Baan Thai Publika: Thai Set Lunch Under RM20

For those working or living around Solaris Dutamas and looking for a Thai-style lunch, Baan Thai @ Publika offers a budget-friendly option. The restaurant's name means "Thai house", and the restaurant says many of its ingredients are brought in from Thailand. It also states that it holds the Thai SELECT recognition, a mark given by the Thai government to restaurants serving authentic Thai flavours.

Set lunches here start from RM15.90++, covering one main dish and one soup. For the soup, you can choose between white tom yum or clear soup with tofu.

We tried a few options. The seafood fried glass noodles combine glass noodles and seafood on one plate, while the nasi goreng ayam tomyam suits those who want a sour, spicy kick in their rice. The nasi goreng daun selasih ayam (Thai basil chicken fried rice) is fragrant and full-flavoured.

The one that left the biggest impression was the signature pandan chicken with rice. It's served with a fried duck egg with crispy golden edges and a rich, thick yolk. Mix it all up with the rice and pandan chicken, and every mouthful tastes even richer.

Drinks like Thai milk tea and Thai green tea can be added to the set. Baan Thai is in block A1 Solaris Dutamas, next to Publika, and opens from 11am until late at night, making it an option for after-work meals too.