Dining at La Moon in TTDI requires booking. Especially during weekends and night time, when they are at their busiest. One can always attempt to walk-in but be prepared to walk away disappointed when it’s a full house.
We played it safe and called ahead to make a reservation. It was a Sunday afternoon and the kitchen at La Moon had run out of ingredients from the hustle and bustle of dinner the night before. So we waited for their supplier to arrive in order to enjoy the proper Thai meal we signed up for.
The deep fried chicken wings (RM30) came highly recommended as a starter and it was delicious. Juicy and tender with plenty of flavour from the seasoning, topped with crispy fried garlic and served with Thai chilli sauce for added oomph. I like how there’s a good balance of sweet and savoury in each bite; tasty on its own without needing any dipping sauce if you asked me.
We also tried the Pomelo Salad (RM30) which was one of the best I’ve eaten in KL thus far. This salad combines the best of Thai elements – tangy, spicy, sweet and savoury with layers of texture from the pomelo, prawns and peanuts.
Choose wisely if you’re planning to order the tom yum at La Moon. There are three levels of spiciness and a choice of thick or clear soup. If you’re not used to the Thai standard of spicy, I suggest you stick to level 1 or 2, the former is already very spicy in my opinion. I don’t know who can stomach level 3, honestly.
That aside, the tom yum is good. We opted for tom yum prawns (RM38 per portion – 2 to 3 pax) and in thick version because I like a bit of body in my soup. It’s rich, flavourful and sweet from the large prawns used and each sip gives out a good aroma (and flavour) from the lemongrass, galangal and onions.
I was hoping to order the cockles curry but they ran out that weekend. Instead, we ordered the green curry chicken (RM38) and weren’t disappointed. The curry is justly thick and well balanced in flavours. You get a bit of sweet, a bit of savoury and a whole lot of spicy in each bite. Just the way Thai green curry chicken should be in my opinion.
Jien wanted to try the Duck Tamarind Sauce (RM38) which features confit duck leg that is deep fried till crisp and topped with homemade tamarind sauce. The duck is tender and falls off the bone from the cooking process, and I like how the tamarind sauce complements the whole dish while reducing any gaminess from the duck.
La Moon’s deep fried seabass (RM58) comes with three cooking styles – mango salad, spicy garlic and pepper and lemongrass dressing. We opted for mango salad, which I thought complemented the freshness of the fish nicely. The seabass is boneless which is a plus point for me since I don’t like having to work through the bones when I’m eating fish.
That said, I was more bowled over by the salted egg squid (RM48) as flavours are more decadent. The chef used a good amount of salted egg yolk to cook this, so the gravy is thick, rich and cholesterol-laden, in a good way.
I ordered the stuffed omelette (RM38) for the little one as it is one of the few items on La Moon’s menu that isn’t spicy. She ate a fair bit of the seabass but left this untouched. The adults polished it off instead. Not something I would order at a Thai restaurant, but it is a good option if you have a young one to feed.
The brinjal with spicy bean paste (RM30) goes well with white rice, and also the other dishes we ordered. I like how the brinjal pieces aren’t soaking in oil and that the gravy is balanced in flavour.
Depending on availability, the Mango Sticky Rice (RM30) varies in terms of fruit. On some days, it can be ‘sweet like honey’ and sometimes, it is sweet sour like the one we got. My friends enjoyed this, but I prefer my mangoes sweet. Worth trying though, as the sticky rice is cooked just right and comes topped with rich coconut milk for oomph.
I’m not a fan of the tub tim krob (RM15) as the chestnut pieces had too thick a coating and there was not much jackfruit to go around. Stick to the mango sticky rice, in my opinion. Overall, I like the food at La Moon. Service is quick and courteous, and food is straightforwardly delicious.
It is a bit pricier than your average Thai restaurant, but portions are decent and the ingredients used are better in general. Definitely a good venue option for group dinners – just remember to call ahead to book your table.
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Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: I enjoyed almost everything we ordered. Must-tries are the tom yum, pomelo salad and green curry.
La Moon
2, Jalan Wan Kadir,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 012-289 5575
Business Hours: Noon till 10pm
(closed Monday)