Tam Zabb Lao and Thai in Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru

Since I stumbled upon Tam Zabb Lao and Thai restaurant a few months ago, I have become a regular here. I like Tam Zabb because their food is delicious and also for their uncompromising authenticity.

Inside the shop lot at Taman Nusa Bestari, Tam Zabb is neat, simply laid out, comfortable and unmistakeably Thai with a contemporary touch.



Aphinya, the lady boss, is from Thailand, as are the Chef and crew in the kitchen. Aphinya herself had been a Chief Chef in a Thai restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden for many years. Speaking with Aphinya, I realised that she took great pride and go to great lengths to get the right and freshest ingredients to ensure the authenticity of her Lao and Thai dishes.



Whenever I am at Tam Zabb, I saw Aphinya personally involved in the food preparation and cooking.

Here are some of my personal favourites at Tam Zabb.


Pandan chicken RM12

Pandan chicken is standard fare at Thai food restaurants but at Tam Zabb, there is a basic yet important difference.



Tam Zabb is the only restaurant that I know, so far, that uses fresh chilled chicken instead of frozen chicken to make their pandan chicken.



Tam Zabb's pandan chicken has tender, natural sweetness of fresh chicken - something not possible with frozen chicken. The pandan flavoured chicken is further enhanced by dipping it in the savoury sweet sauce made with palm sugar imported from Thailand.



I like this Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts. The chicken slices are smacked sharply with the flat of a chopper, coated with a thin batter and then deep fried to a crisp, before stir frying. The end result is a savoury biscuit-like chicken koropok or crackle. Excellent with white rice and even better with cold beer :P 


Num Tok Phla (tilapia fish) RM25

Num Tok Phla is a large tilapia fish, its thick flesh diced into chunky cubes, marinaded with hot spices, deep fried and served with union, mint, dried chili peppers and chili powder garnishing.


Fried fish with chili RM22

This fried tilapia with chili is another of my favourites. The thick tilapia fish is fried till the outside is crisp while the insides are still slightly moist. The chili sauce looks fiery but it is actually just mildly spicy.


Grilled catfish RM10

Catfish is common in markets and stalls in Johor but here at Tam Zabb it is BBQed with such finesse that the skin is reduced to a dry savoury parchment while the sweet flesh remains moist with its natural juices and oils. 


Classic Larb RM15

Classic Larb is an everyday kind of home cooked meal in Northeast Thailand and Laos. Comfort food made with finely chopped pork and stir fried with spicy, tangy sauces, herbs and spices.



For many people, no Thai meal is complete without a spicy tom yam soup. For Thai food newbies, have no fear, Tam Zabb's tom yam soup is just mildly spicy (as long as you don't bite into the chili peppers :P ) and the ingredients are all market fresh.


Kho Moo Yang or pork neck salad RM16

In JB, this Thai pork dish is available only in Tam Zabb as far as I know. The pork from the chin area is grilled over very slow fire, when cooked, it is thinly sliced and then tossed in a tangy and spicy salad sauce. The resulting meat is tender, naturally sweet and spicy with a bouncy, delightful "QQ" mouth feel. That fearsome looking thick layer of fat did not make me feel congested or bloated at all (making it all the more dangerous :P ). This grilled pork neck is simply marvellous.


Som Tam Thai RM10


Som Tom RM15

Delicious tangy, sweet and savoury Thai appetisers that can really whet one's appetite.

To top off our meals, Tam Zabb serves some marvellous Thai desserts that I've not seen anywhere else in Johor Bahru.


Pumpkin Custard served with Ice Cream RM15

Delightful pumpkin custard served with ice cream. Soft, natural sweetness of the pumpkin is complemented by the saccharin sweetness of ice cream. The contrast of warm custard with cold ice cream makes this treat an interesting experience. 


Sticky Rice Mango dessert RM12

Sticky Rice Mango is a common dessert in Thai restaurants. The sweet and slightly tangy mango complemented the sweet sticky rice. At Tam Zabb, the mango is bathed with a milky syrup made with palm sugar extracted from "sea coconut" palms. Delightful on the taste buds and not overly sweet, I found it rather addictive. Unable to find it in Johor markets, Aphinya buys the palm sugar directly from Thailand. This treat is so delicious that somehow, my stomach always found space for this substantial dessert.



Tam Zabb's grilled banana dessert served with a sweet sauce made with Thai sea coconut palm sugar. Aphinya used a mix of local and Thai bananas for this dessert. The local bananas are sweeter, soft and mushy while the Thai ones were firmer, less sweet and slightly fibrous. Using both bananas gave this dessert an interesting mix of flavours and textures.

Tam Zabb has many other delicious authentic Lao and Thai favourites. Here are more popular dishes that I have enjoyed.


Steamed sea bass with garlic, chili and lemon sauce RM30


Steamed glass noodles with shrimps RM15


Pad Thai RM12


Pineapple Rice RM15

Tam Zabb's pineapple rice is the Northeastern variety without the yellow cumin which we have here in Johor and Singapore. The flavours are milder and it is less greasy. The fluffy fried rice is served with diced capsicum, pineapple, carrots, raisins, cashew nuts, chicken and shrimps.

At Tam Zabb, I also like the opportunity to try out traditional Thai beverages.


Wood apple RM5


Lemon grass infusion RM3


Cha-Yen iced tea RM5

We always enjoyed our visits to Tam Zabb very much and will be back regularly. We like the clean and neat environment, easy accessibility and parking, attentive service, reasonable pricing, and the authentic traditional Lao and Thai food was excellent.



Restaurant name: Restoran Tam Zabb Lao and Thai
Address: 48G, Jalan Bestari 3/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/QBa4W (rough)
GPS 1.481964,103.666407 (rough)
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (Closed in Tuesday)
Non Halal

Dates visited: 8 Apr 2013, 18 Feb 2013, 21 Jan 2013,

Since I stumbled upon Tam Zabb Lao and Thai restaurant a few months ago, I have become a regular here. I like Tam Zabb because their food is delicious and also for their uncompromising authenticity.

Inside the shop lot at Taman Nusa Bestari, Tam Zabb is neat, simply laid out, comfortable and unmistakeably Thai with a contemporary touch.



Aphinya, the lady boss, is from Thailand, as are the Chef and crew in the kitchen. Aphinya herself had been a Chief Chef in a Thai restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden for many years. Speaking with Aphinya, I realised that she took great pride and go to great lengths to get the right and freshest ingredients to ensure the authenticity of her Lao and Thai dishes.



Whenever I am at Tam Zabb, I saw Aphinya personally involved in the food preparation and cooking.

Here are some of my personal favourites at Tam Zabb.


Pandan chicken RM12

Pandan chicken is standard fare at Thai food restaurants but at Tam Zabb, there is a basic yet important difference.



Tam Zabb is the only restaurant that I know, so far, that uses fresh chilled chicken instead of frozen chicken to make their pandan chicken.



Tam Zabb's pandan chicken has tender, natural sweetness of fresh chicken - something not possible with frozen chicken. The pandan flavoured chicken is further enhanced by dipping it in the savoury sweet sauce made with palm sugar imported from Thailand.



I like this Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts. The chicken slices are smacked sharply with the flat of a chopper, coated with a thin batter and then deep fried to a crisp, before stir frying. The end result is a savoury biscuit-like chicken koropok or crackle. Excellent with white rice and even better with cold beer :P 


Num Tok Phla (tilapia fish) RM25

Num Tok Phla is a large tilapia fish, its thick flesh diced into chunky cubes, marinaded with hot spices, deep fried and served with union, mint, dried chili peppers and chili powder garnishing.


Fried fish with chili RM22

This fried tilapia with chili is another of my favourites. The thick tilapia fish is fried till the outside is crisp while the insides are still slightly moist. The chili sauce looks fiery but it is actually just mildly spicy.


Grilled catfish RM10

Catfish is common in markets and stalls in Johor but here at Tam Zabb it is BBQed with such finesse that the skin is reduced to a dry savoury parchment while the sweet flesh remains moist with its natural juices and oils. 


Classic Larb RM15

Classic Larb is an everyday kind of home cooked meal in Northeast Thailand and Laos. Comfort food made with finely chopped pork and stir fried with spicy, tangy sauces, herbs and spices.



For many people, no Thai meal is complete without a spicy tom yam soup. For Thai food newbies, have no fear, Tam Zabb's tom yam soup is just mildly spicy (as long as you don't bite into the chili peppers :P ) and the ingredients are all market fresh.


Kho Moo Yang or pork neck salad RM16

In JB, this Thai pork dish is available only in Tam Zabb as far as I know. The pork from the chin area is grilled over very slow fire, when cooked, it is thinly sliced and then tossed in a tangy and spicy salad sauce. The resulting meat is tender, naturally sweet and spicy with a bouncy, delightful "QQ" mouth feel. That fearsome looking thick layer of fat did not make me feel congested or bloated at all (making it all the more dangerous :P ). This grilled pork neck is simply marvellous.


Som Tam Thai RM10


Som Tom RM15

Delicious tangy, sweet and savoury Thai appetisers that can really whet one's appetite.

To top off our meals, Tam Zabb serves some marvellous Thai desserts that I've not seen anywhere else in Johor Bahru.


Pumpkin Custard served with Ice Cream RM15

Delightful pumpkin custard served with ice cream. Soft, natural sweetness of the pumpkin is complemented by the saccharin sweetness of ice cream. The contrast of warm custard with cold ice cream makes this treat an interesting experience. 


Sticky Rice Mango dessert RM12

Sticky Rice Mango is a common dessert in Thai restaurants. The sweet and slightly tangy mango complemented the sweet sticky rice. At Tam Zabb, the mango is bathed with a milky syrup made with palm sugar extracted from "sea coconut" palms. Delightful on the taste buds and not overly sweet, I found it rather addictive. Unable to find it in Johor markets, Aphinya buys the palm sugar directly from Thailand. This treat is so delicious that somehow, my stomach always found space for this substantial dessert.



Tam Zabb's grilled banana dessert served with a sweet sauce made with Thai sea coconut palm sugar. Aphinya used a mix of local and Thai bananas for this dessert. The local bananas are sweeter, soft and mushy while the Thai ones were firmer, less sweet and slightly fibrous. Using both bananas gave this dessert an interesting mix of flavours and textures.

Tam Zabb has many other delicious authentic Lao and Thai favourites. Here are more popular dishes that I have enjoyed.


Steamed sea bass with garlic, chili and lemon sauce RM30


Steamed glass noodles with shrimps RM15


Pad Thai RM12


Pineapple Rice RM15

Tam Zabb's pineapple rice is the Northeastern variety without the yellow cumin which we have here in Johor and Singapore. The flavours are milder and it is less greasy. The fluffy fried rice is served with diced capsicum, pineapple, carrots, raisins, cashew nuts, chicken and shrimps.

At Tam Zabb, I also like the opportunity to try out traditional Thai beverages.


Wood apple RM5


Lemon grass infusion RM3


Cha-Yen iced tea RM5

We always enjoyed our visits to Tam Zabb very much and will be back regularly. We like the clean and neat environment, easy accessibility and parking, attentive service, reasonable pricing, and the authentic traditional Lao and Thai food was excellent.



Restaurant name: Restoran Tam Zabb Lao and Thai
Address: 48G, Jalan Bestari 3/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/QBa4W (rough)
GPS 1.481964,103.666407 (rough)
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (Closed in Tuesday)
Non Halal

Dates visited: 8 Apr 2013, 18 Feb 2013, 21 Jan 2013,

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Lao and Thai Food at Tam Zabb in Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru

I am a big fan of catfish and had wanted to come back for Tam Zabb Lao and Thai Restaurant's Thai styled BBQ catfish. I am so very glad that I did, today. We had BBQ catfish and lots more. After today's sumptuous lunch, I like the food at Tam Zabb even more now than before.

After settling down at the clean and comfortable, contemporary styled restaurant we went through the extensive menu and made our orders. While waiting for our food, I heard the rhythmic music of wooden pestle and mortar, and dashed to where the sweet sound was coming from.



That's when I caught this picture of Aphinya, the lady boss and Executive Chef, making the Som Tum fruit salad.



This traditional Thai appetiser is a complex blend of tangy, sweet, bitter, spicy and savoury flavours from the jumble of diced fruits such as guava, green apple, chili, strawberry, lime, pineapple, peanuts, dried shrimps and fish sauce. A serving of Som Tum for 2-3 people costs RM15.



Next came the BBQ catfish, the main reason why I am back at Tam Zabb. It was certainly well worth the trip.



This may just be an ordinary catfish, anyone can buy from the market but it was so skilfully grilled, the transformation was amazing. 



The thin skin of the catfish was crisp almost like dry, wrinkled parchment while the white, slightly oily flesh was still soft and juicy.



The tender catfish was eaten by dipping it in this tangy, spicy and savoury sauce. At RM10, I thought this nicely done BBQ catfish was value for money.



We then had Tam Zabb's popular Fried Fish with Chili (at RM22).



The large Tilapia fish was deep fried and then pan fried again in chili based gravy. 



Again, the fish was very well executed. The outside was crispy while the thick white meat was still soft and moist. The fiery looking chili gravy was actually only mildly spicy.



Benny, the boss suggested we try the popular Thai dish Kho Moo Yang or pork neck salad at RM16 per serving.



The pork from the neck area was grilled over very slow fire, thinly sliced, and then tossed in a tangy and spicy sauce. The resulting meat was tender, naturally sweet, spicy and had a bouncy, delightful "QQ" mouth feel. That thick attached layer of fat did not make me feel congested or bloated at all. The grilled pork neck was simply excellent.



Aphinya, the lady boss, told us that they have another of version of grilled pork neck served without the spicy sauce. I want to come back and try that :)



Of course, we had the obligatory, iconic Thai pineapple rice (RM15). At Tam Zabb, the rice was served in a standing hollowed out pineapple instead of the usual style of it laying on its side. I thought this style kept the moisture in better than the usual style in Johor and Singapore.



Tam Zabb's pineapple rice (RM15) was the northeastern version without the turmeric which we often see here in Johor and Singapore. The flavours were also milder. The fried rice served with diced capsicum, pineapple, carrots, raisins, cashew nuts, chicken and shrimps was fluffy and not greasy.



We wrapped up our lunch with grilled banana dessert served with a sweet sauce made with Thai sea coconut palm sugar.



At Tam Zabb, they used a mix of local and Thai bananas for this dessert. The local bananas were sweeter, soft and mushy while the Thai ones were firmer, less sweet and slightly fibrous. Using both bananas gave this dessert an interesting mix of flavours and textures.

We enjoyed our lunch at Tam Zabb very much and expect to be back regularly. We like the clean and neat environment, easy accessibility and parking, attentive service, reasonable pricing, and the authentic, MSG free, traditional Lao and Thai food was excellent.

Read about our first visit to Tam Zabb by clicking on the picture below.






Restaurant name: Restoran Tam Zabb Lao and Thai
Address: 48G, Jalan Bestari 3/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/QBa4W (rough)
GPS 1.481964,103.666407 (rough)
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (Closed in Tuesday)
Non Halal

I am a big fan of catfish and had wanted to come back for Tam Zabb Lao and Thai Restaurant's Thai styled BBQ catfish. I am so very glad that I did, today. We had BBQ catfish and lots more. After today's sumptuous lunch, I like the food at Tam Zabb even more now than before.

After settling down at the clean and comfortable, contemporary styled restaurant we went through the extensive menu and made our orders. While waiting for our food, I heard the rhythmic music of wooden pestle and mortar, and dashed to where the sweet sound was coming from.



That's when I caught this picture of Aphinya, the lady boss and Executive Chef, making the Som Tum fruit salad.



This traditional Thai appetiser is a complex blend of tangy, sweet, bitter, spicy and savoury flavours from the jumble of diced fruits such as guava, green apple, chili, strawberry, lime, pineapple, peanuts, dried shrimps and fish sauce. A serving of Som Tum for 2-3 people costs RM15.



Next came the BBQ catfish, the main reason why I am back at Tam Zabb. It was certainly well worth the trip.



This may just be an ordinary catfish, anyone can buy from the market but it was so skilfully grilled, the transformation was amazing. 



The thin skin of the catfish was crisp almost like dry, wrinkled parchment while the white, slightly oily flesh was still soft and juicy.



The tender catfish was eaten by dipping it in this tangy, spicy and savoury sauce. At RM10, I thought this nicely done BBQ catfish was value for money.



We then had Tam Zabb's popular Fried Fish with Chili (at RM22).



The large Tilapia fish was deep fried and then pan fried again in chili based gravy. 



Again, the fish was very well executed. The outside was crispy while the thick white meat was still soft and moist. The fiery looking chili gravy was actually only mildly spicy.



Benny, the boss suggested we try the popular Thai dish Kho Moo Yang or pork neck salad at RM16 per serving.



The pork from the neck area was grilled over very slow fire, thinly sliced, and then tossed in a tangy and spicy sauce. The resulting meat was tender, naturally sweet, spicy and had a bouncy, delightful "QQ" mouth feel. That thick attached layer of fat did not make me feel congested or bloated at all. The grilled pork neck was simply excellent.



Aphinya, the lady boss, told us that they have another of version of grilled pork neck served without the spicy sauce. I want to come back and try that :)



Of course, we had the obligatory, iconic Thai pineapple rice (RM15). At Tam Zabb, the rice was served in a standing hollowed out pineapple instead of the usual style of it laying on its side. I thought this style kept the moisture in better than the usual style in Johor and Singapore.



Tam Zabb's pineapple rice (RM15) was the northeastern version without the turmeric which we often see here in Johor and Singapore. The flavours were also milder. The fried rice served with diced capsicum, pineapple, carrots, raisins, cashew nuts, chicken and shrimps was fluffy and not greasy.



We wrapped up our lunch with grilled banana dessert served with a sweet sauce made with Thai sea coconut palm sugar.



At Tam Zabb, they used a mix of local and Thai bananas for this dessert. The local bananas were sweeter, soft and mushy while the Thai ones were firmer, less sweet and slightly fibrous. Using both bananas gave this dessert an interesting mix of flavours and textures.

We enjoyed our lunch at Tam Zabb very much and expect to be back regularly. We like the clean and neat environment, easy accessibility and parking, attentive service, reasonable pricing, and the authentic, MSG free, traditional Lao and Thai food was excellent.

Read about our first visit to Tam Zabb by clicking on the picture below.






Restaurant name: Restoran Tam Zabb Lao and Thai
Address: 48G, Jalan Bestari 3/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/QBa4W (rough)
GPS 1.481964,103.666407 (rough)
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (Closed in Tuesday)
Non Halal

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Lao and Thai Food at Restoran Tam Zabb in Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru

 

I was food spotting in Taman Nusa Besari near the Giant Hypermart when I stumbled upon this new restaurant. I was intrigued that it offered Lao and Thai food. In particular, I was curious as I had never eaten Lao food before.

I stopped and stood at the entrance for quite a while, and then the two Indian gentlemen eating at the nearest table said to me smiling, "Try it, the food is nice." One of the gentlemen then got up and said he will introduce me to the boss. "The boss is very friendly", he said reassuringly.

And so I met Benny Sriphet, the owner. Benny is an IT professional from Sweden and the lady boss Aphinya Sriphet is from northeastern Thailand at the border with Laos, hence the Lao and Thai cuisine at Restoran Tam Zabb.

Aphinya had been a Head Chef in a Thai restaurant in Sweden before moving to Singapore where Benny works and now opening Tam Zabb in Johor Bahru.



Sriphet with her hometown kitchen crew.

The decor in Tam Zabb has a minimalist contemporary Nordic feel with touches of Thai and Lao in pictures and ornaments adorning the walls and niches around the restaurant.



What does the name Tam Zabb mean? It sounds like "thumbs up" and in Lao it means "Delicious Mortar". Aphinya said that in Lao cooking, the fresh ingredients are pounded using a mortar. In fact, there are different types of mortars made of different woods and stones for different ingredients. Foodies familiar with Southeast Asian cooking will know that hand pounding creates unique flavours and textures that cannot be replicated with modern electric blenders and grinders.

Aphinya said that Tam Zabb serves authentic Lao and Thai food with many ingredients imported from Thailand and Laos. Some of the herbs are even grown in their own home in Johor Bahru to ensure a secure supply of the key ingredients.



Wood Apple drink at RM5. Sweet with a hint of herbal flavour, this reminded me of the Chinese dried melon herbal tea.



Lemongrass Infusion drink served hot or cold at RM3. Made with Thai lemongrass which tastes milder than the local variety. Benny said that Johor Kaki readers will be offered a free Lemongrass Infusion just by mentioning "Johor Kaki" to the staff. So, you can try this Lao drink whenever you dine at Tam Zabb.



First up was the Som Tam Thai (RM10), a salad of fresh vegetables eaten with hot glutinous rice served in quaint little satchels made with woven leaves. Som Tam Thai was a complex blend of sweet, spicy, tangy and savoury flavours with interesting textures. It's a great appetiser to "open up the stomach" as the Chinese phrase goes.



Num Tok Phla (RM25) is a tilapia fish, its flesh diced into cubes, marinaded with hot spices, deep fried and served with garnishing.





Classic Larb (RM15) is fried finely chopped pork in tangy, savoury sauce. This is a classic Laotian dish. Also available made with chicken.



Steamed Glass Noodles with Shrimps at RM15.  Savoury and spicy flavours.



Tam Zabb's Thai staple Pad Thai at RM12 was quite subtle in flavour. Aphinya said that this would allow the customer to add condiments like powdered nuts, chili powder, sugar, or chili pickle according to their personal tastes.



For me, I like my Pad Thai to have a little sting.



I like it that Tam Zabb's Pad Thai come with crunchy, pearly white bean sprouts with their roots removed.



Everybody, well almost everyone, orders a Tom Yam Kung when dining in a Thai restaurant. Tam Zabb's rendition of this Thai classic is mildly spicy and doesn't have that lingering sting of some Tom Yam.



With the milder palate that I have nowadays, Tam Zabb's Tom Yam was just nice for me. The key to good Tom Yam is fresh ingredients and Tam Zabb got that well taken care of.



We rounded up our sumptuous dinner with the Sticky Rice Mango dessert (RM12). The refreshingly sweet and subtly tangy mango went very well with the sweet sticky rice. That milky syrup on the mango is made with palm sugar extracted from "sea coconut" palms. Refreshing and yet not overly sweet. Not available in Johor, so Aphinya gets the palm sugar directly from Thailand. This was so delicious that somehow, my stomach found space for this rather substantial dessert.

We had a lot of food for four people and need to come back again for other interesting Lao and Thai food like the BBQ catfish which I can't wait to try.



Restaurant name: Restoran Tam Zabb Lao and Thai
Address: 48G, Jalan Bestari 3/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/QBa4W (rough)
GPS 1.481964,103.666407 (rough)
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (Closed in Tuesday)
Non Halal

Date visited: 21 Jan 2013

 

I was food spotting in Taman Nusa Besari near the Giant Hypermart when I stumbled upon this new restaurant. I was intrigued that it offered Lao and Thai food. In particular, I was curious as I had never eaten Lao food before.

I stopped and stood at the entrance for quite a while, and then the two Indian gentlemen eating at the nearest table said to me smiling, "Try it, the food is nice." One of the gentlemen then got up and said he will introduce me to the boss. "The boss is very friendly", he said reassuringly.

And so I met Benny Sriphet, the owner. Benny is an IT professional from Sweden and the lady boss Aphinya Sriphet is from northeastern Thailand at the border with Laos, hence the Lao and Thai cuisine at Restoran Tam Zabb.

Aphinya had been a Head Chef in a Thai restaurant in Sweden before moving to Singapore where Benny works and now opening Tam Zabb in Johor Bahru.



Sriphet with her hometown kitchen crew.

The decor in Tam Zabb has a minimalist contemporary Nordic feel with touches of Thai and Lao in pictures and ornaments adorning the walls and niches around the restaurant.



What does the name Tam Zabb mean? It sounds like "thumbs up" and in Lao it means "Delicious Mortar". Aphinya said that in Lao cooking, the fresh ingredients are pounded using a mortar. In fact, there are different types of mortars made of different woods and stones for different ingredients. Foodies familiar with Southeast Asian cooking will know that hand pounding creates unique flavours and textures that cannot be replicated with modern electric blenders and grinders.

Aphinya said that Tam Zabb serves authentic Lao and Thai food with many ingredients imported from Thailand and Laos. Some of the herbs are even grown in their own home in Johor Bahru to ensure a secure supply of the key ingredients.



Wood Apple drink at RM5. Sweet with a hint of herbal flavour, this reminded me of the Chinese dried melon herbal tea.



Lemongrass Infusion drink served hot or cold at RM3. Made with Thai lemongrass which tastes milder than the local variety. Benny said that Johor Kaki readers will be offered a free Lemongrass Infusion just by mentioning "Johor Kaki" to the staff. So, you can try this Lao drink whenever you dine at Tam Zabb.



First up was the Som Tam Thai (RM10), a salad of fresh vegetables eaten with hot glutinous rice served in quaint little satchels made with woven leaves. Som Tam Thai was a complex blend of sweet, spicy, tangy and savoury flavours with interesting textures. It's a great appetiser to "open up the stomach" as the Chinese phrase goes.



Num Tok Phla (RM25) is a tilapia fish, its flesh diced into cubes, marinaded with hot spices, deep fried and served with garnishing.





Classic Larb (RM15) is fried finely chopped pork in tangy, savoury sauce. This is a classic Laotian dish. Also available made with chicken.



Steamed Glass Noodles with Shrimps at RM15.  Savoury and spicy flavours.



Tam Zabb's Thai staple Pad Thai at RM12 was quite subtle in flavour. Aphinya said that this would allow the customer to add condiments like powdered nuts, chili powder, sugar, or chili pickle according to their personal tastes.



For me, I like my Pad Thai to have a little sting.



I like it that Tam Zabb's Pad Thai come with crunchy, pearly white bean sprouts with their roots removed.



Everybody, well almost everyone, orders a Tom Yam Kung when dining in a Thai restaurant. Tam Zabb's rendition of this Thai classic is mildly spicy and doesn't have that lingering sting of some Tom Yam.



With the milder palate that I have nowadays, Tam Zabb's Tom Yam was just nice for me. The key to good Tom Yam is fresh ingredients and Tam Zabb got that well taken care of.



We rounded up our sumptuous dinner with the Sticky Rice Mango dessert (RM12). The refreshingly sweet and subtly tangy mango went very well with the sweet sticky rice. That milky syrup on the mango is made with palm sugar extracted from "sea coconut" palms. Refreshing and yet not overly sweet. Not available in Johor, so Aphinya gets the palm sugar directly from Thailand. This was so delicious that somehow, my stomach found space for this rather substantial dessert.

We had a lot of food for four people and need to come back again for other interesting Lao and Thai food like the BBQ catfish which I can't wait to try.



Restaurant name: Restoran Tam Zabb Lao and Thai
Address: 48G, Jalan Bestari 3/2, Taman Nusa Bestari, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/QBa4W (rough)
GPS 1.481964,103.666407 (rough)
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (Closed in Tuesday)
Non Halal

Date visited: 21 Jan 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad