Nov

Khunthai Restaurant – Thai Food in Butterworth, Penang

Posted by: CK Lam in Chinese, International, Penang Mainland, Pork Free, Restaurant, Seafood, Thai Cuisine

We finally tracked down the hidden gem, Khunthai Restaurant located at nearby Jalan Raja Uda, Butterworth. This is my first visit for dinner at this Thai restaurant that serves authentic Thai food. There are indoor and also outdoor sitting areas, al fresco style.

Undecided on what to order, I surveyed the few tables around, and finally opted for the Kerabu Khuntai RM10 packed with vegetables, dried shrimps, nuts and fruits with the sour, spicy and sweet taste. It was a great starter and whetted our appetite nicely!

Next up was the Seafood Steamed Lemon with choices of squid and lala in a sour-garlicky gravy RM32. The gravy with chopped chili padi & garlic plus many slices of extra garlic teases the appetite and had us wanting more! It was really irresistible with everyone sipping down the gravy. There is another version of this dish, known as the Superstar that has expensive seafood of mantis prawns, lobster and large size prawns.

Seafood Steamed Lemon with choices of squid and lala

Steamed Fish In Thai Style RM40 – The Red Snapper was served on top of a hot charcoal fire in their signature tangy and spicy clear soup. Although it looks innocently like clear soup, it packs a punch when you sip the soup, which is not overly spicy. It had some mild heat to it, nice to warm my stomach.

Additional bowl of soup for add-on, delightful indeed!

We had an order of two non-spicy items. The Nameless Chicken RM9 was essentially deep fried chicken. It fell short of what I expected as I am not used to having a sweet chicken dish. However, with all the seafood served, chicken was a nice addition to the dinner.

Nameless Chicken, better known as BO MIA KEI!

Khunthai offer many ways of cooking crab. After much discussion, we finally settled on the Baked Crab RM75. We get to taste the freshness of the crab and its succulent flesh. The size was just right too!

Condiments together with fresh cucumber & pickles for the crab dish

Yummy crabs for the whole family!

Click here for the other dishes…

Pages: 1 2

Tags: Al Fresco, Array, Authentic Thai Food, Baked Crab, Belacan, Belacan Fried Rice, Bubur Ca Ca, Butterworth, Charcoal Fire, Chicken Dish, Chili Padi, Condiments, Cooking Crab, Crabs, Deep Fried Chicken, Fried Rice, Gravy, Hidden Gem, Jalan Raja, Kei, Kelabu, Kerabu, Khunthai Authentic Thai Restaurant, Khunthai Superstar, Lala, Mild Heat, Penang, Pork Free, Raja Uda, Red Snapper, Steamed Seafood, Sweet Taste, Thai Food, Thai Restaurant, Thai Style, Vegetables And Fruits

This entry was posted on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Chinese, International, Penang Mainland, Pork Free, Restaurant, Seafood, Thai Cuisine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

34 comments so far

iamthewitch

Oh I had the belacan fried rice and Steamed lala with squids before too! Yet to blog about them. They were awesome!!!

November 9th, 2009 at 5:49 pm

allie

Wow. 2 plates of steamed lala. That’s gotta be superb! I’m definitely going to check this place out!

November 9th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

J2Kfm

http://www.j2kfm.com/khuntai-restaurant-butterworth-penang-thai-food-no-frills/

the large mantis prawns also good, though I didnt find their tom yum particularly exciting.

November 9th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

Little Inbox

I’ve always wanted to go there for dinner but i don’t know the actual location

November 9th, 2009 at 8:47 pm

CK Lam

iamthewitch – Totally awesome…yeah!

allie – The first with lala and squid, followed by another lala…and finished slurping the gravy

J2Kfm – You had many great dishes on your outing too.

Little Inbox – Go to page two of this post, follow the provided map location and GPS coordinates…

November 9th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

squall

Actually decide to visit there in my last trip..but my friend not sure the exact location…so must wait for my next trip again…

November 9th, 2009 at 9:38 pm

SimpleGirl

RM10 for the kerabu…..is really worthy, the kerabu looks so fulfilling!!!other dishes all me me drooled!! i love to try the nameless chicken esp

November 9th, 2009 at 9:55 pm

shell

nice!!! i miss thai food ~~
i wanna eat…

November 9th, 2009 at 11:12 pm

xin

now i am craving for thai food again! esp after looking at the lala and crab..and the belacan fried rice..yummmy

November 9th, 2009 at 11:20 pm

PenangTuaPui

yes.. their lala is BEST…… will blog abt that soon also….

November 9th, 2009 at 11:23 pm

CK Lam

squall – No worries now, just follow the map and GPS coordinates in my post…sure to get you there.

SimpleGirl – One trip is not enough to try all their dishes…revisit is a must.

shell – Irresistible taste…haha

xin – Many people can’t resist Thai food and I am one of them…very appetizing

PenangTuaPui – Waiting to see the other dishes that you had. I love the Lala dish.

November 10th, 2009 at 2:04 am

coco

YEA YEA!!butterworth got lot nice food to eat XD exspecially raja udaXD~*

November 10th, 2009 at 3:15 am

Nic (KHKL)

i actually find the name BO MIA KEI sorta Thai-like..haha. and lala with lemon sounds interesting bcos usually, we get the typical green lime juice. a mouth-watering khuntai!

November 10th, 2009 at 6:06 am

NKOTB

hehehee… staying over here also dunno where is this place…

November 10th, 2009 at 8:16 am

FoodnTravella

All the dishes make my hungry now!

November 10th, 2009 at 10:09 am

CK Lam

coco – Thank you for visiting my blog.

Nic (KHKL) – When you do come to Penang, let me know… will take you over to Khuntai.

NKOTB – Now can bring your family over for Thai food.

FoodnTravella – Worth visiting this restaurant on your next trip home.

November 10th, 2009 at 10:22 am

shutterspeed (Calvin Kwok)

Oohh..I just love the crabs..nice!

November 10th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

taufulou

got fishing village feel loh~

November 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Big Boys Oven

gosh i am craving for sweet, sour & hot food…….I want deep fried cat fish!

November 10th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

Big Boys Oven

gosh i am craving for sweet, sour & hot food, I want deep fried cat fish!

November 10th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

hApPy HaPpY

CK Lam – you are right, must go again so many dishes to try how arh?? Seldom go back north. I think you go I read your blog which sounds logical.. hApPy HUnTiNg….

November 10th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

mei fong

the food taste nice, but the price too expensive, especially the steamed lala, i order this dish, got some lala,one flower crab and 1 mantis, cost my RM56+……..and too spicy….i like the fried koay teow very mucy.

November 12th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

uaik

ck, the photos was not so nice this time~
i used to be there once. the environment is ok (but full of mosquitoes), the food is so so.

November 13th, 2009 at 11:36 am

Lishan

CK, did you tried their tomyam?? I love it..
oh.. i didn’t know u never been there before.. i would have suggested, coz it really is very authentic…
Oh.. and i live nearby.. hehehe.. u can ask me next time for makan around tht area..

November 15th, 2009 at 11:25 pm

syinyee

The dried ‘char dua ban’ is nice as well as the fried squids!!! You can have a try next time!

January 7th, 2010 at 2:57 pm

Elaine

behind my house only.. i always went there for dinner&lunch.. really a nice thai food!

January 7th, 2010 at 5:01 pm

maja

Hi,
I’m traveling from Bangkok by train and have a stopover in Butterworth. Would love to eat to this restaurant.How far is this restaurant from the railway station? How will I get there? IS there a taxi or bus that I can take from the train station?
Any response is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

January 30th, 2010 at 4:46 pm

best restaurant

I just went there last week.i ordered one plate steamed lala.taste was really good but rates are too high .but doesnt matter.food was really superb.add restaurant

May 31st, 2010 at 2:52 pm

Narita

The worst sea food restaurant
1. Seafood Steamed Lemon with squid and lala& prawn. The squid & prawn are uncooked & the whole plate is cold.
2. Tom Yam – Look like chili paste mixed with water
3. Steam Fish – smelly like river mud
4. Fried Rice – the meat is like over night cooking.
5. BBQ Cockle – smelly & unfresh cockles

No stardard & depend too much on foreign workers.

August 16th, 2010 at 4:19 pm

mslow

today (11/3/11) just have dinner at Khuntai, Butterworth. We ordered Belacan Fried Rice, Tom Yum Seafood, belacan fried Mee Hun, Chicken with cashewnuts, Soup, Kelabu Mango. Sorry to say that : THE FOOD NOT DELICIOUS AS BEFORE, which can consider the worst dinner i had. The Tom yum too SOur, kelabu & fried rice all

March 11th, 2011 at 8:53 pm

mslow

I had several time dinner at Khuntai before. Last time i would recommend Khuntai to my friend, but not now anymore. I’m a little bit dissappointed that the BRAND NAME KHUNTAI is JUST A NAME. Wish to have the improvement for the food in future.

March 11th, 2011 at 8:57 pm

Lydia09

There is a place in Sungai Petani, Kedah by the name of Mae Salong. Oso Thai food.

July 21st, 2011 at 10:15 am

OJF

I order a steam fish, and it taste terrible!
only the anviroment is nice.

December 26th, 2011 at 11:53 pm

OJF

terrible taste!

December 26th, 2011 at 11:54 pm

2 Trackbacks/Pings

Penang Seafood @ Tua Peh Kong Tanjung Tokong, Penang; Sea Pearl Lagoon Cafe | What2See : Best of Penang Food! Nov 15 2009 / 4pm:

[...] salt-baked prawns. I’ve eaten baked crabs in Teluk Kumbar Seafood, Crab Village Restaurant and Khuntai Restaurant, but I find this place produces the best baked crabs. The restaurant owner rely on these two [...]
Khunthai Authentic Thai Restaurant new outlet at Teluk Kumbar, Penang | What2See : Best of Penang Food! Mar 14 2012 / 5pm:

[...] that locals and foreigners alike flock to for tasty Thai cuisine. Having made a name for itself in Raja Uda Butterworth, it recently opened another outlet at Teluk Kumbar on Penang [...]

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Armed with a camera and a huge appetite, this food writer & her family travel around looking for the best food and events & happily sharing all the good eats with you in this Penang Food Blog