Food Review: Flying Chillis

Simply Thailicious

Hot, hot, hot! I’m not talking about the weather. For spicy sauces that will make you feel like you’re floating, head over to Flying Chillis at the Gardens. Their dishes are divided into three categories: ‘Flying Colour’ for mild, ‘Spicy’ for a mid-range kick, and ‘Explosive’ for those who dare to go all the way.

Located on Level 3 of The Gardens at Mid Valley City, bathed in a stream of natural light with the steady bustle of shoppers in the background, Flying Chillis is the perfect place to rest your tired feet during or after a hard day’s shopping. Stylish deco, friendly staff and a choice of cozy indoor dining or eating ‘al-fresco’ greeted us. Tempting aromas teased our nostrils, wafting over from the table next to us. I started off with a Thai Ice Tea, refreshing and beautifully presented; a layer of ‘gula melaka’ a layer of milk, a layer of tea topped off with chunks of ice.

‘For a flying start’ (it actually says that on the menu) we tried the Flying Chillies combo, which serves 3 -4. This was a selection of deep fried goodies; Sesame Chicken Toast, Thai Spring Rolls, Prawn Wrapped in Wonton Skin, and very full flavoured, bouncy Thai Fishcakes. I particularly liked the sweet chilli dip which tasted like combination of chilli, spices and honey. Moving on to the ‘Soup with a Thai Nationality’, the Flying Chillies Special Fire Pot for two was placed in front of me. This was a special Tom Yam River Prawn dish, with two large prawns in a fiery broth. Although this dish was rated ‘Explosive’ my tastebuds found it would better suited in the ‘Flying Colour’ range. Mild, but still bursting with flavour. The prawns were meaty, fresh and yes, of course most importantly, the heads were juicy and delicious!

“Right,” said Natalie Kam, Marketing & PR Executive for SeaCuisine Sdn. Bhd. “Let’s get serious,” she smiles. She wasn’t joking. The ‘Let’s get serious’ main courses were brought out. What caught my eye was the ‘Flying Saucers’ Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawn. Served in a whole pineapple, the smell makes your mouth water. Fried with saffron, herbs and spices, then baked for a short time in an oven, we could taste the subtle flavour of pineapple that had soaked into the rice. Nisha (Red FM’s Late Night Love Songs) decided that because it was so tasty it could be eaten on its own.

On the menu it says “Do you care for Thai Curry?” I think the answer there is a firm YES. I love it even more after trying Flying Chilli’s Green Curry Chicken. Juicy chunks of chicken breast and sliced straw mushrooms swimming in a pool of steaming hot, creamy curry. Mild, yet satisfying, but I needed more chilli. I didn’t get it from the Stir-fried Beef with Hot Basil, although it was delicious. Tender strips of beef, marinated in a dark thai sauce with fragrant basil leaves and tiny pieces of ‘chilli padi’. The Aly Award for dish of the day had to go to the Steamed Siakap with lime and chilli. A generous sized whole Seabass steamed in a clear, spicy broth overflowing with chunks of garlic and coriander. The sauce acts almost like a soup, and according to Kam a lot of people eat it straight from the dish. After we had polished off the fish, that’s exactly what I did. Sipped on the soup and picked on the Pandan leaves chicken.

We finished off our meal with typical Thai desserts. Coconut Cream with Sago and Honeydew and the Red Ruby Water Chestnuts in Coconut Milk. Whether you’re resting your feet after a hard day’s shopping or starting out your evening, Flying Chillis is a great place to get your fill of consistently good Thai food. It’s Simply Thailiscious!

Try Flying Chillis for yourself! Starting Monday 20th April, listeners have a chance to win RM100 vouchers in the Big Red Food Review, Eleven2Three with Aly. Only on Red FM, Today’s Best Music.