Mengrai Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Sepang

Flavour: The flavor is vibrant and savory, with a balance of salty, spicy, and sometimes sweet. The stir-frying process gives the kangkung a slight char and crisp texture, while the sauce typically combines soy sauce, garlic, chilies, and fish sauce. Some variations may include a touch of sugar or oyster sauce to enhance the depth of flavor. The dish is often finished off with a sprinkle of crispy fried shallots for added crunch and flavor.

Texture: The kangkung retains a nice balance between tenderness and a slight crispness. The leaves soften during cooking, while the stems provide a satisfying crunch. This texture contrast makes it a great side dish to pair with other dishes like rice or seafood.

Spice Level: The spice level can be adjusted based on personal preference. Traditional Thai recipes often incorporate bird's eye chilies, adding a fiery kick, but you can control the heat by reducing the number of chilies used.

Presentation: The dish is usually served with a vibrant green color, which makes it visually appealing. The bright green of the water spinach against the golden fried shallots makes for a simple yet attractive plate.

Overall: Kangkung Fried Thai Style is a delicious, flavorful, and healthy dish. It's light yet satisfying and perfect for anyone looking to explore Thai flavors or add some greenery to their meal. If you're a fan of Thai food, this is definitely...

As a frequent traveler, I’m always intrigued by how local cuisines adapt classic dishes to reflect regional tastes, and this was evident at Mengrai Thai Restaurant. Thai cuisine, known for its vibrant flavors, typically relies on fish sauce to deliver its signature umami depth. However, here, the pad Thai and mango salad were seasoned with shrimp paste—bagoong, for those familiar with Filipino cooking—instead. Shrimp paste, with its bold, pungent intensity, contrasts with the lighter, more nuanced salinity of fish sauce. Personally, I prefer the subtle, balanced tang of fish sauce, which lets other ingredients shine without overpowering the dish. The swap, while interesting, made the pad Thai and mango salad feel heavier than expected.

The tom yum soup with coconut milk was enjoyable, with a creamy texture and pleasant heat, but it fell short of the complex, layered flavors that define an exceptional tom yum. I missed the bright, aromatic interplay of lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves that elevates a truly memorable bowl. Meanwhile, the meat salad had potential but was let down by slightly tough meat, which dulled an otherwise...

Food: Reached my standard of a good thai restaurant (hallmark is the tomyam). Price is quite on the high side but imo it is worth it.

Butter prawn is my personal favourite. 2nd fav is spicy thai beef salad.

The rice here is authentic. It is quite glutinous not like the one in cheap kedai siam.

Flavors are balanced and not too salty (common mistake in a Thai retaurant), you can even hear the sound of the wok and hot gas stove from the kitchen in the seating area.

Beverage:

I like the iced green tea the most.

I can tell that they use high quality green tea powder from Thailand (likely the cha tra mue brand), not the cheap ice blended one.

The hints of bitterness accompanied with mild fragrance of tea leaves make it the perfect companion alongside the spicy dishes.

Service and atmosphere:

I find it quite hot (maybe because we sit in a corner?).

Service is fast, we got our food within 15-20 minutes after order (the restaurant was moderately packed during our visit).

Would totally come here again for the food and...