Sanook Thai Cafe at Taman Desa: Restaurant Review

This recently opened eatery in Taman Desa could be the closest thing to an inner-city Bangkok hole-in-the-wall that folks might find in this KL suburb.

Frills-free Pork

Frills-free porky fare supplies the fanfare: Start with a salad of ‘laab moo’ (RM8), the northeastern Isan minced pork recipe that sets off spicy-sour-savory fireworks.

‘Nem’ house-made pork sausages (RM9) with ginger and chili sauce. Serving sizes are small, helping Sanook charge seemingly low prices.

Love crispy pork belly? Order the ‘moo krob’ (RM12) maybe, rustically deep-fried …

… or mixed with ‘kapi’ shrimp paste (RM14). Beware: The menu here’s a showcase of sin, irredeemably soaked in sodium and oil, which could turn off customers looking for lighter nuances.

Green curry with pork (RM8). The remainder of Sanook’s selection comprises soul-food staples like som tam, pad thai, tom yum and kai jiao omelets; this isn’t the type of outlet where the cooks strive to shock and awe or show off madly inventive skills.

Original Thai Beer

Complete the Thai street-fare experience with Singha beer (Chang’s available too).

This small space gets crowded fast; we entered a near-empty cafe but exited a bustling one an hour later with most tables occupied. Thanks to Justin for pointing out this interesting nook to us.