Bhai Jim Jum, AEON Taman Maluri

Bhai Jim Jum launched its second outpost in KL this month, branching out to Aeon Taman Maluri two years after first introducing its pork-free range of Thai street food in Pavilion. This homegrown Malaysian brand focuses on jim jum (Thailand's equivalent of hotpot) and 'kaikata' (its own take on barbecued meat and seafood) - if you're in the mood for a soulful, sultry meal, Bhai Jim Jum should bring back blissful memories of of steamy evenings in Bangkok.

With recipes conceived by a Thai chef, relying on ingredients for sauces and spices from Thailand, Bhai Jim Jum honours the hallmarks of authenticity.

The ideal introduction is the Jim Jum selection, with soup bases and pastes prepared from scratch in-house.

Choose from three refillable chicken-based soups, each perfectly portioned in single-person, claypot-style sets. 

The Red Tom Yam is the crowd favourite - this is tom yam at its most satisfying, beautifully balanced in the sweet, sour and spicy, with no one characteristic overwhelming the others.

The White Tom Ka offers a creamier, richer choice, courtesy of coconut milk, while the Clear Nam Sai is the foundation for all these nourishing broths, boiled for six hours with chicken meat and bones, onions and fresh herbs including kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal and sweet basil.

Each Jim Jum set costs RM16.90, inclusive of the soup, vegetables, and rice or beehoon. Of course, you can add on as much meat and seafood as you want - a plate of chicken costs RM5.90, beef is RM7.90, and an assortment of seafood is RM15.90. Individual add-ons of prawns, squid, fish slices, jellyfish, fish balls, crab sticks, foo chuk and tau foo are also available.

It's easy, fast and fun to cook your own jim jum at your table, dipping and dropping your fresh, raw food into the boiling soup. The aromas are appetising, promising all the robust flavours and fragrances that we crave in Thai fare.

We're instant fans of the Red Tom Yam, which impeccably complemented our chosen mix of plump crustaceans, juicy chicken, crunchy leaves and much more - tasty to the final spoonful. Tip: Ask for some evaporated milk, which thickens the soup a bit further and helps to soothe its chilli-fuelled heat if needed.

The other cornerstone of Bhai Jim Jum's repertoire for DIY culinary pleasure is 'kaikata,' the pork-free version of mookata. These hearty BBQ sets are suitable for sharing among two to three persons; each set comes with various seafood, meat and vegetables for RM45.90. If you prefer purely chicken or beef sets, those are also available for the same price. As always, add-ons are possible too.

The kaikata is an odour-free cross between hotpots and barbecues. Red tom yam soup is poured all around the dome in the centre, which is greased with lemongrass oil before the protein is grilled on it. Beef is a terrific bet for this, yielding a smoky char to bolster the meat's savoury succulence.

Seafood also turns out sumptuous for this style, sizzling in the middle, surrounded by veggies and mushrooms for a fulfilling feast - bookmark this for your next rainy-day dinner or if you need some comforting sustenance after a long day at work.

If you prefer a completely fuss-free lunch or dinner, with the entire meal cooked in the kitchen and served ready to eat, Bhai Jim Jum also boasts many familiar street-food favourites.

The Pineapple Fried Rice (RM16.90) is a solid recommendation for grains, while the Pad Thai with Chicken Wings (RM22.90) should please noodle enthusiasts, each capably executed, generously laden with lip-smacking ingredients, packed with everything from the fruity and herbaceous to the earthy and nutty. Pair with a side of Crispy Fish Cakes (RM12), with the textured fish filling lusciously laced with morsels of long beans and fish sauce, crackly to the bite with a deep-fried coating of breadcrumbs and toasted peanuts. 

All in all, Bhai Jim Jum's entry into AEON Taman Maluri should be welcome news for fans of Thai fare around Cheras and Ampang, who won't have to travel to the city centre for their fix. Bhai Jim Jum is expected to expand to Putrajaya's IOI City Mall next, so that'll be another attraction for folks in Putrajaya and Sri Kembangan.

Many thanks to Bhai Jim Jum for having us here.

Bhai Jim Jum

S20, Level 2, Aeon Taman Maluri, Jalan Jejaka, Taman Maluri, Cheras, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 11am-9pm. Tel: 012-231-0732 

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Bangkok To Buriram, Subang Jaya

Bangkok To Buriram's head chef Orrapim Srinack is still only in her mid-twenties, but her passion for Thai cuisine runs deep; hailing from a family of cooks in the northeastern Thai region of Isan, Orrapim strives to ensure that the flavours of her kitchen remain faithful to her homeland, bringing the true taste of Thailand to Malaysians with herbs and sauces sourced from our northern neighbour.

From charcoal-fuelled mookata to the claypot steaminess of jim jum, butter prawns on hot plates to skewers straight from the barbecue, Bangkok To Buriram lives up to the promise of cooking that takes customers through Thailand, most notably Orrapim's birth city of Buriram (the restaurant's first-floor space boasts a sports theme that pays tribute to Buriram's high-flying football club and international motorsport race track).

 

If mookata makes your mouth water, Bangkok To Buriram's preparation should hit the spot, especially for rainy-evening comfort. The ultimate indulgence is the Mookata Mix Set (RM45.50; available starting 3pm), cooked at the table to make the meal a complete hotpot experience.

Grease the dome in the centre with chunks of pork fat, then grill your slices of savoury pork belly till they're sizzlingly succulent, ready for dipping into the restaurant's own-blended nam chim suki sweet-sour chilli sauce for a smoky-spicy affair.

Tiger prawns, meatballs and vegetables can be cooked in a choice of original pork broth or tom yum soup. This nourishingly balanced portion should easily satisfy two persons, with the pork, seafood and meatballs each served in 100-gram portions.

For soup that soothes the soul, slurp on the jim jum, another Thai street food staple that's becoming increasingly beloved in Malaysia too, served classically here over a traditional stove, with the scent of everything from sweet basil to lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves wafting out when you lift the lid.

Our set came with plenty of pork (RM35.50), marinated and seasoned just right so that it's tasty without overpowering the broth, perfectly complemented by an assortment of mushrooms and vegetables, with an egg tossed into the mix to round things up. A sauce of  chilli flakes helps fire up our appetite to finish every spoonful of this. If you're a fan of Asian steamboats, keep this Thai version in mind.

Bangkok To Buriram also does an interesting rendition of butter prawns, with the juicy, smooth crustaceans soaking up all the pure buttery decadence on a piping-hot plate over charcoal, irresistibly served with a runny-yolked egg at the centre (RM39.50). A definite should-order here, since everyone will enjoy watching it made and sampling a distinctively different take on butter prawns.

Beyond those top three temptations, Bangkok To Buriram boasts an extensive a la carte selection that would take multiple visits to explore.

Whether you're snacking or sharing, start with the Som Tam Mango, tangy and palate-reviving, with large, tender prawns to partner with the impeccably fresh fruit (RM14.50; you can order this with either cooked prawns or raw ones if you're more adventurous).

Lamb might seem unconventional in a Thai restaurant, but you'll find it all over Bangkok To Buriram's menu; the deep-fried lamb meatballs would be addictive for kids and adults alike, so it's the ideal family order - or a brilliant bar snack to split with your buddies (RM14.50).

Also made for merry munching, the Thai Barbecue Skewers comprise possibilities galore, from chicken, pork, lamb or beef (RM4.50 each) to prawns (RM5), as hearty as everything else here.

Naturally, tom yam and curries are well-represented in Bangkok To Buriram's repertoire - the flagship Tom Yam meets the mark for a rich, robust bowl (RM17.50 for a large serving that's packed with a plethora of plump prawns hidden beneath the surface), while the Tom Yam Chicken in Clear Soup is a little lighter but no less likable, brimming with all the vibrant dynamics that are the hallmark of Thai gastronomy (RM12.50).

Bangkok To Buriram's Green Curry Chicken (RM12.50) is equally notable - this might seem like a cliche at most Thai restaurants, but the kitchen here elevates it with creamy, natural nuances, making it taste like a home-cooked pleasure that a Thai matriarch might painstakingly prepare for a special family occasion, a far cry from commercialised recipes that come straight from factory-made packets.

Pair the curries with a rice platter - Pad Phed Lamb (RM14.50) would also work for an individual single-plate lunch or dinner, with punchy meat and the full-bodied kick of loads of chillies.

All in all, Bangkok To Buriram could become a neighbourhood favourite, with regulars flocking in weekly to relish its lip-smacking fare while relaxing over the Land of Smiles' own SPY wine coolers (in vivid-hued varieties that span the Mai Tai to Kamikaze, Butterfly Kiss to Pink Sparkle, at RM13.50 per bottle, or RM65 for bucket of five) and other true-blue Thai alcoholic delights, the likes of Chalong Bay and Mekhong. Teetotalers can sip Thai tea.

Many thanks to Bangkok To Buriram for taking us on this worthwhile journey.

Bangkok to Buriram 

3, Jalan SS12/1B, Subang Jaya, Selangor. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 12pm-12am. Tel: 010-221-7361

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com