KomPassion is the latest Thai baby in the quiet suburb of Damansara Kim and has been quite the talk of the town lately. We bumped into the owners, Desmond Wong and Tan Huat Jin (who are brothers-in-law) when we dined in KomPassion recently. Desmond and Tan have teamed up with Chef Nikom Uatthong to set up this restaurant. We’ve heard how KomPassion has been touted as being an offshoot from another well-known Thai restaurant chain but according to Desmond and Tan, the only connection to that chain restaurant is that Chef Nikom used to be their consultant chef, hence the konfusion! KomPassion is totally an entity on its own and is Desmond and Tan’s first foray into the food business.
KomPassion Pork Leg Rice
OK, now that we have got that sorted out, let’s get down to what KomPassion has to offer.
The simplistic raw décor with lamps hanging from exposed piping and taps on a bare cement wall is quite endearing. Furniture is kept to very basic and clean lines… plain wooden tables and simple chairs. The trend now in dining outlets “no plush outfitting” as I notice many new restaurants are spotting this approach.
At the moment, KomPassion’s menu is kept to a one-page brown paper presentation. Porky fans would swoon at the numerous dishes offering good old authentic Thai favourites like Pork Leg Rice (RM25.90). The pork leg has been braised till gelatinuously tender and served with 2 sauces and pickles by the side. I like how the healthy version of rice is served in KomPassion: they use multi-grain brown rice throughout, whether in their one-dish meal or as individual servings to accompany other dishes. For individual servings, it’s priced at RM3.50 per pax, refillable.
We actually started off our meal with their KomPassion Chicken Wings (RM17.90). The wings have been chopped into smaller bite sizes, well marinated with spices and fish sauce and extremely addictive.
Under their “KomPassion Special” we ordered the Double Cooked Pork Belly and Soft Shell Crabs with Cucumber Salad (RM65). The double cooked pork belly is essentially roast pork with delicious crunchy skin. Paired with deep-fried soft shell crabs and crisp raw vegetable, the dish may seem a bit pricey but it’s a pretty huge portion. I love the thick creamy umami sauce that’s slathered all over the pork – really decadent.
We tried their Tom Yum Fish (RM45) with a spicy level of 2 (choose from 1-3, 3 being the spiciest). It’s served in a big metal bowl – the soup looked mild with flecks of chilli floating on top. Well, that’s it – it LOOKED mild, but even at medium level, the spiciness level was quite lethal! So, choose your level wisely. Other than that, the fish fillets were fresh and tender. The portion served was good for 5-6 people.
Paneang Curry Pork Loin
Green Curry Crispy Pork
We couldn’t resist ordering the Paneang Curry Pork Loin and Green Curry Crispy Pork, both priced at RM35. Of the two, I prefer the Green Curry Crispy Pork – the curry was thick, creamy and aromatic and best of all, the pork skin remained crispy despite being cooked in the curry! We couldn’t stop ladling the delicious thick curry over our rice over and over again. The Paneang Curry Pork Loin was just average for me.
Besides the Pork Leg Rice, we tried another one-dish item … Tom Yum Fried Rice with Grilled Seafood (RM18.90). Again, multi-grain brown rice is used and the serving came decked out generously with grilled squid rings, a medium-sized prawn, crabsticks and a decent-sized salmon fillet with pickles and creamy tangy sauce by the side. I felt the tom yum flavours were a bit muted though.
If you are a vegetables lover, you may be a bit disappointed that KomPassion currently offers only one option on their menu. Its “Vegetables of the Day” is at RM15 and we had Stir-fried Kailan when we were there.
Tako
Desserts are also quite limited at the moment. For RM10 a portion, you can choose from their Tako, Icecream with Jackfruit & Red Rubies and possibly Cheesecake, too – we were served a complimentary piece of this. I like the Tako, with its creamy texture laden with pandan and coconut milk flavours and it’s not-too-sweet with a touch of saltish coconut shavings sprinkled on top.
Icecream with Jackfruit & Red Rubies
For drinks, we opted for their Japanese Green Tea with Lemon Grass at RM3.50 per pax, refillable – good option, I must say. It’s best to call up and make reservations as I heard they are pretty busy on most days!
KomPassion Thai Fusion Food
5 Jalan SS20/11
Damansara Kim
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7731-9256
*Closed on Mondays
I’ve got to pay a visit to this one. I love Thai food…The dishes here looks really filling. It is not too big in portion?
Some are pretty generous in portions, so it’s good to share out.
great pic of the pork leg rice, it really captures the full attractiveness of the recipe! 😀
Thanks, Sean!
This is on top of my list and tried to make reservation 2 weeks ago but fully booked T_T
It should be OK now… check it out soon ya!