Thai Archives - Eat Your Broccoli!

May 23, 2018

Pai Northern Thai Kitchen

It’s been a long time since I last went to Toronto. For the next few days, I’m planning to hit up anything unusual that I can’t find in Calgary. It shouldn’t be too hard. My sister recommended Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, an award winning Thai restaurant.

We started off with the Grabong. They were deep fried squash fritters. The presentation was eye-catching. The fries were deliciously crisp and paired well with the tangy tamarind sauce.

My sister recommended the Khao Soi, which is egg noodle with curry. They describe it as a golden curry. To me, it tasted like red curry. But the difference is the multiple layers of flavour. It definitely tasted scratch made with fresh ingredients. The fried noodles were a nice touch too.

My sister had the Khao Pad Thamada, which is fried rice. It was pretty good, but the Khao Soi was outstanding.

The place seems to cater to the younger set. Noise carries and the decor is very casual with Thai influences. If you like Thai food, this is a definitely a must try.

Khao Soi 16.5
Fresh egg noodles in a golden curry topped with crispy noodles, coriander, green onions and your choice of Braised Beef, Chicken Breast or Chicken Drumsticks (contains shrimp paste)

Khao Pad Thamada 14.5
Stir fried jasmine rice with egg and green onion. Served with your choice of Chicken, Beef or Tofu & Veggies. (contains oyster sauce) Served with nam prik nam pla sauce (fish sauce, garlic, chili & lime)

Grabong 14
Freshly shredded buttercup squash fritters lightly coated in red curry paste batter, deep fried and served with a sweet garlic tamarind dip with nuts. (contains eggs and peanuts)

February 9, 2014

Khao San Thai Kitchen

Looking in from the outside, this restaurant looks like an inviting oasis from the Calgary cold. The decor is tasteful, and the house is packed.

We started with the golden tofu and scallops. The tofu was crisp and the sauce packed a flavor punch. The scallops remind me of something you might see in a fine dining restaurant.

Moving along to the pad thai. One of my friends commented that it was the first time the noodles were done al dente. The panang salmon was an interesting dish. The battered fish in the sweet and sour basa stayed crisp as the sauce pooled nicely on the bottom of the plate.

It’s really popular, and there seems to be an endless number of regulars, as the waitstaff greet the customers with friendly recognition. The service was spot on, even when it got really busy.

Salmon Panang Curry and Sweet and Sour Basa

August 28, 2013

Juree's Thai Place

Hungry after a day in the mountains, we decided on quick, tasty and close. Juree’s fit the bill. I’ve been here several times before and have always enjoyed the food. All their curries have rich flavors with liberal use of coconut milk. The larb kai had some very spicy and herby notes. I really liked the deep fried tilapia, served whole with sweet and sour sauce on top. The service was very quick. On this night, there were some ladies dressed in traditional outfits dancing outside. I should really visit more often.

Massaman curry with pork and green curry with prawn

June 3, 2013

Thai Pagoda

We stopped by Thai Pagoda for dinner after an afternoon climbing at Elevation Place. We were quite hungry, so we ordered accordingly. We sampled quite a few of the dishes. I had a bowl of Tom Kha Gai, which is coconut soup with chicken. It was very flavorful. The papaya salad was crisp and spicy. We also shared the green curry with pork, Penang curry with chicken, Massaman curry with tofu and Pad Thai with chicken. The green curry was the best dish with vibrant flavors, followed by the Penang curry. The Massaman curry was mild, but compared to the other two, didn’t seem to pack as much of a flavor punch. The Pad Thai was disappointing as it tasted overly salty, with a strong flavor of soy sauce.

February 26, 2013

Thai Green Curry and Salad Rolls

I was out at a hostel this weekend on a ski trip. I offered to cook the group dinner. After a long day out ski touring, there’s nothing better then some comfort food. Of the Asian variety. I premade Vietnamese style salad rolls and Thai green chicken curry. This is the best recipe I’ve found for that.

Scratch Made Thai Green Curry

Vietnamese Style Salad Rolls

16 rice paper wrappers
2 large carrots, shredded
16 fresh basil or Thai basil leaves
bunch cilantro
rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water
3 chicken breast or thigh
24 large shrimp
bouquet garni and half an onion for poaching
peanut butter
Hoisin sauce
chili and garlic sauce

Throw the bouquet garni and onion into a sauce pan with water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Add the whole chicken pieces and whole shrimp. Remove from heat when cooked. Shell and devein shrimp. Cut in half. Shred or tear into pieces chicken meat. Set aside.

Boil some water and pour into a glass pie plate. Soak a rice paper wrapper for a few seconds. Place on cutting board. Layer vermicelli, carrot, cilantro, basil, and chicken. Use three shrimp halves per roll. Roll and seal.

To make the sauce, blend Hoisin sauce and peanut butter 3:1. Add a little hot water for ease of mixing. Serve with a dollop of chili garlic sauce on top to taste.

It’s usually served with jasmine rice, but since we were at camp, I used bulgur (yes it’s wheat) for a dish with more texture. It also cooks faster than rice.