The Thai Matcha Jasmine Coconut Fizzy

What happened during lunch at The Thai (a Thai Select restaurant), where the Matcha Jasmine Coconut Fizzy turned out to be the star of the meal.

We ordered the Thai Style Grilled Pork Collar, Kailan with Salted Fish, a Fresh Coconut and the Matcha Jasmine Coconut Fizzy.

The grilled pork collar should have had plenty going for it. It was well seasoned with a nice balance of savoury flavours and a lightly charred exterior. Unfortunately, the meat itself was firmer than I would have liked, making it a little too tough to fully enjoy.

The kailan with salted fish was decent enough. The vegetables retained a pleasant crunch and the salted fish added the expected savoury notes, but it wasn't a dish that particularly stood out.

The Matcha Jasmine Coconut Fizzy, however, was something else entirely.

The combination sounded rather unusual on paper, but it worked beautifully. The earthy notes from the matcha blended effortlessly with the floral fragrance of jasmine, while the coconut added a light tropical sweetness that made the drink incredibly refreshing. It was well balanced, not overly sweet and exactly what I wanted on a warm Penang afternoon.