Our mission since we had chosen to accept
it was to sample some new creations and fresh interpretations of Fa-Ying's mainstays
by newly appointed chef Paphatson Singhakhat (simply known as Chef O at work).
Like Fa-Ying, the young Thai princess it's
named after, this modern Thai restaurant cum bar draws punters in with
delicious Thai fare and inventive drinks that bear contemporary flair.
Come September a revamped menu will be in
place; old faves will flaunt fresh, playful twists and new creations set to make
their debut.
Our refreshing curtain-raisers of Pomelo
Salad with Prawns (RM16++) and Thai Watermelon Salad (RM12++) captured all the
essential Thai flavours: sour, sweet, briny, spicy and the merest hint of
bitterness on that sultry evening.
Thai pomelo
is by far sweeter and juicier than local ones and tossed with carrot strips, fried
onion and coconut shavings in a tantalising dressing, the enticing combo definitely
whets the appetite.
The second is no less ingenious. Who would
have thought fresh watermelon cubes can be an outstanding salad when tossed
with blanched green beans, cherry tomatoes, green apple and pineapple chunks in
a deeply flavourful Thai dressing?
Despite the presence of springy crustaceans
and crunchy cashewnuts, I reckon the Lemongrass with Tiger Prawn Salad (RM22++) may prove quite a mouthful for some.
You either love or loathe the chopped lemongrass since it can be a little fibrous
and overpowering on the palate.
Andre Shum the charismatic owner and GM of
Fa-Ying and Rama V is full of beans with Chef O being part of his team.
"She has previously worked at the Jim Thompson restaurant in KL and was
from The Oriental Bangkok before. I have tasked her to come up with some new
dishes and inject her own touches to existing favourites. Also expect more
communal-style offerings that allow larger dining groups and families to share effective from September."
We were privileged to be among the first to
savour Chef O's Thai Fettucini with River Prawns - one of the impending new
offerings. Smaller than a lobster, the Thai river prawn still bestowed an
eye-catching dimension to the flat pasta. Its muted sweetness also lent depth
to the robustly flavoured noodles, making it a surefire winner in our book.
Variety's the spice of life here and those
partial to small bites will be happy to tickle their tastebuds with notable
temptations of Mieng Kam (RM16++), Thai Fish Cake (RM12++), Thai Minced Beef on
Cucumber (RM12++) and Grilled Scallops
with Spinach (RM16++).
Tender and slightly charred, the scallops
on little mounds of blanched spinach is the show-stealer here. Touched with manow
sauce – a piquant spicy-salty-garlicky dressing that amplifies the shellfish's
natural sweetness, nobody can resist this...unless they eschew scallops of
course.
Presented in little shot glasses, ready to
tease your palate is Mieng Kam - little wild pepper leaf cones that's filled
with chopped onion, ginger, garlic, fresh lime, toasted peanuts, bird's eye
chilli and roasted grated coconut.
For some enjoyable jaw exercise, succumb to
the chewy fish cakes speckled with shredded kaffir lime leaves and bird's eye
chilli.
Less common but no less noteworthy is the
dainty 'bowls' of cucumber stuffed with minced beef; its tangy-brininess
sending an unexpected jolt to the taste receptors when one chews on the meat.
Our tongues were then set ablaze by a
sweat-inducing albeit sublime Traditional Tom Yam (RM16++) that's smoothened
with some evaporated milk to blunt its fiery hotness. In the soup a treasure trove
of seafood, mushroom and carrot slivers awaits.
I rank the delectable Thai Crab Cake Burger
(RM20++) as a right royal treat that no modern princess or prince can turn
their back on. The toothsome crab and minced chicken patty comes sandwiched in
a fluffy soft, sesame seed-flecked burger bun, layered with shredded cucumber.
Adding scrumptious textural contrasts to it are some som tom (pickled papaya
salad) and crispy batter-coated kangkung (water spinach).
We were ecstatic when the irresistible manow
sauce made a return in the Grilled Cod. This mildly acidic, robust sauce balances
the fish's inherent oiliness perfectly. A splendid offering that will have you
hooked at first bite.
Tea time will also see typical Thai snacks
like Mee Krob served for tea. It's been years since I last had this delightful
treat so I relished every mouthful of the deep-fried meehoon (rice vermicelli)
tossed with wispy, crispy threads of fried egg, diced fried beancurd and beansprouts
in sweet-sour tamarind sauce.
Bar crawlers will find ample sustenance in
between tipples with tasty crowd-pleasers such as Mixed Seafood Skewers
(RM22++) and Dory Fish Skewers (RM18++). The former easily reeled me in with
its spectrum of tender, succulent textures.
Even familiar Thai dessert such as Tako
(RM2.80++) is given a modern makeover, having jettisoned its usual pandan leaf
casing for mini glasses and the creamy pudding studded with sweet corn.
Much
more successful and appealing to us is the Deep-fried Mango and Sticky Rice
with Ice Cream (RM16++); the ethereal batter coating outside the sticky rice
roll giving the dessert additional textural dimension.
The jewel that crowned our kingly feast was
Green Curry Chocolate Cake (RM12++), a luscious confection that tastes way better
than it sounds. I won't spoil the surprise and let you guess where the green
curry comes in for this one-of-a-kind cake.
Other indulgences that may pique your
interest include Malibu Dream. Just like the classic cocktail it's named after,
this alcohol-infused creation will leave you on a happy high. For us rebels
without a cause, I'd say the dark and bewitchingly rich Blackout Cake really
takes the cake.
Fa-Ying By Rama V, The Boulevard, Paradigm Mall,
Petaling Jaya,Selangor. Call +03-7451 2933 for reservations.
