When it comes to writing about Asian food, I don’t profess to be an expert.
I’m just a dude who loves to eat and writes about what he likes. You can choose to agree or disagree. We all have different tastes.
I mention this because I received some angry messages from a couple of people who preferred a different Hainanese chicken rice dish at Crystal Mall than the one I wrote about that I had eaten at Green and Oak in North Burnaby.
Hey, I’m glad they liked the one at Crystal Mall – food is a very particular thing for people. This isn’t an exact science. People don’t have to take things so seriously.
So when I say that I think Chad Thai in the Heights has the best pad Thai dish in Burnaby, that’s just based on my tastes.
I discovered this little hole in a wall a few years ago while on a date. The woman I was dating had recommended it and while I never saw her again, I have seen a lot of Chad Thai ever since.
In particular, I love the pad Thai with prawns, not chicken. The noodles are ever-so-tender, the prawns are plentiful and they get the spice level correct. Some places will ask customers how hot they want it, but have difficulty meeting that level.
I like mine round a three out of 10 on the hotness meter and they always deliver the right amount. It’s a little thing, but when you have trouble handling spicy food, it makes a difference. There’s nothing worse than ordering a three, getting an eight and spending the rest of the night trying to put out the fire.
Pad Thai is one of those dishes that I can literally eat any time of the year, whereas I only seem to crave pho in the fall or winter.
The best in Metro Vancouver, for me, is Bob Likes Thai Food on Main Street – their pad Thai is a dream.
But that’s a long way to drive and so Chad Thai offers a reasonable alternative that’s cheap, fresh and yum-yum.
Please, don’t @ me.
DISCLAIMER: I have not been compensated by the restaurant in question for writing about it. They don’t even know I am writing about them.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
