Dine & Dash: Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine

Despite its awkward location, across the street and across the median from Langley’s Army and Navy, blocks away from the famed one-way, Ban Chok Dee is definitely not a hole in the wall that offers delicious food. Though their food is their forte, they don’t sacrifice quality atmosphere and a casual fine dining experience for it. While some Thai restaurants may be preferable as take-out locations, Ban Chok Dee offers patrons a quality environment that emphasizes the astounding menu.

The street parking in front of the restaurant is lacking, but with Army and Navy across the street, it’s easiest to park in their vast lot and walk across the pedestrian crossing, safely. Upon walking in, there is a severe lack of room in the waiting area – one small bench by a magazine rack. Thankfully, Ban Chok Dee does take reservations for those who want to ensure a table – especially for a larger party since space is lacking. There are a dozen tables that fill the well-decorated strip mall space, and it wouldn’t be quite so bad if two tables for two didn’t fill up the already tight space in the middle of the room. Though the owners have utilized every inch of space, they have done so with flair. The walls are painted deep, rich colours of reds and browns and adorned with intricate works of art. The wall of windows overlooking the unexciting 203 Street are given a little more oomph with brown sheers and, most impressively, each table’s silky black table cloth is removed and replaced with a fresh one when the table is cleared. Dampened lighting and an intimate atmosphere make this the perfect dining experience for a date, a special occasion with family or a nice evening out with friends.

The food, though, is, as always, the main concern. We ordered the Chok Dee platter for only $15.99. An assortment of appetizers, it offered a taste of everything at a fairly reasonable price. Spring rolls, golden wontons, chicken satay skewers and tord mun fish cakes, it did not disappoint. The spring rolls and wontons, thankfully, were bite-sized allowing little pastry-crunching embarrassment that is often prevalent with this kind of cuisine. The array came with satay (peanut) and sweet chili sauces, neither too hot to handle for even the mildest palate. Neither the spring rolls nor the wontons failed in their filling-to-pastry ratio, both packed full of vegetarian goodness and spicy pork, respectively. The chicken skewers dipped in the satay sadly ran out too quickly, and the fish cakes, although questionable in texture, were deeply satisfying in both the sweet chili and satay sauces.

We also ordered the chicken Pad Thai, a staple dish in any Thai restaurant, and one that Ban Chok Dee has perfected. Unlike Pad Thai dishes I have had in the past, the rice noodles are coated in tamarind and other spices, allowing for each bite to be delicious, not just the bites that include chicken. In fact, the chicken pieces throughout were bland in comparison to the noodles themselves, and the inclusion of bean sprouts, shaved carrots and ground peanuts added a pleasantly fresh crunch and nuttiness to each forkful.

For dessert, I tried both the green tea and mango ice creams—although they also offer vanilla and coconut—and they were scrumptious. Topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and spearmint leaves, the ice cream reinforced Ban Chok Dee’s greatest asset: presentation. It doesn’t take much—some garnish here, some sauce there—but that extra touch of aesthetic somehow adds to the meal.

Ban Chok Dee stands on its own in terms of Thai restaurants. Similar to Abbotsford’s Vi-La, it recognizes the importance atmosphere, décor and dish presentation. These things, combined with quality food, fresh ingredients and reasonable prices, all add together to make for a stand-out dining experience.