KomPassion is one of the most popular Thai restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Opened back in 2013 by two business partners/co-owners and also brothers-in-law, Desmond Wong and Tan Huat Jin, KomPassion has gone from strength to strength in the past decade. Today, advanced reservations is a must, and the restaurant runs two dinner sessions (5pm to 8pm, and 8pm till late) each day.
First, a shout out for their Thai iced tea (“cha yen”). which was thick, rich and aromatic, milky-foam on top and garnished with, surprise, surprise, sugar-cured egg yolk strands, a la foi thong:
Our dinner spread:
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Crisp, batter-fried, deboned chicken wings stuffed with minced pork & herbs
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Stir-fried midin (fiddlehead fern), served with roasted pork
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Bunga Tonkin salad - a beautiful, flavoursome salad using crunchy-fresh, sweet “dok salit” (tonkin flower-buds), tossed with fresh prawns, slivered toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds, shallots and herbs, in a citrusy-spicy dressing. It’s a must-not-miss.
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Gaeng moo cha muang - pork belly with sour “asam kandis” leaves: an amazing dish which utilized a local herb often used as a souring agent in cooking, perfect for cutting through the rich, fatty roast pork.
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Tom yum goong - classic rendition, with prawns, big chunks of eryngii or king oyster mushrooms, tomatoes and shimeji mushrooms.
Overall, interesting flavours and a lot of creative use of uncommon, seasonal herbs and plants by the talented Chiang Rai-born head chef/co-owner, Nikom Uatthong aka Chef Kom.
Interesting approach. Its clientele is almost wholly Chinese-Malaysians, and its cooking seemed very much Sinicized to cater to the palate of its target market.
Address
KomPassion
5, Jalan SS 20/11, Damansara Kim, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: +603-7731-9256
Opening hours: 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm Wed to Sun. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
