Since the previous occupant of Thai Bistro’s space went out of business before I got a chance to review it, I thought I had better hustle my way down to the new eatery located in Chinatown — just in case.
My boyfriend and I were the first to arrive to the sparsely decorated restaurant on a sunny Monday night and were warmly greeted by our host and server for the evening. Our meal began with nicely spiced fried fish cakes ($5.95), served with a tasty cucumber and sweet chili sauce. I have to admit I wasn’t sold on ordering the cakes, but they turned out to be a pleasant surprise and were shockingly light despite being battered and fried.
Next up were the fresh spring rolls ($4.95). Similar to Vietnamese salad rolls, the dish combined shrimp, green lettuce and mint leaves wrapped in rice paper with a peanut sauce for dipping. The fresh mint was a lovely addition to the rolls and made for nice summer starter.
Another great summer selection was the shredded papaya salad ($9.95). We enjoyed the light flavour of the papaya and lime juice tossed with tomatoes, fresh chilies and peanuts. My only criticism of the dish is that it included tiny dried shrimp that didn’t appear on the menu’s list of ingredients. Beyond that, the salad was refreshing with a nice heat.
Trying one of the noodle dishes, we opted for the pad ki mow with beef ($10.95 / $12.95). Similar to pad thai, the dish incorporated stir-fried rice noodles, egg, basil and your choice of chicken, beef, seafood or pork. It was tasty, but not my favourite dish. I should have gone with the traditional pad thai instead.
The best dish of the evening was the paneang chicken curry ($12.95). It was excellent. Blending paneang curry with coconut milk, it was absolutely delectable with the fragrant coconut sticky rice ($3.45). This is definitely one of the best curry dishes I’ve had in town.
With a low-priced lunch menu in a low-key setting, Thai Bistro is one of your best bets for a casual meal, and only steps away from the downtown core. The next time you are craving Thai cuisine, head down to Thai Bistro and offer your support to this tasty upstart.
Thai Bistro is located at 102 233 Centre St. S.W.; phone, 403-313-9922.
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