PETALING JAYA, Sept 16 — We have been spoiled for choice with Thai food in Petaling Jaya. It feels like every other month a new place sprouts up.

The latest to join the fold is Thai Spot along Jalan SS2/30, the row of shophouses just behind ESH Electrical.

What makes it stand out is the person behind it, namely Auntie Fon. The Thai lady is better known as one half of the team behind Section 17’s Frame Thai.

Frame Thai traces its roots to a small grocery shop known as Lai Thai. When they dabbled in serving Thai meals on the side, it took off. Later it morphed into an eatery with a focus on Thai street food.

Piquant Red Creamy Tom Yum Seafood Soup is well balanced without the burning tongue.
Piquant Red Creamy Tom Yum Seafood Soup is well balanced without the burning tongue.

This new place is a casual outfit that draws families and diners from the neighbourhood.

The menu flaunts familiar Thai favourites, designed for communal meals or solo dishes with rice or noodles. You can also grab Thai desserts and snacks too.

Here, the food balances the mix of elements that Thai cuisine is all about: sour, salty, sweet and spicy.

The place is a casual outfit that feeds the neighbourhood.
The place is a casual outfit that feeds the neighbourhood.

The Siakap Fish in Lime Sauce (RM47.90) sees them nailing those flavours perfectly.

The smooth steamed fish garnished with sliced garlic, fresh lime, lemongrass and Chinese celery is served on a stainless steel platter, kept hot on a portable stove.

What makes it addictive is the “soup” rather than a sauce that the fish sits on. It’s zesty and refreshing from the use of fresh lime juice and fish sauce, balanced out with a touch of sweetness.

Another hit is the Red Creamy Tom Yum Seafood Soup (RM24.90). The bright red may make you think it’s spicy but it’s not. Instead you get a little buzz from the chillies and a piquancy that has you drinking all the soup up.

Stir Fry Paku Belacan is simple but well executed here and served with a savoury gravy.
Stir Fry Paku Belacan is simple but well executed here and served with a savoury gravy.

Even the simple Stir Fry Paku Belacan (RM14.90) passed with flying colours. Unlike the local version that tends to be drier, these fern tops sit on a sauce that gives it the savoury kick, while fried garlic on top adds another layer of flavour.

There’s something magical about how the Thais do omelettes, where it’s crispy on the outside with fluffy, creamy egg inside. Opt for the minced pork that adds a savoury taste or be adventurous with cha om that can be pungent for first timers.

Omelette with minced pork is prepared the Thai way, where you get crispy edges and soft creamy egg inside.
Omelette with minced pork is prepared the Thai way, where you get crispy edges and soft creamy egg inside.

Maybe because the salads are at the back of the menu, rather than in the mains, they seem to be sidelined. There’s a few salads I was eyeing like the unusual Pork Neck Salad or Mama Noodle Salad, but I settled for a classic Papaya Salad with Fermented Fish (RM17).

Hit up the Papaya Salad with Fermented Fish for a rocking good time in your mouth with its spicy, tangy flavours.
Hit up the Papaya Salad with Fermented Fish for a rocking good time in your mouth with its spicy, tangy flavours.

It’s refreshing and the spiciness tingles your tongue but one still continues eating it, until every shred of papaya and green mango is gone.

When I saw the Prawn Cake (RM20.90) on the menu, it felt nostalgic. This side dish was one of the items I used to enjoy in a famous Thai restaurant in Kota Damansara.

Who can resist the Prawn Cake with its crunchy outer layer that hides a juicy centre fashioned from prawns.
Who can resist the Prawn Cake with its crunchy outer layer that hides a juicy centre fashioned from prawns.

Shaped like a doughnut, it’s covered with golden crunchy panko-like crumbs. Bite into it to get a prawn cake that is juicy and sweet from the chopped up crustaceans.

Another favourite side dish is the Thai Grill Sausages, which hails from Isan, with its punchy flavours. Here they even offer a lemongrass enriched version, strictly for fans of that citrusy flavour.

When I am dining alone, their one dish meal menu is my pick. Go for the Braised Pork Leg with Rice (RM15.90). Here, it’s a joy to eat the soft fat and meat with the purple rice. It’s served with a clear soup that one may shun it thinking it is tasteless but it isn’t.

Treat yourself to the Braised Pork Leg with Rice, where you get soft fat and meat.
Treat yourself to the Braised Pork Leg with Rice, where you get soft fat and meat.

Green Curry Chicken with Rice (RM14.90) feels healthier, partly due to the use of chicken breast, cut into slices. The curry is a gentler one but doesn’t skimp on flavour with its combination of green chillies with spices and herbs.

Green Curry Chicken with Rice pairs a gentler curry with chicken breast.
Green Curry Chicken with Rice pairs a gentler curry with chicken breast.

There’s all kinds of stir fried noodles or noodles with soup on the menu but the Pad Thai (RM14.90) is the usual choice. The slightly chewy thin noodles were great but I felt the flavours didn’t shine through much.

Pad Thai has the chewy texture but flavours seem muted here.
Pad Thai has the chewy texture but flavours seem muted here.

And if you live for desserts, there’s a pretty extensive selection here. These range from classics like Mango Sticky Rice (RM11.90), which combines sweet mango with glutinous rice to the unusual Khao Niao Ping where it combines yam paste with glutinous rice.

Mango Sticky Rice has sweet tasting mango with glutinous rice.
Mango Sticky Rice has sweet tasting mango with glutinous rice.

My personal favourite is the Man Tab (RM6.90) or steamed tapioca kuih rolled in freshly grated coconut. It’s served warm, making it little pops of happiness to balance out all the spicy flavours. If you prefer an ice cold treat, there’s Red Ruby (RM9.90) with the bright red water chestnuts you eat with coconut milk and jackfruit slices.

(L-R): Man Tab or steamed tapioca ‘kuih’ covered with freshly grated coconut is best eaten warm, and Luk Chup is whimsical with its fun shapes but the bean paste is quite mild.
(L-R): Man Tab or steamed tapioca ‘kuih’ covered with freshly grated coconut is best eaten warm, and Luk Chup is whimsical with its fun shapes but the bean paste is quite mild.

For a whimsical dessert, they also offer Luk Chup (5 pieces for RM7.50) in fun shapes like fruits, vegetables and a baby duck! Tastewise, the bean paste tends to be too mild. Instead, the cool Tako (3 pieces for RM7.50) with crunchy corn and water chestnuts is probably a better choice.

(L-R): Tako is also good to cool off with its coconut milk and chestnuts plus corn layers, Red Ruby offers a cool relief if your tongue is burning from the spiciness.
(L-R): Tako is also good to cool off with its coconut milk and chestnuts plus corn layers, Red Ruby offers a cool relief if your tongue is burning from the spiciness.

Thai Spot, 25, Jalan SS2/30, Petaling Jaya.Open daily: 11am to 9pm. Tel:03-78630666.Instagram: @thaispot.my

The restaurant is located at the row of shophouses behind ESH Electrical.
The restaurant is located at the row of shophouses behind ESH Electrical.

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.