Ginger & Scallion

You might be wondering why a restaurant that specializes in Khao Soi goes by the name "Ginger & Scallion".  Well, it is run by the same people when it was Ginger & Scallion but they decided to pivot from doing Chicken Rice (hence the ginger and scallion name, which is a condiment associated with the dish) to Khao Soi.  They just wanted to do something different even though their Chicken Rice was wildly popular and the place was packed.  Jackie and I have tried their Chicken Rice before and although we are sad to see it go, we were super excited to try their Khao Soi.

Before we got to that, we tried their house made Thai Sausage.  This was really good as the texture was so natural and meaty.  As much as it was moist and juicy, it was not overly fatty.  Hence, the chew was consistent in terms of being tender with some firmness.  Flavor was good with hits of tanginess and rich fermented notes.   This was served with the typical raw cabbage, ginger, cilantro and chilis.

Onto the Khao Soi, we went for a few beef offerings including the Beef Tenderloin.  As you can see, the beef was prepared to a perfect rare.  I thought it was tender enough, but in comparison to the other 2 beef options we ordered, it wasn't fatty.  In addition to the rich and flavorful broth, we found green onions, cilantro, red onion, crispy shallots, pickled vegetables and crispy noodles (also chewy wide egg noodles hidden within).

On that note, the other beef options we had were the Miyazaki A5 Picanha and American Wagyu.  Although I found the Picanha to be the most buttery, it could've used just a touch more cooking so that the fats would be activated.  With more rendering, it would've been even more tender.  It was still delicious though with rich meatiness to go with the rich broth that was thick and aromatic.  Even though Khao Soi isn't supposed to be spicy, I would've liked just a touch more heat.  Mind you, there was some chili crunch on the side, so we could customize our broth anyways!

My favorite beef for the Khoi Soi was the American Wagyu Steak as it was less fatty than the Miyazaki A5.  Since it was medium-rare to rare, less fat meant that it didn't need to render as much.  Hence, it was super soft and succulent.  Nice meatiness from the fat and it was less heavy.  Since the broth was already so rich, the meat went better than the A5.

Our last 2 bowls consisted of Seared Duck and Oxtail.  Personally, I would've liked to see more rendered skin for the duck (or a breed that has less fat).  However, the duck was still beautifully cooked and tender.  As for the oxtail, we had 2 large pieces that had fall-off-the-bone meat that was gelatinous and buttery soft.  Once again, there was wealth of natural beef flavour.

To go with our Khao Soi, we had a Thai Iced Tea which was creamy and aromatic while being just sweet enough.  For dessert, we sampled a Passionfruit Pie from San Bartolo Bake Shop.  Tangy, sweet and refreshing, this helped level off all the yummy richness.  Overall, a solid experience and definitely filling despite not looking like a huge portion.  Plenty of meat and al dente noodles within that flavorful and aromatic broth.

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

The Good:

- Rich aromatic broth

- Excellent meat choices

- Filling, despite not looking like it

The Bad:

- Duck fat could've been rendered a bit more

Thai Lucine

It seems like I am doing a lot of Thai food wherever I go.  It is especially true when I'm south of the border as the Thai food game in Seattle and especially in Portland are on point.  One of the newest in the Emerald City is Thai Lucine, which is a quick-service concept that offers traditional Thai favorites for dine-in and take-out.  Prices are reasonable and portions are generous.  Jackie and I checked it out on a Sunny, but cold January afternoon. 

Being a quick-service restaurant, the food is prepared fast and served in to-go packaging.  The place is certainly nice enough to dine-in, but for those who need to be on the go, Thai Lucine fits that bill.  We started things off with the Laab Stix.  Crispy with a tender meat filling, these fulfilled the promise of laab flavours with tanginess and some spice.  We found some jimjew sauce on the side.

One of their best deals is their Dinner Set for $19.99 that includes Thai Clear Soup, Chicken Pad See Ew and Lime Chili Wings.  We watched our noodles being wok fried and were not surprised at caramelized and smoky flavors from the wok hei.  Those wings were large and plenty juicy.  Batter was crunchy and we did get some tang from the lime.  Soup was clean and really nice for a cold day.

We tried one of their salads in the Thai Chili-Lime Dressing Salad with shrimp.  Consisting of a mixture of spring mix and other veggies, the salad was topped with quinoa and plenty of shrimp.  This was a refreshing salad as the dressing was tangy and sweet with just a touch of spice.  Loved the shrimp as they were buttery with a crunch.  Served in a to-go cup, the Tom Yum Soup was packed with big slices of chicken.  The broth itself was classic hot and sour with plenty of aromatics from lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.  Really great for on the go, instead of a coffee.

Continuing with shrimp, we had the Pad Kee Mao with that particular protein.  This was full of wok hei as you can see clearly in the picture.  Good sear on the ingredients with caramelized flavors and smokiness.  The noodles had a pleasant chewiness while the seasoning was on point with a decent spice level.  This was tempered by the sweetness of palm sugar.

Equally delicious, the Thai Fried Rice with Beef was also full of smokiness from the fiery wok fry.  Each grain of rice was discernible and not clumpy.  There was a good chewiness to the rice and aromatic nuttiness.  Once again, the seasoning was there providing enough flavor without being salty.  There was plenty of tender slices of beef as well.

Going for one of their wraps as well, we had the Keow Waan Wrap with Beef.  Sporting a wealth of tender beef, the wrap also contained veggies, almonds, pumpkin seeds and of course, Thai green curry dressing.  Loved the spice level as well as the generous amount of tender beef.  The greens really complimented the whole thing by keeping things from being heavy. 

We also had some drinks to compliment our food in the Thai Iced Tea, Thai Pink Milk and Cold Brew Coffee.  With balanced sweetness, the Thai Iced Tea was creamy and full-bodied.  The creamy Thai Pink Milk was rather sweet, but helped cool down some of the spices.  Cold Brew was strong and great for people who like black coffee.  Overall, a solid experience at Thai Lucine.  Great quick service spot with generous portions at reasonable prices.  They carry 5 homemade sauces that were great with our food.  I particularly enjoyed the Massaman sauce, so aromatic and flavorful.  Pro tip, get their membership and enjoy a BOGO (buy one, get one of any soup, salad, wrap or entree.  Also every $15 spent, you get 1 stamp.  Collect 5 stamps for 1 free appie and 10 stamps for free wrap or salad.  Until April 30th, 2026, you can get 10% off if you use the code "sherman10" at checkout!

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

The Good:

- Good wok hei and caramelization of flavors

- Reasonable pricing

- Generous portions

The Bad:

- Since it is mainly a takeout operation, you won't have proper plates or bowls when dining in

- Parking is a bit difficult in the area

Sainam - Thai Isaan Eatery and Bar

You've probably heard me talk about how many of the restaurants we have in Vancouver (and many other spots around the world) take the "tourist" approach to their menus.  Hence, we see multiple cuisines from different regions of one country all packaged into one restaurant.  We are seeing more often that restaurants are being dedicated to one region as customers are becoming more aware and are also demanding it.   This brings me to one of the newest Northeastern Thai restaurants in town in Sainam.  Opened by Angus An, Sainam joins a growing list of Isaan (or E-Sarn) focused Thai restaurants in Vancouver.  Known for their sweet and sour flavour profiles and Loatian influences, it is definitely different than the usual coconut thick curries and seafood of the South.

Predominant on the front page of the menu, there is a section dedicated to Som Yum (Papaya Salad).  Although it was suggested we try the one with salt cured little crabs, we opted for the Fried Papaya Salad instead.  I've had the one with the crabs before and it was definitely briny and full of umami.  However, this fried papaya salad was all about the textures.  So much crunch in this and bathed in a sweet and tangy dressing that was also plenty spicy.  It was a balanced spiciness though as I could still taste everything else and not kill my tastebuds for the other dishes we ordered.

For our next item, we had something that is not unique to Isaan cuisine, but definitely a Thai favourite as the menu states.  This was of course, the well-known dish of Pad Thai.  I would say this was prepared in a familiar way and it was probably intentional.  For those who are not familiar with Isaan Thai, this (and the other items in the Thai Favourites section), would be accessible.   The noodles were chewy and al dente while doused in enough tamarind for a tangy bite.  There was a touch of brininess and balancing sweetness.  It was pretty mild, but the side of chili powder helped kick things up.

Another dish from the same section of the menu was the Laab Fried Rice.  This had sufficient wok hei for some nuttiness from the rice.  The rice itself was moist, yet not wet, where it was chewy with discernible grains.  It was seasoned well where every bite was full of flavour including the various herbs including the sweet star anise hit from the Thai basil and some spice from the chilies.  Of course we had some brininess as well as plenty of sweetness too.   Some background acidity balanced things out. The big chunks of chicken were rather dry, but not in a bad way.  It had crispy bits on the edges and a firm chew everywhere else.

One of my favourite cuts of meat has to be Pork Neck or aka Pork Collar as it is fatty and tender.  Therefore, we ordered the Nam Tok Pork Neck.  There are 2 versions on the menu and this particular dish found the sliced pork neck tossed with roasted rice powder, herbs and spicy lime dressing.  As per usual, the pork neck was fatty and plenty bouncy in texture.  Very nice mouth feel with tangy spiciness as well as the brightness of the herbs.  There was some nuttiness from the rice powder.

Whenever we are dining on SE Asian cuisine, ordering Fried Chicken Wings is a must.  Something about how they seasoned them and the dipping sauces...  So good!  Well, the one here at Sainam was pretty decent.  The wings themselves were still moist with rendered crispy skin.  We would've liked to see more fish sauce glaze on the outside though.  It was plenty flavourful with caramelized sweetness and briny saltiness.  The dipping sauce on the side was a good combination of saltiness, sweetness, tanginess, herbaceousness and spice.

We ordered one veggie dish in the Stir-Fried Cabbage with fish sauce & dried chili.  This was quite good in terms of flavour as the sweetness of the palm sugar was evident and it was caramelized.  Nice briny saltiness from the fish sauce and there was an earthiness in the background.  There was definitely some spice in the end too.  One thing that we would have liked to see was more wok hei and charring of the cabbage.  Texturally, the cabbage was still crunchy and vibrant.

Onto dessert, we had the Pandan Custard Cake which was in a nice shade of pandan green.  It was soft and mildly sweet with the unmistakable floral and nutty notes.  Definitely tropical tasting and not super heavy.  The sweetened egg topping was texturally pleasing while adding an extra hit of flavour.  Overall, Sainam is a solid choice for Northeastern Thai food.  Yes, I didn't get to dive deep into the true Isaan dishes on the menu, but I wouldn't mind coming back to try them.

The Good:

- Nice flavours

- Attentive service

- Unique dishes on the menu

The Bad:

- Wok hei was sufficient, but we would've liked to see even more smokiness

Sud Soi

I've always wondered why Vancouver's Thai food game has been so weak all these years.  Yes, there have always been some good Thai spots in town, but as a whole, it doesn't hold a candle to cities like Portland, New York and LA.  However, we are seeing an upward trajectory as of late with the opening of spots like Song and smaller joints such as Silom, Sip Song, Zab Bite, Zab Zaab, Soi Ram and Siam Le Bien.  Of those, some specialize in Northern Thai or E-Sarn cuisine.  One of the more recent openings is Sud Soi in the former location of Lombardo's in El Mercato on Commercial Drive.

We had a few small plates to start including the Grilled Pork Jowl and the Grilled Wings.  These were good with some charring and well-marinated meats.  As you can see, the pork jowl was still juicy and fatty while the wings had somewhat rendered skin.  The meat inside was also juicy and tender.  Although both dips seemed to be the same, the one for the pork jowl had more brininess.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Fried Chicken with Midnight Sticky Rice.  The deep fried chicken thigh was really crunchy on the outside.  Inside, the meat was fairly juicy with some drier portions.  There was some chili sauce on the side which added a bit of tangy heat.  As for the sticky rice, it was in a beautiful shade of purple and black.  A nice chewy and sticky accompaniment to the chicken.

We ended up ordering the Khao Soi with soft shell crab.  Unlike many versions of the this dish, the curry broth in this one was much more earthy and rich.  They really went hard with the spices and extracted the maximum amount of flavour from it.  Hence, the noodles really absorbed the flavours.  Soft shell crab was fairly large and crispy on the outside.  Of course, the inside was soft and almost creamy.

As a default of sorts, we got the Pad Thai, but not the regular one.  Instead, we had the Pad Thai Korat which is supposed to be bolder and spicier.  That it was with plenty of tang from the tamarind and a balancing amount of heat.  We also got some caramelized brininess.  Noodles were chewy and veggies were crisp.  Loved the addition of pork cracklings.

Their Pad See Ew with chicken was the beneficiary of proper wok hei, which ensured smokiness and caramelization of flavours.  We got heightened sweetness to go with the saltiness of the soy and really liked the fried shallots on top.  The chicken itself was fairly moist despite being white meat and the gai lan was vibrant and crunchy.  A real solid version of this dish.

We wanted to like the Pad Ka Prow but they really skimped on the amount of meat in this dish.  There was 5 times the amount of rice compared to the meat.  Hence, we ended up with a bunch of rice with nothing to eat it with at the end.  In terms of taste, it was good though, since it was also full of wok hei with strong aroma.  The fried egg was great being fluffy with crispy parts.

After all this food, we needed something sweet to end off the meal.  We got the classic Mango Sticky Rice which came in a decent portion.  The first thing that struck me was how cold the sticky rice was.  It wasn't hard per se, but the temperature did make it more chewy than I would've liked.  Nice sweet coconut cream on top though.  Mango was fresh and as good as it could be considering the time of year.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Sud Soi where the wok hei was good and the flavours were impactful.  Possibly a few things could be better, but nothing major that couldn't be rectified.

The Good:

- Impactful flavours

- Good wok hei

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Too much rice, not enough meat for the Pad Ka Prow

- Sticky rice for the dessert was too cold

Song by Kin Kao

Here we go with another return visit to Song!  This is particularly significant because we ate here shortly after they reopened.  They were victims of a fire and were able to get up and running in just a month.  You will now notice that "Kin Kao" is prominently displayed above their doorway (paying homage to their original restaurant on Commercial Drive).  We had actually dined at Song earlier in the year, but I didn't blog about.  This time around, we had some pretty awesome new dishes and I really wanted to share!

I don't believe we've ever dined at Song and "not" have the Laab Wings.  These flats were split down the middle and hence were evenly deep fried.  The crispiness of the rendered skin was perfect while the meat was still moist and tender.  I really think everyone should prepare their wings like this!  Furthermore, the laab seasoning was more effective this way as more surface area was coated Hence, we got tangy, sweet, salty and spicy.  So addictive!

Probably the grandest-looking dish was the Papaya Salad with Soft-Shell Crab.  The salad itself was bright, fresh and texturally on-point.  With each bite, the crunch from the green papaya and carrots was pleasing.  Temperature was just right too.  There was a nice balance of sweetness, tanginess and spice which really tickled our tastebuds.  The soft shell crab was not merely for decoration as it added a light crunch and creamy briny-sweetness.

Another solid dish was the Thai Chili Tofu.  Sure, it didn't look like much, but I assure you, it was a textural and taste delight.  The core of the dish was the perfectly fried slices of tofu.  With the right firmness, the tofu was still soft and silky while holding up to the aggressive deep-fry.  It was crispy and robust which held up to the delicious garlicky and spicy sauce.  Some fried basil and bell peppers added aroma and sweetness as well.

One of the most simplest dishes we ordered was the Daily Vegetable Stirfry, which happened to be the Tong Choy or Stir Fried Water Spinach.  Unlike the Chinese version, this was not prepared with fermented tofu. Rather, we got some brininess from the addition of fish sauce as well as some small dried shrimp.  There was considerable wok hei which meant there was smokiness and intense caramelization.  We got some spice from the chili peppers too.  The water spinach still had crunchy stalks with tender leaves.

Another new dish that we've not had before was the Green Curry with Beef Shank.  Sure, we've had a green curry at Song in the past, but with the tender melt-in-our-mouths beef shank, it was a totally different experience.  There was much more body and robustness provided by the beef rather than chicken or fish.  For the curry itself, it was delicious as usual.  Lightly creamy and definitely briny, it had good spice.  To completely enjoy all of the sauce, multiple bowls of white rice would be ideal.

Of course we got the Pad Thai like we always do.  Moreover, we got it vegetarian-style as per usual.  Predictably, it was delicious as the balance between tamarind tanginess and palm sugar sweetness was on point.  Factor in the brininess saltiness of fish sauce and you have truly a wealth of flavours.  We couldn't forget about the wok hei either and the smokiness added depth.  Noodles were al dente and the dried baby shrimp on the top just added that something something to the dish.

Unexpectedly, the Kra Pao Beef arrived in big chunks of tender brisket rather than the ground up version.  Oh that was a nice surprise as the pieces of beef were so tender and had bits of tendon on them.  Texturally, they were an absolute delight.  Since they wok-fried the beef (that was already braised), it exhibited intense sweetness, smokiness and some spiciness.  The gai lan were vibrant and crunchy.

We had a really refreshing dessert in the Lod Chong Coconut Granita.  This was so light and refreshing with the sweetness of the corn being at the forefront.  But that gave way to the aromatic sweetness of coconut that worked well with the nutty and earthy sweet taro.  Really, the natural sweetness of the ingredients made this dish.  Overall, this was another delicious meal at Song.  I've never had a bad one here and it is no wonder they hold onto their Michelin Bib Gourmand year-after-year.

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Excellent wok hei
- Thoughtful execution

The Bad:
- It ain't cheap (I think they should be Michelin-Star rather than Bib Gourmand)
- Not the easiest place to find parking

Soi Ram

You have probably heard me go on and on about how good the Portland Thai food scene is compared to what we have here in Vancouver.  Well, that doesn't mean we don't have good Thai food at all.  In fact, some of my favourites include Song, Siam Le Bien, Zab Zaab and Silom.  Interestingly, there is one highly-rated Thai spot in Ladner called Soi Ram.  Since we were already in South Richmond, we decided to check the place out for lunch.

On their lunch menu, they have the option to make it a complete meal with an appetizer and beverage.  We did just that with the Thai Iced Tea and the Rambuttri Temple.  We could get the iced tea with cream or lime.  As you can see, we went for the lime and that somewhat mitigated the sweetness.  With that being said, it was still sweet.  The Rambuttri Temple was a mix of mango juice, ginger ale and grenadine.  This was refreshing and tropical-tasting.

As for the choice of appies, we had both including the House Salad and Maa Joy Spring Roll.  Lots of fresh ingredients in the salad including crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and crisp greens.  The side of Maa Joy house dressing was creamy with equal parts tangy, sweet and a bit umami.  The real star was the spring roll as it was thicc!  It was loaded with vermicelli and veggies where the textures were crunchy and firm.  Loved the crunch of the wrapper and then the non-mushy texture of the filling.  Really good!

We ended up with 2 combos and 2 a la carte dishes starting with the Chicken Green Curry.  This was rich from the coconut cream where it was aromatic and lightly sweet.  Good hits of lemongrass and galangal, but I could've used a bit more fish sauce for that brininess.  There was a wealth of tender chicken, non-stinky bamboo shoots, eggplant, red pepper and Thai basil.  It was quite the portion size, especially for lunch.  Honestly, this was enough curry for 3 bowls of rice!

We had to get the veritable Pad Thai, also with chicken.  Loved that they had a good amount of pressed tofu since I love the texture!  My only wish would be some preserved radish for that salty crunch.  With that being said, this Pad Thai was still very good.  The noodles were perfectly chewy and not clumpy.  Tangy and sweet, the amount of tamarind and palm sugar was on point.  Best of all, the wok hei provided caramelization and smokiness.

We went off-menu for the Pad See Ew as it wasn't available on the lunch menu.  Thank goodness we ordered this as it was fantastic.  Once again, the wok hei afforded noticeable searing on the noodles which gave smoky vibes and aromatics.  Since the seasoning for this dish isn't complex, wok hei is vital to create layers of flavour.  Noodles were perfectly chewy and not clumped together while the gai lan was still vibrant and crunchy.  Good balance of sweet, savoury and slight brininess.

Our last dish was the Pad Kra Pao Muu Bowl.  Not trying to sound like a broken record, but this was also subject to the intense heat of the wok resulting in great wok hei.  The result was totally caramelized and super flavourful minced pork and pork belly.  It was bordering on salty without being so.  This came with rice and a perfectly fried egg.  In the end, this was a surprise!  A somewhat random food adventure lead us to some really legit Thai food with excellent wok hei.  Little hidden gem in Ladner!

The Good:

- The wok hei!

- Well-priced

- Legit flavours

The Bad:

- Lunch menu is a bit limited, but understandable

- Pork cracklings were the bagged variety, would've like to see freshly made if possible