By Griffy Vigneron (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: May 22, 2013
33785 Essendene Avenue, Abbotsford
(604) 746-2229
Hours: Mon – Sat; 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. & Sun 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Meals range from $8 – $15
From the outside, Phuket Thai is unassuming. It’s a hole in the wall. Even its sign is barely noticeable. The entranceway leads you through a dingy, dim corridor before you even get to the restaurant.
But I decided to give it a chance anyway. And was I ever glad I did.
It certainly wasn’t the decor that got me. While not terrible, it lacks cohesion. While one half evoked the feel of a grungy smoky bar, the other a little like a run-down schoolhouse. White paint peeled off wood panelled walls and a few semi-exotic paintings hung on mostly bare walls. That’s not to say it was not somewhat charming. It was simple and minimalist. In its unassuming fashion, it was like walking into a space lost in mixed time. There was almost a sense of nostalgia.
It wasn’t the service that got me either. For a while my guests and I sat without water and menus. We twiddled our thumbs as the table next to us was tended. But it wasn’t a terribly long wait, and as there was only one waitress tending the entire storefront we couldn’t complain too much. Plus, while we didn’t get started right away, our food arrived in a pretty timely manner.
And the food was delicious.
The presentation was also pretty professional. These weren’t meals from your mom’s kitchen delivered on home-styled mismatched plates. The food came in fresh eye-catching colours and stood out well against the white modern dishware. Across the table, a friend had ordered the Tom Yum soup. It came in an exotic punchbowl-style soup dish, made of clouded tin. It even had a ventilated spot underneath for a candle to be used to keep the soup warm.
As for flavour, I’ll have you know I’m a sucker for exotic and unusual flavours – especially when they’re not tasteless watered-down North American versions. Thai food is a refreshing mix of spices, creamy sauces and sweet fruity flavours, especially when it’s done right.
The curry I ordered was sumptuously Thai. Subtle coconut cream melded in with strong fresh tasting spices. The flavours were so powerful they burst brilliantly over taste buds.
And the Thai iced tea was to die for. As a devoted Thai food lover, Thai iced tea is my absolute favourite. It’s a most unusual blend of sweet and smoky flavours. There’s nothing I can compare it to in North American fare. Searching through the Fraser Valley’s Thai restaurants has left me unsatisfied; not one offers the true Thai iced tea that I know and love. This place, however, does.
Thai food is also known for being spicy, and while I’m a Thai food fan, I’m not hugely fond of spice. The restaurant thankfully offers spice levels, and at its most mild the curry I ordered didn’t leave me sniffling and in tears. It also still retained its full flavour.
For those who love spice I can’t entirely guarantee satisfaction, though I can hint at it. My companions for the meal were the kind who aren’t even phased by spice. Spicy Indian food doesn’t have them sweating feverishly and panting like a dog. They both ordered their food on medium spice and found while the food was certainly tasty the spice was only satisfactory. They figured they’d order at the spiciest level for the next go around.
All in all, while the atmosphere was a bit lacking and the service wasn’t perfect, the food was so good and fresh that I’d still recommend it. For a seemingly simple hole in the wall, Phuket Thai exceeded my expectations by far.
I’d say it’s the best Thai food I’ve found in the Fraser Valley. I’ll certainly be back.
