If noodles fuel your food fantasies, Krung Thep's Noodle Bar By Day could be your afternoon delight, with the exuberant sounds of stir-frying echoing throughout the open kitchen. KL's hottest new Thai restaurant of the past six months has introduced a fun concept that replaces its a la carte menu with a selection of eight noodle recipes exclusively for lunch.
There might be oodles of noodles here now, but our best bets succeed in fearlessly currying favour: Kao Soi Gai takes inspiration from northern Thailand's rich, creamy staple, layered with two renditions of rice noodles in one brothy, softly spiced bowl, with the noodle base smoothly boiled and its topping thickly crunchy, rounded out with tender chicken and tangy Chiang Mai mustard greens for lip-smacking spoonfuls of lovely, lively textural contrasts (RM28).
Fermented rice noodles with tenggiri fish curry also turn out soothing and soulful, their rustic appeal lent a luxe sense of refinement by an onsen egg, the kind of comfort fare that makes noodles perennially popular (RM28). Many customers admire Krung Thep's a la carte menu for imaginatively elevating Thai classics with accomplished flair, mastering the myriad nuances of this cuisine - that culinary confidence easily extends to Noodle Bar By Day as well.
Everyone will likely have their own preferred noodles here: Fans of claypot-cooked fare can choose the glass noodles, buoyed by a discernible tang that's deliciously balanced by the crustacean sweetness of baked sea prawns (RM42). The kitchen ensures that each ensemble boasts depth and dimensions, with plenty of wallop, kick and punch - in this case, with green chilli sauce on the side for fiery extra dynamics.
No lack of sultry fried noodles either - naturally, there's Pad Thai, complete with essentials like prawns, tofu and toasted peanuts, cooked with duck egg for a little extra luxury (RM26). For meaty noodles with a firm bite, order the Kor Gai, with charred chicken, aromatic herbs and sriracha sauce (RM26); for a vegetarian-friendly choice with a slick, juicy chew, have the Pad See Ew Veggie, with oyster mushrooms and assorted local greens in soy sauce (RM23).
Other options comprise noodles with beef and kailan or with beancurd and mushrooms.
Some customers can't live on noodles alone, so rest assured that Noodle Bar By Day also offers seven small plates to accompany your meal, not including its complimentary appetiser of decadently crisp fried chicken skin and vibrant ulam leaves with sriracha, tamarind and smoked aubergine dips. The small-plates section is headlined irresistibly by duck egg omelette with crab meat (RM25), but browse further and you'll spot other intriguing possibilities like wing beans, prawns and egg with chilli jam in coconut milk dressing (RM38) and white cabbage made briny with fish sauce, prawn oil and dried prawns (RM22).
This might be a noodle bar at heart, but it's also the triple threat of a dessert bar and wine bar. The Thai milk tea ice cream is a crowd-rouser that our entire table loved, with the full-bodied lushness of cha yen transformed into ice cream, crisped up with croutons and earthy dehydrated mushroom slivers (RM18). For a more delicate but equally enjoyable ice cream, the coconut ice cream is a reviving tropical treat with red rubies, jackfruit, coconut syrup and toasted peanuts (RM20). Meanwhile, mango may seem a Thai cliche, but Krung Thep again puts a fine spin on a classic, substituting conventional sticky rice with nuttier, firmer black glutinous rice, finished with luscious coconut slices and coconut milk cream - brilliantly beachy (RM22).
Krung Thep's Noodle Bar By Day
G05, Ground Floor, Republik, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
Noodle Bar By Day is available daily, 1130am-230pm.
Krung Thep's full a la carte menu, excluding the noodles, remains available during dinner.
Tel: 03-7622-8760
This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com
