WE are sold on the Tom Yam Talay with mixed seafood of prawns, squid and mussels, for the mellow balance of hot and sour in the soup, scented with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf and galangal. First impression matters for us at the newly opened Meat & Sea, a Thai restaurant in Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

It’s home-style Thai food here, so expect well-loved dishes like Khao Ka Moo or braised sliced pork leg with salted vegetables, egg and kai lan, Moo Ping – grilled pork on skewers, and Kor Moo Yang (grilled pork neck). That was the “meat” part of our lunch, including red beef curry and Pad Kana Moo Krob or fried kai lan with roast pork (RM18).

Khao Ka Moo (RM35) is a popular Thai street food. It’s a whole pork leg simmered for three hours in soy sauce and Chinese wine with cinnamon, star anise and garlic. All these flavours are infused in the creamy, fatty meat. At Meat & Sea, it’s sliced and served on a platter with hard-boiled egg, mushrooms, salted vegetables, kai lan and a piquant chilli dip. It’s such a treat savouring this, especially with rice.

Moo Ping (RM18) is Thai pork “satay”, with broad marinated pieces of meat and fat threaded on skewers. They are done well here: the caramelised, flavourful and juicy meat just melts in the mouth. Slices of grilled pork neck in the Kor Moo Yang (RM18), served with a chilli dip, are just the appetiser to go with beer or wine, which is also available here.

Meat & Sea is headed by Thai chef Amy, who is from Kanchanaburi in west Thailand, known for the Death Railway built by forced labour during World War II, which spans the River Kwai, as in Bridge over the River Kwai, an epic war movie.

Amy likes to put her spin on some Thai dishes here, among them, the red curry beef (RM27). At first taste you get the almost herbal aroma of certain Thai herbs and roots, but the flavours become more addictive with the bites of tender juicy beef, baby eggplants and green peppercorns in this curry. Just as I guessed, there’s the distinctive holy basil and sweet basil in it, and a fragrant Thai root the chef showed us.

The “sea” part of our meal was Pla Kaphng Khaw, a deep-fried seabass (RM45), Somtam Isan, a papaya salad with baby crab and a crabmeat omelette. The seabass, crispy all over, stood out for the delicious topping of finely julienned lemongrass, ginger, chilli and shallots, fresh lime bits, roasted cashew nuts and mint leaves, with a light dousing of lime juice. They brought a fragrant crunch to the fish, with tartness from lime, tempered with a little sweetness and heat from chilli.

Somtam Isan (RM16) is a north-eastern Thai style papaya salad. Pickled baby crab is added to this spicy salad of shredded papaya, long beans, cherry tomatoes and chilli, bruised and tossed in a dressing of lime juice and fish sauce.

The fishy aroma of the crab may take a little getting used to. I always welcome an omelette in any Thai meal, and while our crabmeat omelette (RM16) may not be as lush (or expensive) as the famous Jai Fai one in Bangkok, it was still a tasty, home-style one.

For a quick meal, the lunch specials (RM19, with a drink) of Pad Kra Pao with minced pork, sweet basil, chilli, fried egg and rice; the beef red curry; Tom Yam Talay; braised pork leg and red beef curry are worth considering. There are also grilled steaks (200g), such as the Argentinian ribeye (RM80) and black label ribeye (RM66).

A fine selection of wines is also available to match the food, as the restaurant owner David Chew is also a wine supplier. Three wines were perfect pairing with the Thai food – Stephane Ogier Viognier de Rosine 2016, Alsace Grand Cru Furstentum Gewurztraminer Vieilles Vignes 2015 and Grand Cru Sschlossberg Riesling 2016.

Meat & Sea is at 1 Plaza Prismaville, Jalan 19/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Call 012 800 4833 for reservations. It’s closed on Monday. – April 3, 2021.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.