Sala Thai

Authentic Thai Experience in a Traditional Setting.

Seen right - left to right: Arnat Seksantrakul, Thai Chef; Brian Kongsilp, Manager.
Photography by Bruce Law.

Recognized by the Thai government as one of the Top Five places to dine outside Thailand and a Gold Medal Winner for Best Thai at Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant Awards, Sala Thai is Vancouver’s most authentic Thai dining experience. The spacious downtown restaurant (the name means ‘Thai Pavilion’) is an homage to owner Joy Kongsilp’s homeland, complete with a koi pond, ornate paintings and an enormous elephant carved from a single piece of teak in the entranceway.

“We are family run and operated for the last 22 years,” says Joy. “Most of our staff are Thai. We’re sharing not only our cuisine, but also our culture. Traditional Thai service means treating our guests like kings and queens.” Joy has had plenty of practice – she’s had the honor of serving the Thai Royal family during their Canadian visits.

The diverse menu features a wide variety of authentic Thai delicacies, including a plethora of vegetarian dishes. “People that have visited Thailand say our food is the best they’ve ever had,” Joy says with pride. “We’re constantly creating new dishes from scratch. We fly in fresh ingredients daily and always tailor the spice level to suit the guest’s individual taste.” Not to be missed is the tom yum (hot and sour) soup, flavourful royal pad thai chao wang, green pa-naeng curries and the signature hormok talay – assorted seafood and exotic spices served inside a whole fresh coconut. Homemade coconut ice cream with sweet sticky rice and fresh mango is a must for dessert.

Elevating the experience are new cocktails like the Lychee Lover, White Tiger and their signature Sala Thai martini; a potent concoction of gin, coconut, mango and fresh pandun leaf. An expanded wine list includes adds another layer of flavour to the exotic fare. Daily menu features also mean incredible value. Many daily lunch offerings are under $10 and dinner finds four course meals for $25.

Located near fabulous Robson Street shopping and the Scotiabank Theatre, it is an ideal stop before a night on the town. Plus, close proximity to the Sutton Place Hotel means frequent celebrity sightings - just recently, the cast of Twilight was in for a traditional Thai meal while filming here in Hollywood North. For an authentic taste of Thailand, look no further than Sala Thai.

Menu Highlights

APPETIZERS

Krathonh Tong — crispy waffle with chicken, shrimp & corn

Vegetarian Springrolls

Golden Angel Wings — boneless chicken wings filled with seafood, meat, vegetables & vermicelli noodles

Gai Hor Bai Toey — tender pieces of chicken marinated in a chef sauce & wrapped in pandanus leaves

Tom Yum Goong — hot and sour broth, with prawns, exotic spices, mushrooms, lemongrass & kaffir lime leaves

Tiger Beef — grilled beef in hot sauce, toasted rice, onions & coriander

Som Tom — green papaya salad

Green Mango Salad (seasonal) — shredded mango tossed with chicken, shrimp, mint leaves, onions and chillies

ENTRÉES

Gaeng Pa-Naeng Ped — roast duck sautéed in thick red curry, coconut cream & basil leaves

Pad Gra Paow — chicken with sweet basil leaves, onion & chili

Garlic Prawns — sautéed with crispy garlic, black peppers, broccoli & carrots

Poh Tun — a sizzling plate of assorted seafood, bell peppers, onions and basil leaves sauteed with chili paste oil

Pad Thai — stir fried rice noodles, shrimp, egg, tofu, bean sprouts & ground peanuts

SPECIAL CREATIONS

Pa-naeng green curry with tiger prawns and scallops

Pad Thai Chao Wang — the original ingredients of the Thai palace and an authentic Thai noodles dish

DESSERTS

Homemade coconut ice cream

Deep-fried banana & ice cream

Black sticky rice pudding

Tapioca pudding

Sticky rice with mango

Best of the Cellar

WHITE WINES

Sandhill Pinot Noir
Hugel Pinot Noir
Township Semillon
Golden Mile Chardonnay
Dirty Laundry “Woo Woo Vines” Gemurtzraminer
Dirty Laundry “Madam Vines” Gemurtzraminer
Smoking Loon Viognier

RED WINES

Pascual Toso Malbec
Mark West Pinot Noir
Clos Du Bois Merlot
Hugerford Hill Shiraz Viognier
Châteauneuf Du Pope “La Folie” pere Anselme

MARTINI'S AND COCKTAILS

Sala Thai: gin, fresh lime, coconut syrup, mango, pandum leaf
Tidal Wave: Malibu, blue curaco, disaronno, lime juice, coconut cream
The Full Moon Bucket: Sang Som rum or Thai whiskey with pop or Red Bull

Pictured above: Daily made flower shaped dumplings (cho ladda), chicken marinated in chef sauce wrapped in fresh pandanus leaves (Gai Hor Bai Toey) and a light citrus green mango salad.

SALA THAI
102-888 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC
604-683-7999
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