When it comes to dining with my parents, we like to visit tested, tried, and true spots. Restaurants one of us has already been to and have vetted, thus deeming worthy of returning for a guaranteed good meal. Today that was Chai a Thai for some authentic, home cooked Thai cuisine.
They have been in the Burnaby Heights area for as long as I can recall. A simple, smaller restaurant with seats that stretch down the back. Most notable are their tables topped with tiles. I like the look of them for my food photography. The following is what we decided on and ordered as a group to share.
As per the case, whenever I visit any Thai restaurant, I have to start with some Thai iced tea. I liked the unique flavour of this brew and swirling in the milk to turn its hue orange. My parents state that it is too sweet, so opted out.
We ordered the Sukho Thai noodle without soup, but when it came to the table with soup, none of us remembered or thought to correct the server. Just as well, as I ended up liking the broth in this, declaring it the best thing we had during this meal and the dish one that I would order again and recommend in the future. Thin rice noodles in a spicy stock. It was tart and tangy with a tomato base, the sour notes made it refreshing on the palate. You just want to make sure you eat the crispy fried sheets of wonton wrappers first as they are quick to get soggy in the soup.
And what is Thai without Pad Thai? We went with chicken for our choice of protein. This is stir fried rice noodles in tamarind sauce with tofu, salted radish, egg, chives, bean sprouts and ground peanuts. A classic with a great chewy texture and a one-of-a-kind tang tamarind taste. Not necessarily the best in the city, but a solid option that has been consistent thus far.
The Nam tok moo was different. This is a serving of grilled pork slices tossed lightly in lime juice with red onions, green onions, shredded mint, coriander, ground chilli, and roasted rice. It had an herbal spice tone to it and is a flavour that originally catches you off guard, but is soon to grow on you the more you pick at it. You definitely need rice as a buffer to help redistribute all the punchy flavours in this. Not necessarily what I think of when I think of Thai cuisine, and not one I would gravitate towards again.
And the Green curry with Beef was a nice sweeter option. Prepared with spicy green curry paste and cooked in coconut milk with eggplant, green beans, and peppers; finished with Thai basil. This thin and sweet coconut milk broth is best with rice as a base, to better absorb all the liquid from the broth, however rice is not included and must be added on for extra. This curry is one of my go-tos for a nice comforting dish.
In conclusion, Chad Thai continues to be a great option for Thai cuisine the my neighbourhood and a restaurant I am sure I will revisit sooner than later.
Chad Thai Restaurant
4010 E Hastings St, Burnaby, BC V5C 2H9, Canada
+1 604-677-1489
chadthai.herokuapp.com
