates at sensible prices; it’s the kind of place you might bring your entire family or an ensemble of friends who want to go beyond green curries.

Read review: B2B Burns 2 Bottles at Solaris Mont Kiara
Find: Contact details and map for B2B Burns to Bottles