Possibly the Klang Valley's most distinctive destination for Thai street fare, Streat Thai is fuelled by the formidable skills & experience of more than a dozen chefs from across the Land of Smiles, meticulously hand-picked & brought to Malaysia from Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Rai, Korat & Pattaya to cook up a storm of fierce, fragrant flavours.
Customers can order at the table from stalls spearheaded by chefs who each specialise in a different gastronomic art-form - some exclusively prepare salads, while others tackle the task of stir-frying or deep-frying, alongside a select few who've mastered making noodles or dishing out desserts; two separate couples take charge of barbecued recipes & beverages. It's a casual setting with warm service, catering for families & friends, dedicated to distilling the spirit of eating outdoors in Thailand.
In a testament to the authenticity of Streat Thai's offerings, you'll often find Thai customers here, enjoying highlights from home like the traditional som tam - there are no fewer than six variations of the spicy, shredded green papaya salad; if you favour the most time-honoured rendition, try the one coated with the fermented pungency of anchovy sauce (RM7.90); alternatively, the som tam with salted eggs is the safe, crowd-pleasing bet. If you prefer your fibre fully cooked, order the pad krapow (RM14.90 for a medium portion), a beautifully balanced mix of mushrooms with egg tofu & fried holy basil, tasty soul food for vegetarians.
Streat Thai nails its noodles too - the beef noodles (RM11.90) boast achingly tender braised slices of meat & beef balls in a lightly sweet broth, for a fairly priced meal with the power to nurse a wounded heart. The menu also features an interpretation of khanom jeen with fish curry (RM9.90) - the noodles & accompaniments are served together in a bowl for convenience, instead of separately, but most crucially, the ensemble still conveys the essential dynamics of flavour & dimensions of texture. Streat Thai brings in much of its spices, herbs & sauces from Thailand, ensuring that staples like green curry chicken (RM15.90) maintain their bona fides; this curry is the Thais' more common, less creamy version, & again, it hits the right notes.
We were also pleasantly surprised by the BBQ Australian beef striploin, pretty much perfectly done, supplying a succulent bite & flavoursome chew that surpasses some full-blown steaks we've had in KL - RM19.90 for 150 grammes. There's no reason not to get your protein fix here; Streat Thai's repertoire encompasses everything from savoury barbecued chicken with Thai nuances (RM19.90 for half a fowl) to tilapia fish, fleshy & flaky, with vegetables & herbs (RM42.90 for roughly 800 grams) to humongous poached freshwater prawns with a zesty seafood dipping sauce (market price), all meticulously cooked to order.
Streat Thai's still-evolving menu is set to spring a supremely striking new temptation soon - a version of Thailand's trending Tom Yum UFO, called Tom Yum Wow here (slated to be available May 1 onwards), a steaming-hot pot of instant noodles with fish, prawns, squid, fish balls, surimi crab sticks, enoki mushrooms, eggs & vegetables, ideal for sharing among three people (RM69.90). Streat Thai even serves extra-large pad thai for communal indulging (a RM21.90 medium portion is sufficient for two), but if you're a single diner, have no fear - order a plate of, say, tom yum fried rice, crowned with a crisp, runny-yolk egg.
Wrap up your feast with a plate of crunchy fried fritters - banana, pumpkin, taro & sweet potatoes (RM0.80 per piece, with a minimum of a six-piece order), genuinely addictive - or coconut rice custard (RM1.50 for two pieces), washed down with an extensive drinks list that includes Thai milk tea or coffee, salak fruit milk tea, & other teas tinged with butterfly pea, pandan & lemongrass, lychee or lime. If you want some entertainment with your meal, live bands play easy-listening music here - similar to Bangkok open-air restaurants - every Friday night. Streat Thai also caters to private parties, events and functions of up to 150 people. All in all, this turned out to be a satisfyingly memorable late lunch - many thanks to Streat Thai for having us here.
Streat Thai
100-G.001 The School by Jaya One, No. 72A Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Daily, 1130am-10pm.
Tel: +60374961297 or 012-907-3581
