Kicking its way into Subang, Dope Alley strives to serve Thai fare that packs a punch; this strikingly spruced-up restaurant was conceived by two enterprising college buddies who're now balancing their studies & the effort of running a full-blown business.
'Dope' is supposed to allude to the addictiveness of the food here - the restaurant hopes its customers will turn into faithful fans of offerings like these boiled cockles, served with a spicy dip (RM6.90), & salted egg 'som tum' green papaya salad (RM8.90).
'Alley' applies to the bustling backstreet behind the restaurant, where patrons can sit outdoors & snack on 'sotong bakar' (RM7.90 for 100 grams) while savouring live acoustic performances by local bands on most Friday & Saturday nights.
The menu's wide-ranging, with something for every occasion, whether you're looking for light nibbles (crunchy-sweet fish satay clocks in at RM5.90 for 10 sticks, representative of Dope Alley's cost-conscious prices) or a complete meal (one-plate rice meals like 'nasi goreng daging serai' start from RM8.90). Beef & chicken boat noodles are available, with a salty-thick broth.
Distinctive desserts are sold under an umbrella brand named 'The Patternists' - build your own customised ice cream; start with a choice of base (mango pudding, Oreos, Coco Crunch cereal or wafers), have it mixed with a fruit flavour (raspberry, blackcurrant, banana, mango, orange), then top it with M&Ms, chocolate chips, chocolate rice or almonds for a total of RM7.90 per serving, washed down with Thai milk tea, teh o ais longan & kedondong asam.
Bonus suburban stop for Thai temptations: Krathong, an evocatively outfitted outlet in Sri Petaling's Glass City F&B space.
Krathong Thai's extensive repertoire runs the gamut from chicken feet kerabu (RM12) to chicken & coconut milk tom yam soup (RM22), prawns with asparagus & cili belacan (RM16) to Thai steamed fish (seasonal price), all capably but not compellingly prepared, perhaps a case of quantity over quality. Plum, pineapple, tomato & tamarind juices help douse the heat of the food.
Dope Alley
AG-5, Jalan SS15/4D, Subang Jaya, Selangor. Daily, 12pm-12am.
Krathong Thai
Glass City, Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
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