Thai Eats in Burnaby: Chad Thai

I always love a good bowl of Pho but my mom is a die-hard Pad Thai fan, so on a day when I was meeting her for lunch, I suggested Chad Thai (so she could have her fix and so we could stay rather close to home as well). Though Thai cuisine is not really known for noodle soups, I have been exposed to versions of them at Pink Elephant Thai near my work. As with most Thai lunch specials, our meal came with a daily appy (deep fried wonton and a simple broth). The soup was as bland as it looked. You can't really go wrong with deep fried foods, and it's the same here, crunchy exterior with a bit of meat in the middle. Sometimes, I feel restaurants would do themselves a favour and not serve anything "free" if they are going to be so lackluster. Afterall, this was the first thing I tried from their establishment, and I was completely unimpressed. Why start someone's lunch off that way? Fortunately, the next few dishes managed to redeem them in my eyes. This Tom Yum Noodle Soup (the reason for my visit) was delicious with just enough spice (though I did ask for extra spice). A huge bowl of hot and spicy soup loaded with vegetables (mushrooms, onions, green onions), and then topped with some chicken and flavoured with Thai spices such as coriander, lemongrass, red onions, kaffir limes leaves and galangal. The rice noodles had a great chew to it and there was a lot of it! My only wish, if the broth was just a bit hotter (temperature wise, not heat).  Both my parents wanted Pad Thai and they proclaimed it to be excellent. I gave it a try and it was okay. The noodles again had a good texture and the bean sprouts and lime provided crunch and brightness (respectively) but I felt that the sauce was a bit bland, and almost a touch too sweet. It's good, certainly not great.   To round out our lunch, we also got an order of their Chicken Wings, and this was much better than I expected. Not Phnom Penh good, mind you, but the wings were crispy and crunchy with a nice light breading. The meat inside was still very moist (so definitely not refried or day-old). The coating was well flavoured as well. The sauce was average, your usual sweet and sour sauce, and I didn't even bother using them. In fact, I asked for some extra lime to squirt onto the wings and the flavour brightened up nicely.
I wouldn't say it's a destination restaurant but if you are in the neighbourhood and craving Thai, then it's worth a shot.  

Take note: 

• They are packed at lunch on weekdays. 
• Portion sizes have supposedly been reducing. 
• Tom Yum Noodles best thing on the menu.