Top In Asia | Thai Camp, OUG

My first visit to Thai Camp was close to 10 years ago, when they were located in Taman Paramount. Back then, I frequented Thai Camp mostly for their khao soi, which was one of the better ones I’ve eaten outside of Chiang Mai.

The outlet in Taman Paramount has since ceased business and relocated to OUG. Jien and I visited Thai Camp in OUG not too long ago for a somewhat early dinner at 6pm. Even so, the place was already pretty packed with patrons.

Dinner crowd at 6pm

Compared to the first outlet, Thai Camp OUG is more “spacious”, with tables placed by the sidewalk and also roadside. While I’m generally cautious about dining by the roadside with my little ones (due to oncoming vehicles)it might be a better option with Thai Camp. The sound proofing inside the shop is bad, it’s hard to communicate with the staff let alone your dining companions.

It’s also quite stuffy and humid, so you’ll have to dress accordingly.

Thai milk tea

I used to like the Thai iced tea (RM6.90 – large) at Thai Camp when they were in PJ, but for some reason, the current iced tea at OUG isn’t as thick or creamy as I remembered it to be. Perhaps they are catering to a more health-conscious crowd at their current location, but I prefer how they made it before.

Special pork leg rice

Fork tender meat in thick, spice-flavoured gravy

Thai Camp’s special pork leg rice is one of the better ones I’ve had in Klang Valley so far – fork tender meat and soft skin that gives way in the mouth. I like how the gravy is thick-ish, and well balanced with spices. Not a fan of pork leg stew that’s too heavy on the star anise, but that’s just my preference.

Khao Soi (Thai curry noodles)

Thick, creamy broth with plenty of salted vege garnish

I expect no less from Thai Camp to deliver on the Khao Soi, since that was the reason I kept going back to the first outlet. This time, you get to pick the noodle of your choice and I opted for yellow noodles, which went well with the crispy noodle topping. Instead of just chicken as the base protein, you can now opt for pork belly khao soi which I did – no regrets.

Tom yum pork belly with rice

We also ordered the tom yum pork belly with rice (RM14.90) and I have to say, the recipe has improved. The broth is thicker and creamier, but still has a good kick from the chillies and acidity from the lime. There’s also a seafood version which I reckon would taste sweeter, but I quite like the version with pork belly.

Special Thai fried rice with prawn

Our helper and little ones really enjoyed special Thai fried rice with prawn (RM10.90) – portion is generous and the rice is brimming with wok hei. There’s also the version with pork belly but I feel ordering that on top of what we had would be overkill.

Stir-fried basil minced pork rice and fried egg

The stir-fried basil minced pork rice and fried egg (RM11.90) was delicious. There’s a generous ratio of pork to rice, and flavour is spot on too. Spicy and savoury with a deep flavour from the fish sauce used. It also has the right liquid ratio – neither too dry nor wet, but just nice with white rice.

Thai pork satay

Jien and I enjoyed the Thai pork satay (RM10.90 for 3 sticks) which is a vast improvement from the time Thai Camp was in PJ. The pork was tender and adequately fatty – grilled over strong flames for a delicious char. There’s good depth in flavour and the crisp edges gave the satay more textural contrast.

Boy Tim Krob

Generous portion of red ruby and jackfruit slices

For dessert, we had the Thai red ruby (RM6.90) which was quite decent. There’s a generous amount of red ruby and jackfruit slices, and the concoction is justly thick from the coconut milk used. I reckon this has superseded the one at Rayong Thai, which used to be my favourite.

Overall, the food at Thai Camp has improved. I’d come back for the khao soi, pork leg rice and red ruby. Ambiance however, isn’t as comfortable. Because the staff kept dropping things (think sharp metal clink clanks) which made my dining experience uncomfortable. I reckon I’ll sit outside next time as it might be more comfortable, noise-wise.

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Ambiance: 4/10

Price: 6.5/10

Food: 7/10 (non-halal)

Verdict: Solid Thai dishes. My favourites are the khao soi, pork leg rice and red ruby.

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