PUCHONG, Oct 7 — For a few weeks, Ka-Thee Siam Cafe's Siam laksa had been on my horizon, after a friend pointed it out to me.
I finally got my act together to order their food last Saturday. I was in luck as they had expanded the menu from October onwards.
Based in Puchong, the home-based Ka-Thee Siam Cafe is run by Malaysians of Thai origins, hence the Siamese Malaysian moniker.
According to their Instagram, Ka-Thee means coconut milk in Thai, an essential ingredient in Thai cooking. They trace their unique heritage to Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu, former Thai colonies which were taken over by the British.
What's unique about their cuisine is the blend of two heritages: Thai in origin but with a Malaysian perspective. For instance, their Pad Krapaw Gai or the eponymous stir fried Thai basil chicken is served without any long beans.
The star of the show is their Siam laksa (RM12 for a single portion). Essentially it's a Nyonya laksa lemak where you get the same garnishes as an assam laksa but the gravy has a less tart taste as the addition of coconut milk makes it sweeter and richer.
Ka-Thee's version is comforting and easy to slurp down since the coconut milk feels less rich compared to the other versions of laksa lemak I have tried. I've been told that they follow a family recipe which calls for the use of canned sardines.
As you slurp down the mild tasting gravy, you will get smooth thin rice noodles mixed with cut fresh onions and cucumbers. A squeeze of the calamansi lime juice gives a slight tangy taste to the whole bowl.
I had also ordered their Thai basil chicken rice with egg for RM10. Even though it's a single portion, there was plenty of rice and minced chicken to feed you comfortably.
Although the taste of the basil is mild, this dish felt very homestyle with the tender chicken mince and the fried egg with its frilly brown edges.
The Thai style fried chicken wings (RM12 for four pieces) made a great snack to accompany the meal. Eaten on its own, the chicken wings had a subtle taste of the marinade. They serve this with Thai chilli sauce, so dip that in for that sweetish chilli kick.
The menu includes a clear tom yam soup, drinks such as Thai ice milk tea, including a green milk tea version in bottles.
Of course, a great meal must end with dessert which was the Thai rice ball dessert or bua loy (RM6.50 for a portion). This had shades of a bubur cha cha although it uses a thicker coconut milk base.
I liked the texture of the glutinous rice balls with that slight chewiness which paired well with the thick coconut milk. You will also find other goodies such as sweet potatoes and sago pearls. And most importantly, it was a dessert that wasn't tooth achingly sweet that I could enjoy.
In the future, Ka-Thee says there could be variations to the menu depending on availability of ingredients. For instance, it could be a Pad Thai. Or even mango glutinous rice, provided they can get the right type of mangoes to make it.
As they only take pre-orders for Saturday lunch, you need to place your orders before 6pm on Friday. You can get the food delivered to your location at your own cost or arrange for a pick-up from Tesco Bandar Bukit Puchong from 11.30am to 1pm on Saturday.
Ka-Thee Siam Cafe, Puchong, Selangor. You can pre-order your food by WhatsApp to 017-5751594. Instagram: @kathee_siamcafe
