Special thanks to Thai Baiyok for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
During my previous visit to Thai Baiyok (ไทยใบหยก), the dining experience has been largely favorable. Today, I am here to check out the set lunch dishes that this Thai restaurant has to offer.
One thing that I like about this restaurant is the spacious dining space. Consequently, the ambience remains pleasant even when the restaurant is fully occupied.
Besides à la carte orders, Thai Baiyok also serves set lunch from 12:00pm to 5:00pm every day. The choices include fried rice, chicken or fish with rice, noodles and local delights. Each meal is priced at RM8.90 and includes a drink and a small serving of fruits.
The bestseller from the set lunch menu is Belacan Fried Rice. At the center is a heap of nicely-prepared fried rice. Fragrant to the nose and pleasant to the palate, the rice is topped with scrambled eggs. Soup is provided on the side.
Similar to miang kham (เมี่ยงคำ), other ingredients are plated on the side and are meant to be mixed with fried rice. This presentation allows each diner to control the degree of spiciness according to personal preference. The ingredients include unripe mangoes, cucumber, shallots, long beans and bird’s eye chili. The main highlight, though, is barbecued chicken. Flavorful beyond measure, I just cannot have enough of this masterfully-seasoned chicken. This dish is certainly highly recommended.
Another popular choice for set lunch is Deep-Fried Chicken With Choo Chii Sauce. Curry chicken is served alongside fried egg, rice, vegetables and a bowl of soup.
Choo chii (ฉู่ฉี่) is a type of semi-dry red curry that is popular in Thai cooking of several regions. Despite the curry’s fiery appearance, its spiciness is not as extreme as one aspects. This curry is compatible with chicken cutlets.
If you prefer something sweet and tangy, try the Deep-Fried Fish With Assam Sauce. Its strong flavor may be overpowering for some people. Fortunately, the taste is reasonably milder when consumed with rice. Other ingredients are similar to the previous dish.
Key to its appeal is the use of tamarind sauce to enhance the flavor of fish. Fried shallots are used to provide aroma and as garnish. Although I am not a particular fan of tamarind, I think this dish is quite delectable too.
Among all dishes in the set lunch menu, Tanghoon Fish Head Yam Soup gives the best value for money. The choice of fish is barramundi (siakap). Although fish head does not contain much flesh, the bones do a great job in enhancing the taste of gravy, and subsequently glass noodles (วุ้นเส้น).
As for drinks, the choices are iced lemon tea or iced peach tea. Watermelon is served as dessert.
Like my previous visit, I am quite satisfied with these set lunch dishes. Although the price is affordable, Thai Baiyok does not cut corners in quality. Furthermore, the availability of set lunch till 5:00pm and on weekends makes it very convenient for many customers.
Name: Thai Baiyok (ไทยใบหยก)
Address: 105, Lorong Selamat, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-227-8308
Business hours: 11:00am-11:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/restoranthaibaiyok
Coordinates: 5.41668 N, 100.32480 E
Directions: From Macalister Road (Jalan Macalister), turn to Lorong Selamat. Thai Baiyok is approximately 100 meters down this one-way road, on the right. There are private parking spaces in front of the restaurant.