I love my gravy so the duck and lychee curry practically went perfectly with everything. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 10, 2016.Stepping into Ekkamai is like entering a dimly lit enclave, comfortably furnished with plush sofas, sturdy high chairs and sparkly tables. On one end, dark, heavy curtains lets you carve out your own private space while a spacious room on the other side is the perfect place for large gatherings.
Even on a weekday, the restaurant was abuzz with chatter from casual conversations of a healthy crowd. Service was top-notch and friendly, making us feel right at home, albeit a very swanky one.
The bar and kitchen opened in December in the recently renovated Plaza Batai and boasts a menu of Thai favourites and inventive cocktails with a Thai twist. Sets are available but we recommend looking through the menu and picking individual dishes.
The duck and lychee curry (RM32) was my absolute favourite. Sweet and flavoured by chunks of juicy pineapples, cherry tomatoes and lychee, the curry was full of aromatics like lemongrass, galangal and coriander that gave it a delicious depth of flavours.
Our visit to Ekkamai was marked by good food, great ambiance and excellent service – we'll definitely be back.The portion looked small initially but the kitchen was generous with slices of succulent, tender duck, its gameyness masked by the delicious sauce.
We were recommended the cha om omelette (RM15) as it was just the thing to dip into the red curry.
The omelette, studded with thinly sliced acacia leaves, was oily without being greasy, a sign of a good Thai omelette. The leaves itself lent a slight bitter taste to the dish, which was complemented by a sourish chilli dip. It was just as delicious, if not more, slathered in the red curry.
One of Ekkamai's house specialties was the homok seafood (RM24), a Thai otak-otak wrapped delicately in banana leaf cups, imparting its aromas into the dish.
The homok had been steamed with fresh mussels, scallops, squid and fish, infusing each cup with the fresh, sweet taste of the sea while the otak-otak had the consistency of custard – smooth and soft.
The use of fresh seafood made the homok all the more delicious.The cups may be small enough to fit into the palm of your hands but each portion is hefty, filled to the brim with fresh seafood and spicy otak-otak.
Ekkamai's kitchen is also home to the Josper, a charcoal-fuelled grill, which dishes up a number of broiled dishes. We opted for the squid stuffed with chicken and prawn (RM20).
The squid itself was slightly chewy, but its flavour almost made up for the texture. It had the smokiness that grilled dishes needed while the stuffing was juicy and sweet.
What's an excellent meal without a little alcohol? We paired our dinner with the som tum sling (RM32) and the mango sticky rice (RM32).
A concoction of gin, coconut, lemongrass, lemon and Thai chilli, the mild som tum sling was just the thing for a lightweight like me. What I especially liked about it was that the sweet-sour flavours were underscored by the burn of the chilli.
The mango sticky rice cocktail was made with rum and packed a stronger punch. It really did remind us of the dessert thanks to the mango and vanilla syrup. Passion fruit seeds and slices of lemon helped temper the sweetness of the drink.
We finally rounded off our meal with a refreshing red ruby (RM12) dessert. We loved that the "rubies" were large chunks of water chestnuts that filled up half the bowl, giving us a very satisfying end to a great dinner.
Ekkamai's drinks menu also had an extensive range of whiskeys and wines plus cocktails, shooters and more.Apart from just how good the meal was, I particularly appreciated how the dishes were very carefully portioned out. Nothing was too much or too little and everything was appropriately priced.
If you're looking for a place for your next date night or an intimate gathering of friends, Ekkamai comes highly recommended.
Ekkamai Bar and Thai Kitchen | Address: 8-1 and 8-2, Jalan Batai, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-20952772 | Opening hours: 11.30am – 2.30am daily | GPS coordinates: 3.149627, 101.661276 | Pork-free.
*This is an incognito review. If you know of any good food spots in the Klang Valley or beyond, send the details over to [email protected].
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