PETALING JAYA, Aug 26 — Around PJ Aman Suria, the name Yan Wo is synonymous with cheap and good Chinese food. Now, they have expanded to open Yan Wo Thai 仁和泰 that channels Northern Thai eats.
Located just a few doors away from the original outlet, this place debuted this month. Push through red coloured doors to discover a modern set-up with cement walls, a hodgepodge of tables and chairs from typical Chinese round marble tables to wooden tables paired with bright blue metal and kopitiam chairs. There's an open kitchen concept that allows you to spy on what's cooking.
As the place is brand new, there's no printed menu. Instead, you order via looking at their service staff's phone for the photos.
It's a little difficult to place an order but we managed with recommendations from their service staff. They do have a list of prices on the phone, so check that out first, otherwise you may get a shock when the bill arrives.
What I can gather from the information I was shown is the current menu offers a choice of single portion noodles and rice dishes, plus various dishes for sharing.
Expect items such as kuey teow gai, khanom jeen with a Thai fish curry and khao soi. You also have khao ka moo or braised pork leg with rice.
There's also an option to have the braised pork leg with noodles. Prices range from RM16 to RM18 for these meals. The kuey teow gai is rather unusual as it has a richer, darker hued broth brewed with chicken, bitter gourd, herbs and spices. Not many places serve this, so I'm keen to return for a taste of this.
The Thai kuey teow noodles are served with braised chicken drumstick and a cube of coagulated chicken blood.
If you're dining here with family or friends, opt for the dishes to share with rice.
Kick off with the eponymous tom yum goong with prawns. You will be charged based on the number of prawns ordered. For three pieces, the price is RM48, five pieces is RM68 and eight pieces is RM118.
They use river prawns for the soup which tastes more creamy rather than the usual spicy or tangy notes you expect from tom yum.
We totally enjoyed the ka moo or braised pork leg (half portion is RM48, full portion is RM78). It got top marks for the luscious combination of melt in the mouth fat and fork tender meat braised in a brown sauce that goes well with rice.
There's a fire engine red chilli sauce served on the side. However, it tasted quite mild rather than fiery.
Other porcine dishes you can consider ordering include laab moo sap or the iconic pad krapow or pork fried with holy basil. There's also pad prik moo sam chan or stir fried pork belly with red curry paste too.
For something unusual, try the nam pod ka bid (RM58). Essentially it's a sharing platter of fresh and deep fried vegetables, ikan kembung and cha om omelette served with shrimp paste dip known as nam prik ka pi. The dip is spicy but incredibly flavourful when paired with the items.
If you prefer a salad, they also offer som tam with papaya or yam som oh with pomelo. There's also various stir fried vegetables like kangkung or kailan with chilli sauce or oyster sauce.
For something more unusual, opt for bai liang pad kai or fried melinjo leaves with egg, which is one of my favourite items. And if you're looking for some deep fried vegetables, there's phael phak with chilli sauce.
We also had the recommended pa tod nam mak kham (RM38) that was lightly battered fried fish matched with a tamarind sticky gravy which we found appetising.
For a spicier bite, there's whole chillies that topped the fish dish for you to increase the heat levels.
Also on the menu is yam pla duk fu or catfish salad, keng tad man pla or fish cakes, and an unusual fish soup known as pla tom sa moon thai.
Surprisingly, the menu only had one curry, which was a green curry with chicken. As it wasn't available that day, we opted instead for gai phad khing or ginger chicken.
Their version has tender, bite-sized pieces of chicken tossed in a sticky, slightly sweet sauce. The mix also includes toasted cashew nuts for crunch.
As a friend had earlier tried the food, she did warn it can be a tad salty, hence we asked the cooks to be less heavy handed with the salt. If you prefer the same, remember to ask for less salt in your dishes.
Sweet lovers may be disappointed as the current dessert choices are limited. There's only steamed tapioca with coconut milk and thap thim krop listed.
We tried the tapioca (RM8) which wasn't too sweet and made a nice refreshing end to the meal.
Make sure you order their cha yen or Thai milk tea (RM10) as it's probably one of the better versions. What we liked was how it wasn't cloyingly sweet and it had a slight salty edge that made it incredibly refreshing. They also serve cha keaw, the green tea version.
Yan Wo Thai 仁和泰, A-G, 42, Jalan PJU 1/43 (Next to Betty's Midwest Kitchen), Aman Suria, Petaling Jaya. Open: 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm (last order is 9.30pm). Closed on Tuesdays. Tel:+6012-8978687. Facebook: @Yan-Wo-Thai-仁和泰-103592269121640
