aly's wonderland

Pla dib

Bangkok: Singapore: Kuala Lumpur

Heritage Village, Seri Kembangan

It was a dark and stormy night… my Astro (ever the reliable ‘weather man’) had conked out about 10 minutes before the lightning, and the thunder, and the rain hit. I was rushing to meet a deadline, and I was not looking forward to the drive in front of me.

A few days after I arrived back from a weekend in Bangkok, I received an invitation to a food tasting at a restaurant called Pla dib at the Mines. Darn it! I thought to myself. If I’d known about it before I left for Bangkok I could have at least had some Thai food while I was there, as opposed to the serious lack of lemongrass and chilli padi over 3 days. Needless to say, the desire for coriander and spice overcame any fear of crazy KL traffic in rush hour.

I grabbed the directions I’d printed out, jumped in my car and revved up the engine. Vroom Vroom! Thai food, I’m-a-comin’!

7.10 pm – I pull out of my parking lot.

7.17 pm – I turn on to Jalan Bangsar.

7.18 pm – I curse and swear.

7.40 pm – I curse and swear and hate all construction workers and roads in KL.

7.45 pm – I pass the Jalan Bangsar/Brickfields traffic lights, and I smile. Smooth. I turn on to the Federal Highway. Standstill. I curse and swear some more.

7.55 pm – I turn off the Federal Highway, and follow signs to the KL Seremban Highway.

8.10 pm – I wonder if there is only ONE KL Seremban Highway. I SMS Fatboybakes. Where was the Sungei Besi Toll?

8.20pm – I think I will make it on time. I see the white shop houses mentioned in the directions. I just need to make a U-turn! I rejoice!

8.21 pm – I U-Turn. Then I don’t follow the instructions.

8.22 pm – I take a wrong turn. I curse and swear some more.

The general gist: I arrived 20 mins late and missed a couple of the starters. Oh, and Pla dip, doesn’t serve Thai food. It serves ‘Fusion’ food.

I’m always wary of a place that labels itself as ‘Fusion’. Imagine, a dish of Sambal Foie Gras, with Gorgonzola, or Stir Fried Kang Kung Belacan with shaved Parmesan and Truffles. It would taste like – pardon the ‘French’ – F*RT in your mouth.

Fortunately for us, at Pladip, they get Fusion just right. Pla dib, when directly translated into English, means Fish, or ‘Freedom of Food’.

I like their interpretation of the word freedom. It seems they’ve translated it into a creative, yet controlled marriage of ingredients, from kitchen to plate, to palate. I missed the first two dishes, being late and all, but you can see what Fatboybakes and Babe KL think.

I got a very ‘Zen’ feeling when I walked in. I had to cross a bridge, over the river (the manmade water feature) to get there. I could see them, and I was waving, and shouting, “I’m here! I’m finally here!” but no one could hear me.

The restaurant was empty, apart from the long table in the middle that we occupied. Kisses flew all around to old and new friends, and I settled down in my seat to a nice, tall cool glass of Phuket Beer.

The deco was warm, yet minimal, and I’m told that the interior is fashioned after the original outlet in Bangkok.

The bar looked well stocked, and the specials screamed “Try me!”

Traditional Thai it was not.

In fact, I would call it more, European-Japanese with Thai ingredients. Take for example, the starter that Fatboybakes and (the other half of) BabeKL saved for me. I thank you dearly. He also requested that I try the Soft Shell Crab Salad that sounded so inviting, but I guess the rule ‘You Snooze, You Loze’ applied here.

BEVERAGES

Mint Soursop Blast

A refreshing blend soursop, mint leaf, pineapple juice, fresh lime & sugar syrup.

Pla dib Art

A pretty, pink drink of peach fruit, pineapple juice, grenadine, yoghurt, fresh lime & sugar syrup.

APPETIZERS

Salmon Labb (with Shoyu, Chili Flakes, Roasted Rice & Lime Juice)

Lime juice in Japanese cuisine? Hardly. Lime juice in Thai cooking? There’s an abundance of it. I liked the simplicity of the raw salmon, coupled with the spiciness of the chilli flakes and the texture of the roasted rice (Jasmine rice, I’m told).

Single Sun Beef

An exotic name for an exotic dish. Sun dried beef marinated in herbs and spices. It tasted like a more moist version of beef jerky.

Raw Shrimp in Fish Sauce

Another classic Japanese starter, commonly known as Amaebi, brought to life with a staple Thai cooking ingredient: fish sauce.

We moved on to our pasta dishes, and there was talk of what ‘Mentaiko’ was. All very innocent banter as we tried to figure out which fish these eggs came from, before Fatboybakes exclaimed, “So, really, how many eggs does a woman lay-hor?”

I cracked up, as I dug through my brain to Form 1 biology lessons, and came up with blanks (as most men would hope to when a woman is laying her egg/eggs).

PASTA

Black Spaghetti with Seafood

This is where you really notice the European style of cooking, with Thai ingredients. An al dente pasta tossed in fresh herbs and familiar Thai spices. Look at those prawns.

Spinach Fettuccini with Mentaiko

As the charming manager Prakash explained this dish, he clarified the question of what Mentaiko was. “Cod’s eggs,” he explained knowledgably. “Ahh”… we all nodded in understanding. I liked this dish, because, like others served at Pla dib, it retained the element of surprise.

I expected the spinach to be sloppy, and mushy, but it was anything but. Deep fried to a crispy golden-green, it was light as air yet retained a pleasant crunchiness.

Creamy Cappellini Angel Hair Pasta

Creamy it was! A thick sauce, made even richer by little bubbles of heavenly Ebikko, tangled pasta and succulent prawn. Very filling, it’s a good thing they served us tasting portions.

And then, it was time for… drumroll please…

MAIN COURSE

Black Fried Rice (with squid ink and seafood)

I found this dish particularly interesting, as what I originally thought was Arborio rice (used in risotto) was in fact, Thai Jasmine rice. The squid ink contributed a much needed savoury element to the dish, while the raw egg, perched delicately on top, is there for you to add and mix as you like.

Mix it up good, and slurp up the sticky, gooey deliciousness in all its glory.

I guess it’s like a black Mango sticky rice pudding! Hey, at Pla dib they welcome all cultures (and colours!).

Rainbow Trout in Lime Leaf with Steam Rice

Not a big fish fan myself, especially not when they’re served whole, I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness, and flavour in the Rainbow Trout.

This was the first dish where I could actually really taste ‘Thai’ flavours, especially from the fragrant Kaffir lime leaves.

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Roasted Rice

A well marinated chunk of chicken, served in an innovative way to spice up what would be a boring meat and rice dish.

I enjoyed the crispy, charred skin on the rice patty. A nice contrast of texture.

SIDE DISH

Mashed Potatoes with Wasabi

I went to bed dreaming of this. Wasabi, and mashed potatoes. Genius!

By this point, the ol’ belt was being loosened and the Phuket Beer was filling me up. Lo’ and behold, a sizeable pizza appeared in front of us.

PIZZA

Smoked Salmon Pizza (Smoked Salmon, Bell Pepper, Onion, Tomatoes, Coriander & Mozzarella Cheese)

Looking at the description in the menu, I was a little overwhelmed. Then the pizza appeared, and they forgot to mention the cracked egg in the middle that was cooked through.

I was worried that the flavours would clash, especially with the salmon and tomatoes, and the salmon and cheese. It was, however, saved by the light and fluffy ‘puff pastry-ish’ base.

Had it been the traditional Italian pizza dough, the combination of ingredients would have been too overwhelming.

When it comes to combining ingredients and cooking styles from different countries, it’s safe to say Pla dib does pretty well. I’d gone with the expectation of eating traditional Thai food, but instead, I got something quite special.

Don’t miss out on Pla dib’s DESSERTS.

Thab Thim Krob.

A creamy, icy blend of coconut milk with bright pink, crunchy water chestnuts.

Homemade Durian Gelato

My father’s voice rang in my head. “Don’t mix durian with beer.” Ah, scr*w it, I thought, and whacked down the creamy, durian flavoured gelato.

Not forgetting of course, a surprise dessert from Nigel & Allan of Just Heavenly, the ones who made that wonderful evening possible.

Pla dip – It’s hardly Thai, but I tell you, it will certainly satisfy!

Special thanks to Sherlene, Anna, management & staff Pla dib for a lovely evening!

CONTACT

Pla Dib

G-13 & 14, The Heritage Village,
Jalan SB Dagang,
Seri Kembangan, Selangor
(opposite Mines Shopping Fair)
Tel: 03-89381936 03-89381936
Fax: 03-89455769