Napa Refined Takes Modern Thai Dining To The Next Level
From classic tom yum soup to fried rice, to more unique concoctions and unfamiliar flavours, Napa Refined reimagines Thai food staples with Western and Japanese influences.
Napa Refined has brought Thai cuisine to new heights. Serving as a city-centre extension of Napa Thai, an upscale Thai restaurant located in Sri Hartamas, Napa Refined blends the bold flavours of authentic Thai cuisine with Japanese and Western sensibilities. ‘Napa’ means sky, by the way.
“We serve dishes from every corner of Thailand: northern, central, and southern,” says restaurateur Roland Bërbara, who co-owns both Napa Thai and Napa Refined. “We wanted to offer a more modern and elevated Thai dining experience, while still staying true to authentic Thai flavours and roots.”
Located at TSLAW Tower adjacent to The Exchange TRX mall, the restaurant is rather unassuming at first glance. One step through its doors, however, reveals its expansive layout—complete with private rooms and large open dining areas. Its warm lighting and wall-mounted golden fish accents give it an intimate and cosy setting, despite the large space.
With a team of eight Thai chefs at its helm, the menu offers familiar flavours reimagined for a more refined palate. Among its highlights is the signature pla booh tod naam pla (deep-fried marble goby). “In Chinese restaurants, they usually serve marble goby the traditional way, steamed with soy sauce,” explains Bërbara. “At Napa Refined, we do it differently.” The fish is filleted and then cooked at high heat, before 200℃ oil is poured on top, crisping its skin golden while keeping it tender. “It’s served with aromatic fish sauce, dried chilli, and cashew nuts—giving this familiar fish a unique Thai twist,” he added.
Of course, since this is Thai cuisine, the soups are also a highlight. On the menu, the tom kati (coconut milk tom yum soup) stands out. “If you’re looking for tom yum soup but want to try something new, our coconut milk tom yum soup is perfect,” says Bërbara. “We make it with our own special belachan paste, so it’s both sour and spicy, creamy, and refreshing, served with clams and imported vegetables.”
As Thai cuisine is a core part of the local dining scene, Napa Refined continues to find new ways for guests to enjoy the dishes they know and love. “We chose Thai cuisine because we love its bold flavours and the balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty,” he says. “Thai food is very familiar to Malaysians, yet there is still so much more for us to discover and experience.”
Photography by Law Soo Phye
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