Soi Ram (Dinner Service)

I generally don't throw around the term "hidden gem" because almost anything that is good which is not part of a restaurant group has been defined as such.  However, there are times when something is indeed not that well-known, other than to the locals.  This would be Soi Ram located in Ladner Village.  Yah, those who know, will know that the food is legit here and the wok hei is on point.  Yet, I'm sure most people who haven't travelled to Ladner for some of the best Thai food in the GVRD.  I've been here before during lunch, but I finally got a chance to return for dinner. 

Unfortunately, the picture of the Spring Rolls don't do it justice.  These are thicc and stuffed full of perfectly cooked veggies.  Normally, the veggies (and vermicelli) are obliterated by the deep fry and hence are rendered mushy.  Not these ones as they were still crunchy and vibrant while encased in a crunchy wheat wrapper.  They were just a touch greasy this time though.

A dish I've never had before was the Tam-Bour Wings featuring a glaze consisting of fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind and a secret spice mix.  This was essentially a fish sauce caramel with the beautiful tang of tamarind.  This was impactful with a briny sweetness accented by some spice.  The wings themselves were crispy with rendered fat.  Inside, the meat was juicy, but not too wet, hence it didn't dilute the flavours.

Another new dish for me was the Waterfall Beef.  This is strongly related to crying tiger beef but made better.  Tender, but with natural meat texture, the slices of beef were completed flavoured by the roasted rice, fresh herbs, citrus, and spice.  Since this was technically a salad, the veggies completely benefitted from the aforementioned flavours as well as the texture of the beef.

At one point in time, Sen Pad Thai had the best Pad See Ew in town.  Currently, the award goes to Soi Ram.  The wok hei was so evident from just the smell as the dish hit the table.  You could taste the smokiness as well as the intense caramelization of the gai lan and glass noodles.  Those noodles were chewy and full of elasticity.  There was a bit of brininess to compliment the sweetness.

One other dish I've had here before was the Pad Kra Pow.  The portion size was super generous as you can see in the picture.  Easily 3 or 4 times the amount of pork as the one found at Sud Soi.  Furthermore, the wok hei on this one was also on point.  Strong flavours and the classic smokiness ensured the accompanying rice had something to play with.  

Served as a rather large portion, the Chicken Green Curry was delicious.  Yes, I've had this before too and the chicken was perfectly prepared.  It was moist and tender (not dry like most other places).  Creamy and aromatic, the green curry had some brininess, spice, herbeaceousness from the basil and sweetness.  Eggplant was tender, but not mushy, while the peppers were still vibrant.

Finally, we had The Alley made with homemade taro, sweet corn, tapioca and fresh coconut slices in a sweet coconut soup. This was topped with homemade coconut ice-cream and crispy rice.  This was super-refreshing and surprisingly measured in sweetness.  Loved the aromatics of the coconut and the pops of sweetness of the corn.  So there you have it, another delicious meal at Soi Ram.  Excellent Thai food located in quaint Ladner Village.  Love the food, the people and also the reasonable prices.  This is a place worth travelling to for a meal.

The Good:

- Delicious eats with wok hei

- Reasonable pricing

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Not the most accessible location for people in the GVRD, especially during rush hour (but I would suffer through that!)

- Fairly limited menu, but has all the essentials