Eating Thai in Calgary

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Another one I want to try the Ruan Thai.

Going to nominate myself for dumbest person ever. There's this Thai restaurant I've been going to, from time to time, for a lunch buffet, that I've always thought was good but never knew the name. Always referred to it as "that little Thai restaurant we go to with the lunch buffet." Meanwhile "Geez one day I really want to try the Ruan Thai because I've heard such good things about it."

I finally decided to look up the address. Geeeeeeeeeez one and the same!

I swear I'm getting dumber and dumber as the years go on.

Anyhow I'll throw my two bits in for Ruan Thai - "yum" and "yum". My *only* complaint is that they don't serve coffee at lunchtime "because people weren't ordering enough of it to make it worthwhile." I'm no business or restaurant expert but it seems to me if having a pot of coffee going is going to bankrupt a business then there might be something wrong with the business plan. That's just me though - I'm just sayin' .. is all. Fine, no coffee then. But the food is awesome and inexpensive and there's this one chutney/sambal type condiment they make with cilantro that is just divine (and super hot - I may suck at just about everything I do - but one thing I can out-do anyone on - is eating hot food. Not trying to be competitive or anything - just stating it. I can eat hot food like it's nobody's business and I can out-hot anyone. I suck at everything else, so if you're getting your hackles up and thinking "them's fighting words" - no they are not - and please don't try taking this *one thing* away from me, because everything else I've valued and cherished and ever thought I was good at - I wasn't. But hot food? ooooh yes and yes).

Anyhow, I digress. I'm going to see if I can get into Thai Sa On this week, or maybe Chili Club or the Spicy Hut. (I have a hankerin' for Thai food, and it sucks that my favourite restaurant of all time, Restaurant Indonesia, finally went under. The folks who ran it originally needed a break and retired and sold it to a Malaysian family, who promptly realized it's a lot of work to run a restaurant, decided to no longer be open for lunch, thus shutting out their steady regulars... and gee, lo and behold, went bankrupt. Now there's no decent Indonesian restaurant in this city. A city of one million? Surely we could have an Indonesian restaurant be viable? I tried Bali downtown but it was terrible. I won't go back. It also wasn't anything close to Indonesian cuisine as I've come to learn what that is. My dad was born in Indonesia - I may be a whitey but I do know Indonesian cuisine. In fact, as long as the conversation is limited to food dish names, I could possibly carry on a conversation in Indonesian. "<telephone ring ring> Nasi goreng? Dengdeng padang. Udang pedas? Gado gado!").

So um ... yeah. Hopefully I can try one of these other places and let you know what I think. Anyone else have any new Thai restaurant recommendations for Calgary?

[Der_Iron_Chef]

Think you can out-hot me, eh? Hmmm. Well, maybe I will say, though, I have eaten a whole habanero pepper before. I was really doing alright with it until I rubbed my eye. BAD idea to rub eye when you have just been touching a habanero. I looked like a crack whore (which was only half true...huh?).

I'll have to check out Ruan Thai! Oh, and also...I did eat at a Malaysian restaurant here in town once (maybe 10 years ago!) that was pretty excellent. And having lived in Malaysia for several years, I felt I was "sort of" qualified to make such a judgment. I'll have to see if it's still there.

[Delphinus]

Ha ha, I hear ya! I do that all the time too. You'd think one would either learn not to touch their eyes, or the eyes would eventually get desensitized.

Anyhow, I'll settle for a tie on the competition.. (A Thai?) One life lesson I've learned is that I can ingest far more than I can digest. It's like the body says "Ok, obviously you aren't listening when I say this is too dang hot! So I'll try to find a different way to drive home the message." Ie., I've found myself about 6 hours after the fact saying "Ok. So although I didn't realize it at the time, but that particular hot sauce {or whatever} was, in fact, too hot. BUT I HAD TO MAKE A POINT!! Given the option, I would do it all over again!! There's honour among hotness aficionados, they would understand!"

Sizzling Wok maybe (for the Malaysian cuisine)? I haven't been in years though, I wonder if they're still around? Hmmm I feel some more web surfing coming on this afternoon.

[Delphinus]

I totally think we need to do a Canreefer lunch here soon.. Who's in?

[Delphinus]

"Tropika" comes up a lot on a google search for Malaysian cuisine in the city ... sounds intriguing... Anyone been? I work down south which makes for an inconvenient trip for a lunch for me, although it's address (#171, 1518 Centre Street NE) seems to suggest that a side trip to Ocean City and/or Wais right after lunch might be in order

[Delphinus]

The "best" coast? I'd say, sure, I'm coming over for lunch but I might get hungry before I get there.

The best Thai cuisine I have ever .. .well, ok. It was really more just the hot and sour soup... the best hot and sour soup I have EVER had was in some Thai restaurant in Portland Oregon. We were just walking downtown one night after work and came across this little place. I wish I could remember the name. I might remember how to get there. Portland is such an interesting place. The downtown core literally goes home for the night after work and is deserted. Absolutely hopping with nightclubbers on Fridays and weekends but weekdays you have the entire core to yourself. It's was almost surreal like some sci-fi movie where everybody is gone except for the main character.

But it's a little too far for me for lunch. But I have to say the best, the hands-down best LFS I was ever in was in Portland. I saw an Oregon tort 10 years ago when nobody else knew what the fuss was with SPS. <sigh> I want to go back..

[KennyKen]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

"Tropika" comes up a lot on a google search for Malaysian cuisine in the city ... sounds intriguing... Anyone been?

It is AMAZING!!! when you go, get the gado gado and roti to start. It is one of my favorite places EVER.
Also, a block away bangkoknoi (i think) which is also very, very good. Their Panang Beef is the best ive ever had.

MMMM thai.

I agree the one beside elite is very good, however i wasnt happy at all with the royal thai. TERRIBLE service and the food was nothing to write home about.

[iansfishy]

dont know if anyone has said it yet, but "king and I thai" downtown is awesome. And its not thai, but you cant go wrong eating at Bookers for awesome cajun style seafoods

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Hey guys,

In the Lower Mainland, I just have to go to my mom's for awesome authentic, made-from-scratch Malaysian food. Her best are Penang Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, Curry Puffs, and Curry Mee. My mother-in-law (from East Malaysia) does a wicked Kuching Laksa (as does my beautiful, very pregnant wife Irene). I can cook Malaysian & Thai food myself, but I usually cheat & use the prepared sauce mixes. You should try my Thai jumbo tiger prawn green curry with red & orange bell peppers with onion. Mmmmmmmmm. My Malaysian curry chicken with potatoes is pretty edible too

Actually, the best Thai food I've ever had was in Powell River, BC of all places. Heard from friends that authentic Asian restaurants in Calgary was in short supply. Too bad, cause here on the Best Coast, we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to affordable, authentic Asian restaurants. Maybe time for a road trip?

Ok, now I'm hungry

Anthony