PULAU TIKUS, March 13 As a big-time fan of Thai food, I have eaten at different places and tried different styles, but not had moo kata (Thai barbeque) before. It was therefore an interesting experience when I finally got to eat it at the Aroy Chang Moo Kata in Pulau Tikus.
This unassuming little outlet, with inside or al fresco seating, is opposite the Sleeping Buddha Thai Temple in Lintang Burmah. Jerry Lim started it two years ago.
The chef is from Chiangmai, so the food has a northern slant to it. They like grilled dishes, and theres more use of herbs and vegetables, said Lim of theThais in Chiangmai.
But be warned: they also like their chillies! Many of the dishes are extremely spicy, full of chilli padi, delicious if you can take it, and guaranteed to bring out a sweat and thats just the local version of chilli padi. The Thais dont consider us to be really spicy eaters.
They do all the typical dishes such as the piquant Tom Yam, fiery sour Som Tam (green papaya salad), whole fish done in a variety of tasty ways that only the Thais can do. Non-spicy foods include fragrant Khoon Ob Moon Sen (prawns with glass noodles) and the unusual Cha Om, omelette with a special green vegetable. At lunchtime they offer some very competitively priced sets for office workers, starting at RM5.50+.
Their speciality is moo kata, apparently adapted from the Korean-style barbeque. The moo kata is the light, metal cooking vessel, imported from Thailand, which combines both steamboat and barbeque.
A charcoal fire inside heats the dome-shaped middle over which you place the different types of seafood, sliced pork and beef that come with the set. To ensure they dont stick, and also to give additional flavour, two large cubes of lard are first rubbed all over the vessel.
Unlike Malaysian steamboat, which basically just boils the food, its fun being able to barbeque the thinly sliced meats first, after which they are dipped into (s! picy wh at else) home-made chilli sauces and other condiments.
Once the meats are cooked, the juices flow into the red or clear tom yam stock below, further enriching the flavour. No MSG is used in the preparation, I am assured. Add all the remaining vegetables and noodles to the mix, bring it to the boil once again, and youll finish off the meal with a tasty, spicy bang.
The moo kata comes in two sets, depending on how many people are in the group. If there are two or three, its RM38+, and for three or four pax it costs RM68+, with free top-ups of the soups on request.
Its Thai food with a difference, and a great way of breaking the ice or relaxing with the family or friends over a reasonably priced, tasty meal.
There were large and small groups of people, local and Thai, tucking into it with relish when we were there. Dress casual though; its hot in every sense of the word!
Aroy Chang Moo Kata
22 Lintang Burmah
10250 George Town, Penang
Tel: 010 379 9852
Opening Hours: 11am-2.30pm, 6-11pm. Closed Mondays
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