Surisit Thai Kopitiam @ TTDI

The secret to great Thai food is the artful intermingling of flavors—hot, sour, salty, sweet.. and in the pursuit of exceptional Thai, all roads, should eventually lead to Surisit Thai kopitiam here in the heart of Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI). Yes, having been here several times now, in the short span of one week, I can say that this tiny joint is a heaven sent , for the enthusiastic Thai food lover. The simple space is brightly lit, making the speed of the kitchen and the two-man waitstaff seem all the speedier. But the dishes on this exhaustive menu provide plenty of rewards. The menu’s stellar “signature dishes” are both worth paying a little extra attention to, especially the Mun Thod Gapi – Crispy Fried Pork, as well as the Kao Klut Gapi – Belacan Fried Rice. Those who hanker for a more healthy option should really try the Yam Woon Sentalay – Glass Noodles Seafood Salad, another winner.

I heard about this kopitiam through my buddies Marian and Boolicious.They told me that it’s so new – no more than two weeks old, and is run by Sita, one of the founders of Bangsar’s Montien and her two nephews. I’ve been back 3 times with my colleagues to “whack” the menu. Rice addicts rejoice! Almost everything on the menu goes terrific with rice. Surisit is also open the entire day and that’s why it’s a great place for Sales Reps to “yamchar” (have breakfast) before visiting the clients. The breakfast menu is a choice of either noodles or porridge, and one can choose from the main dining menu for lunch and dinner. On separate occasions we tried the Joke Moo – Pork Porridge and the Guay Tiaw Mu Nam Sie – Pork Kwey Teow Noodles and they were both value for money. My favourite is the Joke Moo as it has tons of succulent mince pork in it. Mixing up the porridge you will find a little bonus.. a half boiled egg, runny yolk and all, which adds sweetness to the dish. For just RM8.50 you get a coffee or tea with that too. Breakfasts run from 8am – 11am, then the lunch menu kicks in.

Breakfast:

Joke Moo – Pork Porridge

Hidden Sunshine!

Guay Tiaw Mu Nam Sie – Pork Kwey Teow Noodles

Coffee

Lunch/Dinner:

Mun Thod Gapi – Crispy Fried Pork (RM16.90)

Kao Klut Gapi – Belacan Fried Rice (RM14.90)

Mix up the fried rice with the condiments and especially the braised pork belly! This is the kind of carbohydrates worth eating if you ask me. Ahem.

Yam Woon Sentalay – Glass Noodles Seafood Salad (RM14.90)

Kheng Som Pla – Sour Orange Curry Fish with Vegetables – RM 32.90

The intense sour orange and chili in this dish makes the crispy fish deeply savory and spicy-hot. Be prepared to sweat when you eat this fish. A fabulous sauce but unfortunately the fish was over-cooked. I would have preferred it more taut.

Fish Maw – this special is not on the menu

Fried Squid – this special is not on the menu either

Anyway, don’t forget to bring a crowd to share the wonderful Thai dishes this place has to offer, because trust me, you are going to end up ordering more dishes than you can possibly finish in one sitting. After all, where good food is concerned, aren’t the eyes always bigger than the stomach..

Tap Tim Krob and Mango Sticky Rice dessert