The chef at Chada Thai Fine Cuisine wouldn’t want to jeopardize the quality of his food
Juanita Ng,
Sun
Chef Brian Marchesi of Chada Thai restaurant holds his Pad Thai dish (right) and Pla Lard Prig (left). Photograph by : Stuart Davis, Vancouver Sun
For chef Brian Marchesi, it’s all about quality control. The flavours in the Thai dishes he serves — that’s paramount. Hence, the no-takeout rule during suppertime. When Thai food gets cold, the texture changes. And really, there’s no point in serving something like that.
Then there’s the presentation. Why bother spending six to eight hours creating a Pad Thai sauce just to slap the noodles on a plate?
And when Marchesi is pressed into thinking about the future, not surprisingly, it’s a vision that’s shaped by the same guidelines. Go slow. Be sure. Expand when the time is right, and not before. Because otherwise, how can one control the dining experience?
It’s a formula that’s working in spades. Open for just seven months, Chada Thai Fine Cuisine in Coquitlam already has its regulars whom Marchesi can address with familiarity during his forays into the dining area to chat with customers.
But the success isn’t surprising, considering Marchesi’s background. At 30, Marchesi has been cooking for most of his life; first at his grandmother’s restaurant in Thailand, then with his aunt at her restaurant in Sweden; and most recently as a breakfast and lunch cook at the Four Seasons in Vancouver.
“Right now, the business is going so well — much better than I expected,” says Marchesi, whose father owns the restaurant. “It’s phenomenal.”
For the newbie, some tips for dining at Chada Thai:
Tip No. 1: When they say “hot,” they mean the kind of hot that makes you flail blindly for water. And watch out, because it sneaks up on you insidiously and cruelly. Unless you’re feeling awfully brave, order your dishes mild or medium.
Tip No. 2: Dine here on a weeknight. Alternatively, reserve a table on weekends. With its high ceilings, ornate artwork and rich colours, Chada Thai is charming and inviting. It’s also tiny, with a mere 32 seats. Situated in a bustling strip mall that includes Save-On Foods, Chapters and a slew of other businesses, it’s not surprising that on the Saturday we were there, at least 10 walk-up parties failed to get a table.
Tip No. 3: Try the Chicken Gang Dang with eggplant, bamboo shoots and peppers in a red curry sauce — its creamy blend of spices will make you a Chada Thai convert as well.
For that matter, try the Pad Thai, delicious pan-fried rice noodles with chicken and prawns in a tamarind sauce; or the Chada Thai Rolls, deep-fried wraps with a mix of carrots, vermicelli and cabbage. Dishes are priced at a flat rate: Appetizers are $8.99, entrees are $16.99 and chef’s specials are $19.99. Traditional Thai soups and salads, a popular choice with many diners, are $12.99 each. As previously mentioned, the presentation for all of the dishes is spectacular. “In the 21st century, people eat their food with their eyes first,” Marchesi says.
Tip No. 4: The jury’s still out on the desserts. The night we were there, just one of the four desserts that was on the menu was available — the F.B.I. or Fried Banana with Ice Cream. The batter was over-fried, making it tough to eat. A second dessert, a mango mousse that was not on the menu, was also a miss.
Tip No. 5: Ask your servers if you have any questions. They’re friendly and efficient, and more than willing to explain the dishes as well as recommend a few of the more popular ones.
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CHADA THAI FINE CUISINE
107 – 2991 Lougheed Hwy., Coquitlam, 604-464-5300, www.chadathai.ca
Open daily for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
