Aree Thai Restaurant

THE go to Thai place if you live around the area. Authentic Thai food is so good I'm hungry just thinking about my last meal. Service was abit slow but nothing to complain about. Food was incredible as well as reasonably priced. Grab your friends or family and come try their pad Thai and curry. Yum yummy.

Aree Thai has been on my radar for quite some time. It’s located in a fairly non-descript section of Kingsway so I always wind up driving by it without stopping. Our visit was actually prompted by an aborted attempt to go back to Oka-San on Fraser. As it turned out, Oka-San was closed due to unforeseen circumstances so we headed over to Aree Thai to grab a late lunch.

This is my favourite place for a Thai food fix. After hearing about this place on the neighbourhood list-serve when they first opened, I've been going a couple times a month. Extremely nice people, solid Thai food and no skimping on the spicy. If you are ordering for little kids, let them know if you want extra mild. I have always enjoyed the mains much more than their appetizers.

Not Sure How One Could Say Bad Things. I have no idea how anyone could write a bad review about this place. I have not had food outside of Thailand that was as close, if not equal to the authenticity of Aree Thai food. I went with a few other people who can be quite critical of food and they also really enjoyed it. Don't listen to any of the bad reviews. I concur with everything the people who's heads are out of heir butts have to say: it's delicious!
We had pad thai, yellow chicken curry with coconut rice, chicken skewers, shrimp fried rice and a complimentary scoop of our choice of mango, coconut, or Thai tea ice cream.
I WILL go back!

Aree Thai, 5 stars and not a star less. Traditional and authentic Thai is hard to come by in any country. In most instances the owners are Thai however they tend to swap ingredients to either cut costs as the cost to import some products would push the dish price up, or they try to localise the taste to be more "inline" with local palates.

Aree is one place which maintains a strong Thai authentic style of cooking throughout all their dishes.

There are many dishes which do not appear on the menu however, for those who are in the know, need only ask, and in most cases it will be catered for.

I myself owned a very successful Thai Restaurant in Australia. I am not Thai however I sponsored two chefs from Thailand to work for me and what a great decision that was. I can say that the quality of Aree Thai is of the same calibre that I was used to, both at my own restaurant and in Thailand.

A must for any first timer (and repeat customer for any matter) is the Pad Thai (traditional of course) Make sure you ask for a slice of lime to go with the dish and generously squeeze it over the Pad Thai, you will be amazed at the flavours that you unleash. Further the great thing about the Pad Thai is they don't use pre-packaged sauces or even the "apparent" traditional sweet and sour sauce which most other Thai restaurants claim it to be authentic and is the "correct" way to make a Pad Thai when clearly Tamarind should be used to create that sweet yet blissful flavour.
Another treat for many is the Som Tom. This dishes signature flavour comes from the Paw Paw. It isn't uncommon to have soft shell crab however, as a simple Paw Paw salad without the crab seems to cater for all.
If you love your rice, then you are going to love the Coconut rice. Unlike many other restaurants, the coconut rice at Aree Thai is made using the traditional method where the rice is cooked first then the coconut milk is folded into the rice to generously cover it in a thick flavour. For all those coconut lovers, be prepared for the bust of orgasmic flavour.
If you're not into coconut and still want something out of the norm, make sure to try the Saporno Rice. This is fried rice with Pineapple (Pineapple believe it or not goes will with rice). It is also a popular choice for most westerners when they visit Thailand and this example fails to disappoint.
With many other traditional dishes, Aree Thai continues to deliver a diverse menu capable of catering for both vegetarians and the cannibals within by offering you a choice from Beef, Chicken, Pork or Tofu with almost all of their dishes. This again proves that unlike other "Thai" restaurants located in Vancouver, what is served at the table is freshly made when you order it.

Aree Thai delivers on all the above and more. Also if want to try something that isn't on the menu but want to have a beef salad, ask for the YUM NUA (pro nounced "nyer") if you still can't get the message across, simply write it down as YUM NUA or ask for a beef salad. (This dish is not on the menu and you need to express this as there is a similar dish on the menu but tastes very different, but still very nice.)




Things you should know before you dine out with Thai.
If it is the first time you have been to a particular Thai Restaurant, make sure you first order a PAD THAI. This will usually tell you straight away about the style of Thai you are about to embark on.
1. Even if the place is busy, Pad Thai is the fastest dish to prepare, and as such it should be at your table within 5mins when the restaurant is quiet and up to 10mins if they are extremely busy. (assuming you don't order starters or you tell the server you want the Pad Thai to come first)
2. Before you devour your Pad Thai, take note of the colour. If it is red, then you have been cheated. A traditional Pad Thai is not red in Colour and certainly does not have any "Red" aspects about it. This is usually the first sign of a bad Pad Thai and means they either use a sweet and sour sauce or they use tomato sauce (sometimes canned tomatoes and other times ketchup)
3. Take note of how soggy your Noodles are. A good Pad Thai will not be swimming. Rather it will be moist firm with little oil from cooking but no water / sauce and or any other ridiculous amounts of liquid forcing you to eat the Pad Thai more like a Spaghetti dish from an Italian restaurant.
4. Peanuts are the traditional garnish with chives / spring onions and bean sprouts, but don't be afraid to ask for a Pad Thai without Peanuts. With today's allergies we are sometimes forced to consider those who dine with us. This dish is great with or without peanuts. I personally prefer that the peanuts are present, however, if I had to consider a person who was allergic dinning with me, then I would be more than happy to request a Pad Thai without peanuts.
5. Make sure the Pad Thai does not have any Coriander (also known as cilantro). The biggest flaw I have ever come across is the assumption that Pad Thai is made with Coriander. This is absolutely incorrect and anyone who suggests such a notion should be shot on site.
6. Now for the taste. For those who have never had a true Pad Thai, describing the taste one should encounter is somewhat difficult as each person's palate reacts differently. However I can assure you, if the above conditions are followed, you will without a doubt be treated to a tantalising experience which will blow your taste buds away. It is hard to believe that such a simple dish can create so much excitement and passion, however this simple test can help you to determine what the rest of the cuisine you are about to embark on will be like.
Lastly ask for the Pad Thai to be served with a slice of Lime. This will balance the sweet flavours out without becoming too sour or fighting with the chives and spring onions thus bringing out the true flavours and amalgamating them into a mouth dribbling sensation.

AREE THAI 5 STARS ALL AROUND AND NOT A STAR LESS. VANCOUVER NOW HAS A GREAT PLACE TO EAT. FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL WILL ALWAYS RETURN….

I would have clicked 'I loved it' button if there was one!. Good food come to those who wait and for those who drive 20 minutes just to have great Thai food. Today, I ventured into Aree with a friend who just returned from Thailand and I am so glad other reviews rave about this place and brought it into my radar. I apologize I had no pictures this time even though I had my iPhone with me. I was so excited to dig in and both of us did not come up for air once, well, maybe once to have a sip of water. I can attest that there is no better pad thai than Aree in Vancouver or anywhere in Lower Mainland. The pad thai tasted like the ones I've had in MBK Shopping Centre foodcourt in Bangkok. The Massaman curry was creamy, full of ingredients and beyond yummers, and medium gives just enough kick. I would caution for many who likes a kick but not the burn to start with mild or mild medium. I did kick up 2 notches for my pad thai by requesting for their pik nam pla, freshly made of course. I cannot rave enough about this place, I cannot wait to return to try everything else on their menu, they have Khao Soi!!! Holy ****! The room is cold though and service was slow as the owner cooks and sometimes runs the restaurant as well. We did get our hot teas, water after a few minutes wait. I don't mind waiting especially when the end result of the food being scrumptious. I don't think I can go to the other Thai places that I raved about before now after this and I sincerely apologize to them. Aree is THAT GOOD!