I’ve walked past Ekkamai along the shops at Jalan Batai several times but it wasn’t until last week that I tried it for the first time with my family. We would usually go to Busaba when we crave Thai food, but opted for Ekkamai for a change.
Interior
I was told they get quite packed during weekends so it’s good to call ahead to reserve a table if you’re planning to dine in a large group. Service was friendly although not quite efficient; there were several hiccups during our meal.
Thai Spring Roll
Pandan Chicken
The Thai Spring Roll (RM18) was tasty, but too small a portion given the price tag. You get crab meat, glass noodles and vegetables in puff pastry, deep fried and served with sweet chilli sauce. I didn’t fancy the Pandan Chicken (RM20) as it was quite dry and not seasoned enough. Not sure if it’s standard practice to use chicken breast, but that’s my least favourite part of the chicken.
Duck Curry Stir Fry
I thought the Duck Curry Stir Fry (RM32) was more of a vegetable dish because there was hardly any duck in it. This was spicy, rich in flavour and aromatic – terrific with white rice – but we ate mostly vegetables, which wasn’t pleasant.
Chicken Cashew Nut
Better was the Chicken Cashew Nut (RM29) as you get larger chicken cubes, stir-fried with cashew nuts, shiitake, onions, dried chillies, peppers and spring onions in oyster base sauce. This was more tangy- sweet, rather than spicy; a good choice for those who want something milder.
Whole White Pomfret
We also ordered the Whole White Pomfret (RM48), cooked in spicy sweet and sour chilli sauce. This was good, but the whole fish was enough for 3-4 pax, instead of our group of 7 that night. The fish was deep-fried and subsequently coated in thick, caramelised sauce. This wasn’t as spicy as I’d expected it to be.
Green Curry Beef Fillet
Everyone enjoyed the Green Curry Beef Fillet (RM30) but found the portion scant. Unless you’re a small eater, this portion is only good for two or three pax. That said, the beef was nice and tender, and I liked that the curry was justly spicy with a creamy sweetness from the coconut milk.
Kai Lan
Crab Omelette
The Kai Lan (RM18) was done well; stir fried with salted fish. There was still crunch in the greens and the salted fish bits gave savoury accents to each bite. Less exciting was the Crab Omelette (RM30), a blanket of fluffy egg with premium crab chunks inside. Nothing memorable, if you ask me. I liked the Tom Yam Seafood (RM28) at Ekkamai — spicy and tangy with a rich flavour from the mixed seafood. My siblings found it a tad sour but I liked the balance of flavours here.
Seafood Tomyam
Pad Thai
Ekkamai serves pretty decent Pad Thai (RM24 – prawn), which tasted close to what you’d find along the streets in Bangkok. Only, three or four times the price. The noodles were lightly chewy; cooked with chicken pieces, tofu and prawns, and served with beansprouts, spring onions, ground roasted peanuts and sugar on the side. I would order this again.
Wines and beers are reasonably priced especially if you go there during happy hour – before 9pm. Service is occasionally efficient but once your food arrives, it’s not as easy getting the attention of the floor staff for other matters. So plan your food orders and requests wisely haha!
Our bill came up to slightly less than RM550 for all the above, inclusive of a bottle of wine (RM95). Not cheap at all, considering what we ordered and the portions given. Food is decent and the ambiance is good for those who are looking for a nice night out in Damansara Heights. 😉
Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (pork free)
Verdict: Decent food but portions are slightly on the small side.
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Ekkamai
No.8, Jalan Batai,
Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Business hours : 11.30am till 1.30am
Tel: 03-2095 2772
Website