Wednesday, October 17, 2018

First Bite: Muang Thai

I love Thai cuisine but it was my recent trip to Thailand that made me appreciate it in a whole new level. With its scrumptious and colorful food everywhere, I was tempted to go on a food crawl every day during my 2 week visit. Thankfully, we have a handful of reliable Thai restaurants in Manila to satisfy our Pad Thai, Tom Yum and Satay cravings. One establishment stood the test of time and has been delighting foodies for over two decades. 

Hello, Muang Thai
Tucked inside Teachers Village, Muang Thai has been serving scrumptious Thai dishes since 1996. Fast forward to 2018, it now has a new look but continues to offer classics that would tickle anyone's taste buds. 
The new look of Muang Thai is sleek, modern and with elegant touches of nature. 
The second floor houses its function rooms and an al fresco area. 
R and I tried Thai Fried Chicken Skin (PHP190), Spring Rolls (PHP200), Yum Pla Dook Fu (PHP260), Tom Yum Talay (PHP460), Pad Thai (PHP360), Satay Gai (PHP250), Beef Short Ribs (PHP435) and Mango Sticky Rice (PHP110). We also had Frozen Thai Milk Tea (PHP130) and Lemon + Lemongrass (PHP125).
Service was served pretty fast. Our drinks were served within 10 minutes along with amuse-bouche of green mango to whet our appetite. 
Lemon + Lemongrass had that nice blend of sweet, citrusy and herbal flavors. It was refreshing and the perfect beverage to stay cool during a hot day. 
The Frozen Thai Milk Tea was actually placed under desserts than drinks and we could see why. This drink topped with sweetened milk is a treat! It had that delicious tea flavor yet balanced by the milk. It would have been an excellent drink/dessert if they added boba.

I was curious how Muang Thai would make the sinful yet oh-so-yummy chicken skin a bit more Asian. And it did a great job by tossing it in Thai Asian spices and serving it with sweet chili sauce instead of the usual vinegar. This is also a bang for the buck dish as each mouthful had a layer of chicken meat. 
As a big fan of spring rolls, I always order it whenever I visit Thai or Vietnamese restaurants. And Muang Thai's version is the classic kind that I love. Mixed vegetables wrapped and fried till golden brown, nothing short of delicious!
Another dish I always get is catfish salad and Muang Thai's version is amazing. Each mouthful was crunchy and I love that it didn't make my throat itch. I just wish that they added a bit more green mango salad for that nice contrast in texture and flavor. 
I was looking forward to my bowl of Tom Yum. The aroma alone made me salivate but I was surprised that it was more of salty than sweet and spicy. There was not a lot of clams and fish fillet as well. The charred shrimp was a nice touch though.
I fell in love with Muang Thai's Pad Thai which had this nice sweet yet savory taste. It was also not overly oily which made me eat half a plate in a few minutes. 
No visit is complete without getting a plate of satay and this plate of Satay Gai is love! Generously glazed with peanut sauce, the lightly charred chicken thighs were flavorful in every bite. This is best enjoyed with rice given its rich flavor. 
Another stellar dish you have to try at Muang Thai is its Beef Short Ribs. This picturesque dish adorned with sauteed mushroom and roasted pineapple is R's favorite in the spread. Succulent and lightly seasoned, you get to enjoy the beef's natural taste. Smother your beef chunk with sauce if you want more flavor. 
Mango Sticky Rice is the classic Thai dessert and I was looking forward to it. However, I was underwhelmed by this one as the dessert was not as moist as I pictured. It didn't have much coconut milk and the mango was not that sweet as well. I hope they also served a small glass of coconut milk for those who prefer this dish to be sweeter. 
Overall though, food was great and service was fast. It has a lovely ambiance to match its delightful dishes. And plus points for having parking in front. 

Muang Thai is located at 138 Malakas corner Matalino Street, Diliman, Quezon City.

Muang Thai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments or other recommendations? :)