Family establishment serves affordable food, free of pretension, although the quality of the meals is sometimes lacking
Tara Lee
Sun
Paul (rear) and chef Phailin Eakkachaichanvet own Lhy Thai restaurant in Burnaby. Photograph by : Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun
Lhy Thai may not be the most elegant of establishments, nor the most innovative, but this veteran restaurant meets a need in Burnaby for serving speedy food at a good price.
My friend and I popped in for a bite to eat while en route to a movie. The first thing we noticed was Lhy Thai’s modest interior: tables sandwiched together, frigid temperatures and framed photographs of Thai royalty haphazardly hung on the walls. Our server unceremoniously wiped off a table, unrolled placemats with cutlery, and signalled for us to sit.
Owner Paul Eakkachaichanvet and his wife, Phailin, opened this family establishment in 1994 after immigrating from Bangkok in 1991, where they ran a food kiosk. Once in Canada, Phailin worked as a cook at Sawasdee Thai Restaurant before the couple decided to open a restaurant in this quiet corner of Burnaby. But times were tough at first, Paul recalls.
“Thirteen years ago, there weren’t many office people so we didn’t make the restaurant very fancy,” he says. “I kept my fingers crossed; ‘Can I survive in this area?'”
However, the couple stuck it out and word soon spread.
We caught on to the spirit of the restaurant, and were soon inundated with dishes. The vermicelli and cabbage filled spring rolls ($5.95) crackled in our mouths and paired well with plum dipping sauce. The arrival of stuffed boneless chicken wings ($6.50) — apparently a house favourite — gathered jealous glances around the room. Filled with spiced minced chicken in a crispy shell, they were the highlight of the meal.
However, our other two dishes faltered from lacklustre execution, demonstrating that speed can sometimes detract from culinary attentiveness. The green curry beef ($8.50) sent wafts of anticipation our way, but was watery and lacked flavour. We spooned it over jasmine rice and wished that we had opted for a spicier dish.
A plate of Pad Thai with prawns emerged limp and sodden with chili tomato sauce.
And yet, service moved with an efficiency that kept the packed room buzzing with constantly arriving and departing diners. Lhy Thai is not a place for soulful conversation, but instead, expect affordable food, free of pretension, where small groups can speedily flex their appetites.
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AT A GLANCE
Lhy Thai Restaurant
7357 Edmonds St. Burnaby
604-526-8085
Open for lunch Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and dinner
Monday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
