Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Located at Krystal Point, Maa Roy Thai Seafood Restaurant is several shop away from Shang Place. This Thai restaurant has a wooden appearance both for store facade and interior design. There is also another Maa Roy outlet at Abu Siti Lane (Lorong Abu Siti) in George Town, but I have not visited that downtown outlet before.
The dining section of Maa Roy is designed with fine taste. Nice wooden wall panels and stylish dining tables and chairs give a cozy overall impression.
Although the à la carte menu is quite pricey, set lunch is available for only RM9.90. The set meal consists of a choice of main entrée, soup or desert, and a beverage of choice. It is quite a hearty meal for less than RM10.00. Please be advised that the set lunch is available on weekdays only.
My choice of main dish is the Cashew Nut With Chicken Served With Rice. Crunchy pieces of cashew nuts are coated in honey sauce, then quickly stir-fried with onions, red chili peppers, dried chili peppers, carrots and leek. The resultant gravy has a sweet and tangy sensation plus a gentle touch of spiciness.
A couple of omelette slices are also provided. The eggs are fried with chopped long beans and onions for added flavor. The amount of omelette is quite small, therefore I am not able to fully enjoy it.
Between Clear Tom Yam Soup and Tup Tim Krop, I went for the latter. This cold dessert is popular in most Thai restaurants because the appearance and flavor are both very appealing. Diced water chestnuts are dyed with red food coloring, then coated with a tapioca flour for a gummy texture. The dessert is served with chilled coconut milk and some jackfruit chunks. The Tup Tim Krop indeed a heavenly refreshment.
My choice of drink is the Lemongrass. This drink has a leafy-mint aroma, but its taste is mostly dominated by added sugar. A piece of lemongrass stalk is added for presentation purpose.
In addition to the set lunch meal, I also ordered a serving of Prawn Cakes (RM3.50). The inner paste is made from minced prawns, whereas the exterior is coated with batter and deep-fried for a crispy appearance. Unfortunately, the prawn cakes have been overcooked until they became too dry and inpalatable.
On the plus side, the restaurant manager voluntarily took this off the food bill. It is nice of her to do so, because it reflects how serious she is in food quality and customer satisfaction. The overall satisfying taste and reasonable set lunch price makes Maa Roy a viable recurring lunch destination.