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

Pai

Normally, I'm not a sucker for being influenced by a celebrity when it comes to restaurant recommendations.  However, when I saw Simu Liu enjoy his favourite bowl of Khao Soi at Pai in his hometown of Toronto, I thought that we should go there too!  It also helped it was only an 8-minute walk from our hotel as well.   We didn't make any resos but got a seat anyways since the place is deceptively large.

Before we got to the Khao Soi, we went for some appies starting with the Mango Slaw.  This was similar to a green papaya salad except it featured other julienned components such as carrot, red cabbage and pickled green onion.  Also, the dressing was similar too with plenty of acidity from the lime juice and tamarind with sweetness from the coconut sugar.  The crunch from the veggies was great and the aromatic crunch from the peanuts gave some relief from the tang.

Possibly the best dish of the meal was the Moo Ping (Pork Skewers).  These skewers were generously graced with pork that was super tender and juicy.  Aggressively-marinated, the pork was flavourful throughout.  The sweetness really came through in the meat whole the caramelization on the outside added intense, but balanced sweetness.   There some smokiness as well.  This was all levelled out by the savouriness as well.

Onto the mains, we dug into their signature Khao Soi first.  We chose to have this with beef and there was a tonne of it.  Although tender and flavourful, half of the pieces were a quite dry.  As for the broth, it was delicious with the creamy aromatics of coconut milk and the earthiness of the curry.  The sweetness was definitely there as well helping out balance the dish.  Noodles were al dente and soaked up the tasty broth.

We also had the Green Curry with chicken served in a fresh coconut.   There was some extra curry on the side since not all all of it fit into the coconut.   There was also coconut rice wrapped in banana leaves.   I thought the curry itself was good with the usual aromatic coconut milk, slight spice and sweet savouriness.  There was some firm pieces of chayote as well as a wealth of chicken breast.  Although chicken breast tends to be drier, I found this one a bit drier than what I prefer.   

Our last dish was the Pad Thai Goong with some extra spice on the side (which I used liberally, yum!).  This was also a great dish where the rice noodles were al dente and sauced with a good amount of tamarind and palm sugar.  Hence it was tangy and sweet while extra spicy (when I made it so).  In the end, I wanted to really like Pai, but it was hit and miss for me.  Some of the proteins were dry and chewy.  However, the flavours were really good.  So I guess your experience will highly depend on what you order and what protein you choose.

The Good:
- Impactful flavours
- Noodles were done perfectly
- Eclectic dining space

The Bad:
- Some proteins were chewy and dry

 

Zab Zaab Thai

I'm not usually the type to do random eats, but there have been instances where it works out.  Case in point, our recent foray to Zab Zaab Thai in Yaletown.  We were in downtown to watch a show at the Orpheum and we had fortunately snagged one of the free spots near Elsie Roy Elementary School.  We really didn't have a plan for a dinner spot and we wandered Yaletown hoping to gain some inspiration.  We considered some ol' standbys including Rodney's or even Cactus Club.  That is when we stumbled on Zab Zaab Thai that has the "Thai Select" award that guarantees authenticity according to Thailand's Ministry of Commerce.  

The menu is pretty large and it was hard to choose between items.  Ultimately, we began with a pair of soups including the Tom Yum with prawns and the Tom Kah with chicken.  Gotta say that these were pretty good and a nice start to our meal.  I found the fragrant and aromatic components were all discernible and in balance.  Hence, the lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce and spice were all there and came through in layers.  Of course, the Tom Kah added the creaminess and aromatics of coconut milk.

Next up, we had the Crying Tiger Beef or grilled NY striploin.  This was perfectly charred which resulted in a smoky nuttiness.  There was plenty of natural meat flavour from the perfectly medium-rare cook on the steak.  In terms of texture, we found it to be not as tender as expected, but at the same time, it wasn't overly chewy either.  This was served with a tangy, sweet and lightly spicy house dip.  The sauce was the key component to this dish as it was super appetizing and impactful.  We also had a side of sticky rice that was great with the dip as well.

From their special menu, we tried the Crispy Pork Belly Basil with garlic, chili, green beans, bell peppers and holy basil.  We really enjoyed this with some rice as the aroma from this dish was super pleasing.  Due to the proper wok hei, this had caramelized sweetness as well as the garlicky savouriness that helped seasoned the crisp veggies.  The pork belly itself was meat with just enough fattiness to keep things moist and buttery.  Although stir-fried, the crackling remained crunchy.

As per usual, we got some veggies into our meal with the Stir-Fried Vegetables.  This consisted of seasoned vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, broccoli, button mushrooms and green beans.  Since it was cooked in a high heat wok, the veggies cooked through while retaining a crunch.  Things were flavourful with the use of mushroom oyster sauce where we had the rich saltiness that had plenty of umami.  As you can see in the picture, there was very little residual moisture and oil.

One of my favourite dishes of the night was the Pad See Ew.  The most important part of this dish is the actual wok fry.  There needs to be wok hei resulting in caramelization and that smokiness from the searing of the components.  Well, this version definitely achieved that with intense sweetness that was balanced off by the saltiness.  The noodles were al dente, not clumpy and not oversauced.  We chose chicken to go with this (rather than our usual tofu) and it was fairly moist.  The gai lan was vibrant and had a nice crunch.  Good amount of fried egg too.

For our curry option, we chose the Tofu Red Curry.  Normally, we would probably go for beef, but since we didn't have tofu in the pad see ew, we wanted to try it.  As you can see, the cubes of tofu were on the larger side, but worked okay with this dish.  The pieces were more robust and stood up to the creamy and sweet curry.  There was medium spice with a background brininess and aromatics from the lemongrass and galangal.

We went default with our dessert in the Mango Sticky Rice, where it arrived in one of the biggest portion sizes I've ever seen.  It consisted of a sliced whole mango and a considerable amount of sticky rice.  The texture of the rice was good being moist while still nicely chewy.  It was topped with sweet coconut cream.  The mango was ripe being sweet with a tang.  All-in-all, the food at Zab Zaab is solid and prepared with care.  Prices aren't cheap, but reasonable given its location.

The Good:

- Nice wok hei (Intense wok heat)

- Impactful flavours

- Attentive service

The Bad:

- Seating is a bit odd in the restaurant where it makes each table tight

Rice & Noodle (Granville)

Sometimes, simple is good.  We have so many food options in Vancouver, it can get pretty overwhelming and more recently, completely unaffordable.  Sure, we could just drop by any random fast food restaurant or food court stall, but many are rather boring.  One option that I never knew existed is Rice & Noodle.  This counter quick-service restaurant offers up Asian rice & noodles (hence the name) at reasonable prices and well-portioned plates.  Jackie and I checked out the new Granville location in Downtown.

The first item we tried as not a plate at all, rather, it was a bowl of Laksa with prawns.  For all their dishes, you can choose your protein, whether it be beef, pork, chicken, prawns or tofu.  As you can see from the picture, this looked pretty good.  That it was with a creamy coconutty broth that had the aromatics which included lemongrass, galangal and lime.  There was the sweetness of palm sugar and a touch of spice too.  Now we would never confuse this with the best Laksa I ever had, but this was more than acceptable.  Prawns had a sweet snap and even the egg wasn't overcooked.

Another soup noodle was the Tom Yum, which we also go with prawns.  Hidden within the fragrant broth, we found a wealth of al dente rice noodles.  It has partially soaked up the tangy and briny broth that had the brightness of lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal.  I could also get the fish sauce with its salty brininess.  Nice tang from the tomatoes too.  Again, not the best Tom Yum out there, but a very competent one.

Onto the Pad Thai, we also got this with prawns and it came with the usual bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and wedge of lime.  Even though it was stir-fried beautifully with some smokiness and caramelization from the high wok heat, I wasn't a fan of this dish.  It tasted ketchupy and one note.  I can see how some would like this flavour profile as it can be found extensively in North America.  But I really enjoy a tamarind-forward version more with caramelized palm sugar.

Now the Pad See Ew was considerably better.  It consisted of narrow rice noodles instead of the usual wide ones.  In this case, it worked well as it took on the caramelization and had sweet smokiness.  We got this with sliced beef and it was decently tender, if not a touch dry.  The veggies were cooked through but still had a nice crunch.  Overall, this was a good dish and I wouldn't have a problem ordering it again.

Another dish that had some great wok hei was the Mongolian Stir-Fry.  We got this with tofu and there was some pretty good caramelization and aroma.  All the veggies were cooked through, but still had an appealing crunch.  With the sweet and savory sauce, there was more than enough to enhance the natural sweetness of the veggies.  The smokiness of the stir-fry and intense sweetness of the palm sugar made for a nice compliment to the white rice.

We also got the Pineapple Fried Rice with chicken and it exhibited the same good wok hei as the rest of the dishes.  Each grain of rice was discernible and dry (in a good way).  There was some smokiness and nuttiness to compliment the sweetness of the pineapple.  There was also sufficient salt added so that the dish wasn't lacking seasoning. Love the ample amount of fried egg nestled within the rice.  It was so fluffy and well-seared.  

For our curry selection, we had the Penang Curry with prawns.  I would've preferred for the curry to be in a bowl next to rice rather than all on the plate.  Despite this, I found the curry to be sweet, aromatic and a bit spicy.  Once again, we found hits of lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, coconut milk and fish sauce.  Very competent curry given the quick service concept.   Overall, the food at Rice & Noodle is more than acceptable and in fact, quite flavourful with wok caramelization.  Of course prices are reasonable and dishes come out quick.

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

The Good:

- Flavourful

- Proper wok hei

- Well-priced for what you get

The Bad:

- Not a fan of the Pad Thai flavour