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Thai - Richmond/South Van


Keith Talent

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I'd gladly trade a half dozen mediocre Malay/SE Asian joints for one decent Thai restauarant in South Van/Richmond. I'd like to hope against hope that there actually was an undiscovered gem out there, but I'm reasonably certain there isn't. The only Thai I can think of is in the food court at Aberdeen. And if anyone suggests The Thai House, I'm going to petition the powers that be to revoke your e-gullet membership.

Why no Thai? I realize that the local Thai community could hold a mixer in a phone booth. (Someone please explain what a phone booth is to Ling and the other younger members.) But that can't explain it. Vancouver has more Japanese restaurants than actual Japanese people, some enterprising Chinese should open a Thai place, much like has been done with sushi.

I need my Tom Yam Gum, damnit.

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I haven't been to Richmond in at least two years...but I can offer this:

Thai Son Restaurant

(604) 278-4788

6280 No. 3 Road

Richmond, BC V6Y 2B3

Can't vouch for the food, service, decor or cleanliness as I have never set foot in the place. But it's not Thai House and it's not that travesty of a fake thai fast food place that is popping up in malls all over the place.

Failing that, I have a few recipes and you could make your own.

Don't try to win over the haters. You're not the jackass whisperer."

Scott Stratten

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Gone for ages. And it was, without a doubt, the worst restaurant in the history of commercial food preparation. The Tom Yam tasted like the magic secret ingredient might have been oven cleaner. After the proprietors mad culinary skills weren't going to be enough to keep them afloat, they went to the last ditch desparation sure to pack 'em in manouvre, the "all you can eat" menu. It was so grim that patrons found themselves stopping next door at the "Spirit of Pyonyang" North Korean restaurant for a bowl of bark and dirt soup to fillup, as the food they just had was basicly inedible.

It was in one of those tragic locations of death, it was about five things before that, the last succesful venture was the Nuffys donuts that was there for like ever, until it became ground zero in the new Chinatown, and Nuffys never got the hang of Red Bean filled donuts and thus went away.

Oh - shit - I just remembered. Thai Son is still in business. Right across the street from Richmond Centre. The place I'm talking about was on the south east corner of Cambie and #3. Oops, sorry Thai Son. the place I'm talking about was called Thai No. One perhaps?

Thai Son was cause for great excitement in the Talent house when it opened four years ago. Only problem is it serves pho, it's a typical Vietnamese pho shop, without banh mi on the menu, meaning it's excluded from the Talent family pho rota.

Thanks anyways. If I was litigious, I'd file a class action for false representation, as not only does it have the word Thai in the name, but the use of neon gives the place a Bangkok after dark appearance.

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But that can't explain it. Vancouver has more Japanese restaurants than actual Japanese people...

Yes, but if you count the number of good Japanese restaurants then the ratio is much less striking.

Sorry, I can't help you on the Thai restaurant front. I think we need to open up the visa channels to encourage a wave of Thai immigration. I agree, the choices we have are not great.

Baker of "impaired" cakes...
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"Yes, but if you count the number of good Japanese restaurants then the ratio is much less striking."

Well yeah, that's exactly my point. Where opportunities exist due to under realized culinary infrastructure, human assests generally re-orient themselves to fill market voids. (<- Worst most boring sentence ever written in the english language. With the exception of every John Grisham novel.) Again, why do Chinese not step in like thay have with Sushi?

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Again, why do Chinese not step in like thay have with Sushi?

Then it sounds to me like Thai just isn't very popular with the Chinese community. Can anyone confirm this? Is it something that peaked at one point and just doesn't command much interest among Chinese diners these days?

Baker of "impaired" cakes...
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In south Vancouver - I have heard good things about Baan Wasawa Thai on 41st and West Blvd and went and checked it out.

I have been told that is very close to what people have eaten in Thailand. Thai run and owned.

However - I went and found the food sweet. It may be very well something that I am going through because lately - it seems like all Thai food is insanely sweet to me. Perhaps someone else who has been to Baan can give some input.

As to why there are not more Chinese people running Thai restaurants - there are already few doing so. SE Asian places like Thai House and Tropika are all Chinese owned. Why there are'nt more I think is there are'nt alot of Chinese people who live in Thailand - the same way that there are in Malaysia, Indonesia, and other SE Asian countries. So the cuisine is not familiar.

Japanese food has a huge influence in Taiwan and HK - therefore Chinese people feel more comfortable opening Japanese restaurants - especially if the target market are other Chinese people.

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As to why there are not more Chinese people running Thai restaurants - there are already few doing so.  SE Asian places like Thai House and Tropika are all Chinese owned.  Why there are'nt more I think is there are'nt alot of Chinese people who live in Thailand - the same way that there are in Malaysia, Indonesia, and other SE Asian countries.  So the cuisine is not familiar.

'

I'm going to get behind my flame shield before I start

[steps behind]

My theory is that it is also a bit easier to open a japanese restaurant because the key to good sushi is good ingredients (fish). And Japanese food is simple in the sense that it is SO good without having to go into elaborate spices and other things. Simple, good food. So I think the barriers to entry are a little easier. A little bonito, seaweed, miso can go a long way. Then throw in the triage of Mirin, Soy Sauce and Sake and, well i swear i can make my cornflakes taste japanese :)

Thai food although that that complex might need a bit more in terms of getting a retaurant started :) I'm chinese buy my uncle is thai...makes for really good family dinners mmmm...

[/steps out from behind shield and runs screaming]

"There are two things every chef needs in the kitchen: fish sauce and duck fat" - Tony Minichiello

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Coincidentally, there is a Thailand exhibition on at Aberdeen Centre this weekend. I was going to berate the girl in the Thailand/Cannadian Association booth for not encouraging enough emigres with an interest opening an inexpensive family run quality local restaurant to move to Canada, but that seemed kinda mean so I didn't.

And if you go, try the dried crunchy durain samples up by the foodcourt. Worlds most strangely addictive foodstuff. The whole time you're eating it, you're thinking this is weird and doesn't taste good, but I can't stop, they're like chips, except they're not good.

Anyway there are booths setup throughout the mall flogging Thai handicrafts, etc. My favourite booth was the hairbrush importer, with at least fifty different models on display and a big sign explaining he does a wholesale trade only, I was going to ask why he chose to display his wares in the mall, but again seemed kinda rude.

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but that seemed kinda mean so I didn't........

....... but again seemed kinda rude.

And the last time THAT stopped you was?????

Sorry, but dude, you left yourself wide open.

How close to White Rock is Richmond? I think there are a couple of Thai places there.

Don't try to win over the haters. You're not the jackass whisperer."

Scott Stratten

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