PETALING JAYA, Jan 11 — Newly opened in Petaling Jaya's SS4 area is Yim Yam Kway Chap, serving Thai-style kway chap in a setting more reminiscent of a decidedly chic cafe than a Thai noodle joint.
It is surrounded by houses and stands along a single quiet row of shops.
On both weekday visits, parking was ample, likely because the cafe next door is the only other business that might attract a lunch crowd.
In addition to kway chap, the menu also includes other Thai dishes like som tam and pad kra pao, with a siu yok version of the latter listed as a best seller.
The standard Kwaychap (RM16) comes with slices of lean pork, meatballs, bean sprouts, water spinach (kangkung), half a boiled egg and the titular noodle.
Typical of Thai-style kway chap, these are flat sheets of rice noodles that have been rolled up into springy cylinders that offer a spongy texture as opposed to the usual smooth slurping experience.
Paired with the crunchy taugeh and kangkung, they made for a delightful contrast in textures.
But your focus should be on the pork bone broth, which is where I think any good bowl of noodles starts and ends.
Deep, complex and intense barely scratch the surface in terms of articulating the cascade of herbal, earthy and savoury flavours that this liquid holds.
Unlike the famous Yaowarat Kway Chap in Bangkok, which has a notably clear broth, this one is dark, and likely uses a soy sauce base.
Notes of star anise and what tastes like coriander root come out strong, and it skilfully toes the line between heavy and light with the help of fresh herbs like Thai basil.
On every table sits a quartet of condiments characteristic of casual Thai food places; a dash each of chilli flakes and crispy fried garlic added an emphatic boost to the soup that I thoroughly enjoyed.
For RM17, you can get the same with innards included, which consists of liver and coagulated pork blood cubes.
The Pad Krapao Siu Yok (RM26) was a tempting option, featuring thick chunks of crispy roasted pork as the protein of choice, stir-fried in a dark, sticky sauce with bits of Thai basil and fresh chilli.
Together with rice and a fried egg, it should make for a satisfying meal, but I found it lacked the distinct pungency of basil that one comes to expect from pad kra pao.
Instead, it was a rather ordinary, albeit tasty, stir-fry dish.
Somtam with Salted Egg (RM18) was a decent, if slightly unremarkable rendition of the famous Thai papaya salad.
Don’t get me wrong — I’ve got no complaints: everything was fresh, the papaya was crunchy and the dressing had the right amount of tang, but it isn’t something I’d describe as a world-beater.
If I came here and ate nothing but this, I wouldn’t be disappointed, but ambivalent, perhaps.
However, I came here to eat kway chap, had an utterly delicious bowl, and left here more than satisfied, keen to come back once more.
Take note, they are also listed on Beepit for your food delivery needs.
Yim Yam Kway Chap
8, Jalan SS 4d/14, SS 4, Petaling Jaya.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-3pm. Closed on Monday.
Tel: 016-323 1927
Instagram: @yimyam.kwaychap
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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