Khao by Rama V Setia City & My Elephant Aman Suria

The cult of Thai cuisine is setting the suburbs on fire, with two of the Klang Valley's top tom yam specialists _ Rama V and My Elephant _ burning brighter with new branches at Setia City Mall and Aman Suria respectively.

First up, Khao by Rama V is one of the better eateries at Setia City Mall, which features mainly predictable outlets that range from Tony Roma's to TGI Friday's, Secret Recipe to Starbucks and Papa John's to Pappa Rich.

More excellent news for Rama V fans: there'll likely be a THIRD branch opening this year, named Fa Ying, located at Paradigm Mall.

Khao's starters are perfect for sharing: the mieng kham is loaded nicely with the necessary shrimp, peanuts, lime, shallots and chili, while the crispy fried prawns are cutely constructed and the tom yam chicken with coconut milk will spice up everyone's lives.

Can't complain about the crispy catfish salad ...

 ... or the red beef curry ...

... or these shrimp and minced chicken wrapped in fried egg noodles.

Duck and lychee curry, the crowd-pleasing choice.

Larb kai. Portions and prices are fair; a meal for two here shouldn't exceed RM80.

Fried rice. Khao's menu is familiar, with no surprises, which can either be a comfort or a curse.

Complimentary hot Thai tea. Unfortunately, wine is unavailable at Khao.

Next up, My Elephant is embarking on its third branch, which should easily repeat the success of its Section 17 and Hartamas outposts.

Expect all of My Elephant's signature recipes, like thick, tongue-tingling tom yam ...

... and creamy green chicken curries ...

... and outstanding omelets here, located somewhere in between Rosemary Bites and Chatime

Crunch crunch, munch munch; these platters were part of a recent meal for friends and family. My Elephant at Aman Suria might open either Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
Note: there's no signboard yet for My Elephant.

Khao by Rama V,
LG 21, Setia City Mall.
Tel: 03-3358-3159

My Elephant,
22, Jalan PJU 1/43, Aman Suria Damansara, Petaling Jaya.