It has been a while since I was last invited to a food review event. But knowing that I love food, a blogger friend (part family) of mine, Miera, will hook me up whenever there is a food review event. Well, I can’t say no to that. So this time around, I was at Sanoook, a brand new outlet in Pavilion Elite KL. This is their second (or third?) branch in the Klang Valley. And owned by the same company that owns Chakri Palace in KLCC where I was also invited to review their Ramadhan buffet promotion last year.
We all might know that Chakri Palace serves Thai food and their food is to me, not bad. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give them a solid 8. Sanoook is however similar to Chakri Palace but with a little twist. They still serve Thai food, but with Japanese style of preparing the food and cooking. Fancy fusion food? Then you gotta try out Sanoook.
And here’s my review (along with pictures to make you drool).
Miang Kham
First thing that I had was a starter called Miang Kham. At first I thought it to be “sireh pinang” or something like that. Then I did some reading and found out that Miang kham is a snack food that originated in the northern part of Thailand, originally using pickled tea leaves. This “snack” mostly consists of raw fresh tea leaves that are filled with roasted coconut shavings and the main ingredients such as shallots, chili, ginger, garlic, lime, peanuts, dried shrimps and sour mango, chopped or cut into small pieces.
The name “miang kham” translates to “one bite wrap”, from miang (food wrapped in leaves) and kham (a bite). Before wrapping the filled leaves are topped with palm syrup or sugar cane syrup which often has been cooked with lemongrass, galangal, ginger and fish sauce.
This Miang Kham was so good that I finished the whole basket full of it all by myself. Okay, almost all of it. I was skeptical at first, thinking it might taste like sireh (which I don’t like). But after that first bite, I immediately make myself another one. It was that good. I love it.
Grilled Chicken with Green Curry Sauce
At first, this one looks like a burger. After you look closer, you can see that the “buns” are actually rice, shaped like buns. Be prepared to get messy while eating this because everything will fall apart. You may end up having rice spilled all over the table. But it’s well worth it.
Phad Thai Noodles with Prawn
There’s nothing Japanese about this one, just good old plain Phad Thai noodle that taste so good. This is one of the better ones that I had. It’s very flavourful and it doesn’t bore me. Sometimes when we eat something, we can’t finish it because after a while it tends to be too overwhelming. This Phad Thai doesn’t do that to me. Excellent taste and it made me happy.
Beef and Chicken Skewers
Both beef and chicken skewers are a mixed bag for me. I don’t know whether to place it in the Thai food category or the Japanese food category. Presentation wise, it’s probably leaning more towards the Japanese style. Taste? I don’t know. Probably on the Japanese style as well. It doesn’t have any of that That spices put into it. So yeah. Japanese it is.
Seafood Tom Yam Fried Rice
Most of us must have ordered a typical Thai Tom Yam Fried Rice at least once in our lives right? I don’t have much to say about this dish because it taste exactly like many other Tom Yam Fried Rice out there. I was a little bit disappointed with this one because it’s too common and nothing special being added into it. Except for that gigantic spoon it came in.
Thai Coconut Soup with Chicken Wonton
When I tasted this, it was very familiar. Taste like something that I’ve cooked before. Then I remember. My Tom Ka Kai (Thai Chicken in Coconut Broth) taste exactly like this. But Sanoook made it with Chicken Wonton which is not bad. I actually thought it was a dessert dish until I took a bite on it. It’s warm and milky. The chicken wonton was a little bit bland. Perhaps it needed a pinch of salt in it, then it’ll be fine. Just my two cents.
Grilled Tuna Sushi Roll with Spicy Tom Yam Sauce
When they mentioned that they are a Japanese and Thai fusion restaurant, they better deliver. And they did! This Grilled Tuna Sushi Roll with Spicy Tom Yam Sauce dish was exactly what I expected from a fusion restaurant. The tuna was fresh, spicy tom yam sauce was not spicy enough for me but good nonetheless. It was weird at first, but pleasantly satisfying right after. This is something different for your taste buds.
Mango Sticky Rice with Ice Cream
I didn’t get to taste this one but from the guy who did, he said it taste exactly like the normal mango sticky rice. Okay. I’m not trying to put down Sanoook or anything but this is rather more of an encouragement for them to improve for future products.
Others
Now these are some of the other dishes that I didn’t get to try (because there were many of us and limited dishes). I will still share the photos here for you guys to see and maybe drool too.
Those are mostly what we had and what I get to taste at Sanoook the other day. Surprisingly the best of the lot for me was the Miang Kham snack. I don’t know what the others think but I enjoyed the Miang Kham a lot. Second would be the Smoked Salmon Salad although the salmon was a little bit too salty. The grilled tuna sushi roll was not bad either.
I can say a few things about Sanoook. They tried to be a fusion restaurant, combining Thai and Japanese ingredients in their dishes. Some made a good hit, some missed. But don’t let my remarks discourage you from trying a meal at Sanoook. You’d be surprised how their simple dishes would have an impact on your taste buds. It may look simple, but it also may put a smile on your face.
So would I recommend Sanoook for you to give it a go? Yes! Definitely. Like I said, they have a few hits and misses on their menu spread. But what was normal for me might be extraordinary for you. If you fancy a new mixture of fusion food, then go and give it a try. My ratings on Sanoook on a scale of 1 to 10? I’d give it a 7.
Meanwhile, here’s the menu. Perhaps you can have a look at it before you head over to Sanoook.
Sanoook, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Lot 1.104, Level 1, Pavilion Elite Shopping Mall, 165, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-2110 5756
Hours: Daily 10AM – 10PM
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/sanoookmy
