Em Teerak is Kota Damansara’s terrific new Thai and Vietnamese restaurant, putting a playful stamp on Indochinese flavours.
Recipes here hit the sweet-sour spot, spiced up with impeccable produce and impressive preparation.
The Rough Sea & The Butcher (RM45) is the signature creation, bringing together seafood and swine - deep-fried Northern Territory barramundi, alongside pork belly stewed for hours to supreme succulence. Toss them together - the moist, fleshy fish mixes marvellously with the triple-braised meat, balanced with peanuts and an apple salad that evokes the crisp liveliness of Champagne.
Also try the Huu Tieu Nam Vang (RM20), a rice noodle soup submerged in eight-hour slow-boiled pork bone marrow broth, light-textured with a delicate depth, brimming with tender pork, offal, crunchy lard and herbs. Soulful and so satisfying.
The Pad Ka Prao Moo (RM20) is addictive too - richly savoury stir-fried minced pork, made aromatic with a mix of holy and sweet basil, fiery with chillies, layered over comfortingly soft, silky scrambled eggs.
Even a simple snack like Moo Ping is noteworthy, juicier than most, featuring grilled pork shoulder with a nectarous brush of honey. Wash down with My Em Teerak, a butterfly pea cooler with Manuka honey and hibiscus.
Em Teerak
38-G, Jalan PJU 5/20D, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
