Special thanks to Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Sharing the same premises as Hsinchu Garden (新竹园) is Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran (想你泰中泰海鲜大排档). This restaurant in Jelutong serves Thai and Chinese cuisine with particular emphasis on seafood.
The word “khidthung” (คิดถึง) means “miss (someone)” in Thai. The head chef hails from her hometown Bangkok, so the dishes are primarily Bangkok-style as opposed to the more familiar Southern Thai-style. To remain authentic, many ingredients such as herbs and spices are sourced from the kingdom.
Besides traditional Thai dishes, the restaurant menu also includes several local Chinese cooking which locals are more accustomed to. This allows Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran to suit a wider range of customers.
A key to good seafood is freshness, which is why the restaurant keeps a live stock of several types of fish, crab, clam and other marine creatures in oxygenated glass tanks. In addition, there is also a live Loong Foo Grouper (龙虎斑) for display purpose.
Thai cooking places emphasis on strong aroma derived from local herbs and spices. In terms of flavor, it is not uncommon to have multiple types of basic taste senses in an individual dish. For example, a single dish may include sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter flavors at once.
Considering the geographical size of Thailand, Thai cuisine is rather diverse in terms of cooking styles. As a metropolis of international crossroads, Bangkok has a unique blend of traditional Thai recipes with those from other cultures, such as Chinese.
For appetizers, we started with Deep-Fried Prawn Cake (ทอดมันกุ้ง), which is made from minced shrimp paste made into the shape of rings. The rings are coated with batter and then deep-fried for a scrumptious layer of crisp. This dish is served with sweet Thai chili sauce.
Another satisfying appetizer is Pandan Chicken (ไก่ห่อใบเตย). For this dish, minced chicken is seasoned with pungent spices, then wrapped in aromatic pandan leaves before baking. I like the rich, savory flavor of chicken inside each wrap.
Among the highlights tonight is Crispy Kerabu Chicken (กรอบมะม่วงทอด), where tender chicken cutlets are deep-fried until a light layer of crisp appears on the surface. Chicken is then served with various vegetables and cashew nuts, with light sour sauce at the bottom. I highly recommend this dish especially to first-time customers.
Another crowd favorite is Deep-Fried Squid (ปลาหมึกทอด). Chopped squid is covered with flour batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. The squid is best eaten while hot. If you have fussy children to please, this dish should do the trick.
My personal favorite tonight is the Sunquick Prawn (西檬明虾). The shrimps are stir-fried with sweet-tangy sauce made from Sunquick orange cordial. The resulting dish is a succulent treat which tantalizes my taste buds to the extreme. I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed this lovely dish.
Looking for something spicy and sour? Tomyum Fish (ปลาต้มยำ) may be the answer. A silver pomfret is served with spicy tom yum soup. Sourness of this delightful soup does a great job in boosting my appetite. This soup makes liberal use of red and green chili peppers, so be prepared for a devilish-pungent experience!
The next dish is Steamed Seafood (นึ่งมะนาวซอส). For dinner tonight, the choices are kapa clams and squid. The sauce is heavily flavored with lime, so you can bet that this dish is meant to be sour.
The squid itself is fresh and delectable. I like the pleasant sensation of chewing well-cooked squid.
Meanwhile, kapa clams go hand-in-hand with the lime-infused sauce. Slices of garlic help to suppress any undesired smell of shellfish.
The Coconut Curry Prawn (แกงเผ็ดกุ้ง) is one dish outside the pages of mainstream cookbooks. A handful of moderately-sized shrimps and the accompanying curry gravy are stuffed into a hollow coconut shell. Besides giving visual appeal, the coconut also helps to impart extra flavor from its cooling flesh. In addition, coconut water that was removed from the fruit is also used to prepare the curry, therefore there is no wastage at all! I strongly recommend this dish if you love to eat shrimps.
This next dish is Fried Vegetable With Salty Pork (三层肉炒芥兰). Here, kailan is braised in oyster sauce and served with succulent pieces of roasted pork.
As for Mixed Vegetable (什锦杂菜), the vegetables used are cabbage, broccoli, carrot and mushroom. Roasted pork can be added upon request.
Last but not least, the egg dish is Cha Om Omelette (ไข่เจียวชะอม). Besides egg, the other key ingredient is cha om (ชะอม), an edible leaf from a plant native to Thailand. Cha om is rarely grown in Malaysia, so it is quite expensive here. For this dish, I personally prefer the omelette to be made thicker. And more so if contains more cha om.
Like all good Thai restaurants, Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran prepares its own condiments for the convenience of customers. Examples are spicy Thai chili sauce and garlic chili sauce.
As for beverages, there are a number of fruit juices to choose from. Should customer prefer, ice-blended versions are also available.
The choices of drinks today are Dragon Fruit Juice (龙眼果汁) and Lime Plum Juice (桔子酸梅汁).
My dinner meal at Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran is very satisfying indeed. Quality of ingredients and skillful preparation are plus points here. It is worthwhile to consider having dinner at this restaurant with your family or friends. During weekends, it is advisable to go earlier to avoid the crowd!
Name: Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran (想你泰中泰海鲜大排档)
Address: 380A, Jalan Perak, 11600 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-282-3603
Business hours: 5:00pm-11:30pm
Website: Click here
Coordinates: 5.39492 N, 100.31434 E
Directions: Khidthung Thai Seafood Tomyam Restoran is located along Perak Road (Jalan Perak) between Kang Beef House (江祖传牛肉小镇) and OldTown White Coffee. There are parking spaces along the service road in front of the restaurant.