Ethnic Eats – Sampling the World’s Cuisine Without Leaving Vancouver

I love it when you stumble upon a place with no expectations and they are fulfilled wildly for you. That happened to me recently with Yuum Yai Thai, a little Commercial Drive storefront that upon first glance could swing in either direction, to dingy and depressing or excellent and secret. With a colourful awning outside and a small, basic room spruced up with Thai accents, it is welcoming enough and comfortable. Also clean.

The menu has all of the dishes you would expect to see in a Thai restaurant; green, red, yellow and Panang curries, pad Thai, etc. but also a lot of non-standard specialties. I waffled a bit before choosing the Choo Chee with king prawns (you can also get it with a fish fillet) for $15.95. It’s a kind of curry (not overly spicy) made with kafir lime leaves and sweet basil and served over white rice it’s a little piece of heaven. The lack of heat really makes the spice mixture shine and there is a generous helping of prawns, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Delicious.

A foodie friend who’s been to Thailand told me later that this is one of the most authentic Thai places in town, and I can definitely see that. Go check it out if you’e in the neighourhood.

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Yuum Yai Thai

1859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

It’s not very often that I get take out. Maybe if I want to watch a movie or have a significant amount of work to do that won’t allow for eating out or cooking, then it’s a necessary evil for me… and requires a decision on whether I want to cram the Styrofoam packaging and bags into the garbage can and simultaneously dirty a plate or whether to just eat out of the to-go package and risk the whole thing exploding on your lap.

I get that other people like take-out though, and so I have for you the perfect compromise. Take Thai Home on Commercial Drive, appears at first glance to be all about ordering your dinner to go, and in fact there are even an assortment of curries, ingredients and recipes so that you can even make your own Thai dishes at home. Me, I prefer to sit in. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with red walls and wide tables (suitable for balancing many dishes, if you are sharing with a friend). Over the bar/kitchen/ordering counter is a faux tiki hut that actually isn’t that tacky and there are thoughtful Thai decorating flourishes all over the room.

The main reason to eat in, however, is that the food is still ready just as fast, but you can sit down and enjoy it on real plates, accompanied perhaps by a cold Singha.

Because Take Thai Home is less than a block from my house and I often get home late and too tired for cooking, I have sampled a pretty wide swath of their menu. You can never go wrong with the Pad Thai ($8.75), and I also like the spicy Tom Yum Kung soup ($6, pictured top) on a cold day.  For a heartier meal, the curry combos are a good value – and delicious. Below is the Panang curry with prawns ($8.50) that comes with rice, vegetable soup, salad and chips. I also like the Latna for something different – egg or rice noodles with chicken, broccoli and carrots in Thai gravy.

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Take Thai Home
1736 Commercial Drive, Vancouver