Authentic Thai dishes made from scratch

Seeri Authentic Thai Restaurant,
No: 26G, Jalan SS2/10, Petaling Jaya
Tel: [phone]
Business hours: 11am to 3pm,
5.30pm to 10pm
(daily, lunch only on Thursdays)
Non-halal.

ALMOST every restaurant offering foreign cuisine claims that their food is authentic but those in the know can tell how good they are right away.

Bountiful: Ricky and Rose Lau with the many herbs imported fromThailand that are used to create the authentic flavours.

For Ricky Lau, who lived in Bangkok for seven years, and his wife Rose, whose family has been running a restaurant for three generations, they had difficulty finding the Thai flavours they missed when they moved to Malaysia.

They think one of the main things that is missing in most Thai restaurants in town is Nambrik, which is to them as essential as sambal is for Malaysians.

Therefore, the couple opted to do something constructive instead of just criticising and opened a Thai restaurant promising to focus on authentic ingredients.

A year on, their Seeri Authentic Thai Restaurant in SS2, Petaling Jaya, has gained a steady following especially among people in the neighbourhood due to its cosy ambience, and affordable prices.

Rose’s family recipes and her kitchen team’s determination in sticking to tradition despite painstaking preparations using ingredients imported from Thailand also keep customers coming back for more.

Straightforward:Steamed Fishwith Lime andGarlic lureswithunpretentiousflavours.

“It is not difficult for us to prepare the dishes, we are used to it as we have been doing it for a long time,” said Rose.

“Instead of saying the preparations are complicated, I would say that the processes require patience as they involve pounding and grinding the ingredients until they are fine to get the full flavours,” she added.

The three types of Nambrik are the pride of this restaurant.

Nambrik Onn is the sambal equivalent, a mixture of chilli, tomato and shrimp to complement food with a spicy kick or just as a dip for raw vegetables; Nambrik Kapit is the Thai version of sambal belacan and it lures with a heady pungent taste but milder spiciness. Dau Chiao Ron offers creamy, non-spicy flavours with soya bean paste as base.

Tangy dish: Assam Prawn isdelicious with the sweet-soursauce.

Ricky explained that the restaurant served Bangkok cuisine which would be a moderate option compared to Southern Thai that is very spicy and Northern Thai cuisine that is mostly sweet.

Tom Yam Fish Head and Steamed Fish with Lime and Garlic are two perfect examples, not too spicy but full of flavour. The Tom Yam clear soup is a combination of more than eight types of herbs and ingredients including fish head that lends sweetness to the soup base.

The steamed fish, the restaurant’s signature, must have won the hearts of many with its unpretentious flavours enhanced by the fresh seafood.

Crab Stir-Fried with Thai Curry Powder and Assam Prawn appeal with a burst of flavours due to clever combination of ingredients.

The crab is thickly coated with sweet-spicy gravy enhanced by egg and onion. The prawns were evenly glazed with robust, slightly tangy sauce.

Duck Curry is a must-try, as the pairing of tender duck meat with crispy cherry tomato and grape results in creamy curry with a fruity taste.

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by Star Metro.