Sen Pad Thai (Granville Island Public Market)

I've been a big supporter of Sen Pad Thai since they opened up on Granville Island in 2017.  Back then, they were not located in the Public Market, rather, they were in the Net Loft across the street.  From that very first visit, I was hooked on their wok-fry dishes as the caramelization and searing provided intense aroma.  I do believe they have one of the best versions of Pad Siew within the Lower Mainland.  So I didn't need much convincing to head over and do a sampling of their menu.

Part of Chef Angus An's restaurant group that includes Maenam, Longtail Kitchen, Fat Mao Noodles and partnership with Popina Canteen, Sen Pad Thai just continues the tradition of delicious and authentic food. We started with their Roti with curry dipping sauce.  This crispy flatbread was nicely browned while soft and chewy inside.  I would've like them to be a bit less dense, but they were still good.  That curry sauce was aromatic with some spice.  We also had the Crispy Thai Garlic Chicken Wings.  The rice flour batter was supremely crispy and held up even after dipping into the tamarind sauce.  Definite hits of garlic while the sweet & tangy tamarind helped brighten things up.  I would've liked to see the wings have a bit more salt to them though.

Beyond the stir fries, one of their most prominent dishes is their Crispy Pork Belly.  They prepare it fresh on-site and is best first thing in the morning as the place opens.  It is served atop rice with a soft boiled egg, pickled mustard greens, anise sauce, and soy.  I dug into this first as I didn't want to let the pork belly sit.  Oh it was really good where the pork was fatty but with enough meat while the crackling was firmly crunchy.  I could just eat the pork belly by itself and call it a day!

My go to dish here when it comes to rice is the Khao Pad featuring fried rice with thai nam sausage, gai lan, onion and cherry tomato.  Immediately after opening up the box, I was hit with the caramelized aroma of the rice.  The nuttiness combined with the pungency of the fish sauce made this textbook fried rice.  Add in the cubes of pork sausage and this robust and filling.  Little pops of acidity was provided by the cooked down tomatoes.  Texturally, the rice was perfect with discernible grains and an appealing chewiness.

Of course we had to have their namesake right?  We got the Pad Thai Goong and it also came with a fried egg. This has always been a solid version of the dish with great wok hei (from a very hot wok) that creates searing on the noodles.  Hence, the smokiness was evident and the tanginess of the tamarind really dominated.  Some might find it sour, but I much prefer this over being overly sweet.  The noodles were texturally on point with a chewiness while the prawns were perfectly prepared.

It would be a crime not to order the Pad Siew here since I consider it one of the best in town.  The menu states that they use fresh rice noodle sheets, but I swear they are more like mung bean noodles.  Anyways, the texture of the noodles here were chewy and the ribbons helped create adhesion for the tender beef and seasoning.  Once again, the wok hei ensured that the noodles and flavours were caramelized with smokiness and sweetness.  The gai lan was subjected to that too and it was vibrant and crunchy.

For their Daily Curry, they were featuring a Chicken Curry.  It was aromatic, creamy from the coconut milk and definitely had a kick.  There was a plethora of tender dark meat chicken as well as Thai basil, green beans and peppers.  This was served with a side of rice.  Overall, the food at Sen Pad Thai satisfied as per usual.  Considering this is a food stall, the food can rival those of a full-service restaurant.  Prices are not cheap, but what is these days?  I still think it has some of the best wok hei in town and it shows in the stir-fries.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Excellent wok hei (high wok heat)
- One of the best, if not the best Pad Siew in town
- That crispy pork belly!

The Bad:
- Roti could be a bit less dense
- Not unique to Sen Pad Thai, but the market food court is crazy busy at peak times, finding a table is almost impossible