Kaengthai takes over the space previously occupied by Irie Foods at 10152A – 82 Ave in Edmonton. It’s a family-run restaurant – small in size with understated decor, sister at the counter taking orders with brother cooking in the back. The menu is simple with 17 dishes comprised of a handful of starters and soups, along with noodles, curries and stir fries. The kaeng in Kaengthai means ‘curry’.
I stopped in twice, once for Pad Thai and the second time with a few more eaters to sample more dishes.
The Pad Thai holds its own against others in the city; a few notches better than many. The right combination of tamarind, fish sauce, garlic and chilies, and finished with a good squirt of lime juice results in a nicely balanced noodle dish.
Pad Thai with chicken
$10.95
Thai Calamari $9.95
If you like calamari, you’ll like what Kaengthai does with squid. Although it’s described as having jalapeños in the mix somewhere, we were hard pressed to find any evidence save for a few seeds. More heat (low level) is present in the dipping sauce, a slightly-sweet condiment of nam pla , ginger, chilies and slivers of green onion.
Pad Kea Mao with Chicken
$10.95
Pad Kea Mao is very similar to Pad Thai except this dish features a wider rice noodle, fresh green peppercorns, lime leaves and gingery Kra Chai.
There are three curry dishes at Kaengthai: a red, a green, and a panang curry. The green in the green curry comes from green chilies, aromatic leaves and herbs. This dish had plenty of kick but the kind of kick that keeps you coming back for more. Lots of flavour, as well, with the coconut milk and Thai basil.
Green Curry with Shrimp
$12.95
The cashew chicken is more reminiscent of Chinese food, with no apparent Thai flavours. Although decent, this might be the dish to order for the more non-adventurous eater. That being said, you’re here for Thai food, right?
Cashew Chicken
$10.95
And the last dish, the Pad Kra Thiam Prik – a stir fry of beef, garlic paste, black pepper and cilantro with broccoli, carrots and dry garlic – was the least impressive of the lot. Again, this one lacked the big oomph of layered flavours that Thai food is known for.
Pad Kra Thiam Prik with Beef
$10.95
The curries and noodles dishes are the strengths of the kitchen here. The service is friendly and fairly fast. The simple decor and utilitarian seating makes Kaengthai a place to stop in for lunch or quick dinner rather than a destination to linger in for an upscale date night, and therefore a very good option for refuelling while shopping on Whyte Avenue.
More of my review can be heard here on CBC Edmonton AM with Mark Connolly.