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SEPT 4 / 2002 |
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| Thai Valley Grill The other day our friends Betty and Graham joined Jana and me at Thai Valley Grill, located at 9403 - 98 Avenue, in the river valley just a few blocks east of the Muttart Conservatory. Since they opened a couple of years ago, it has been one of my favorite eating establishments; and it is still one of Edmonton’s best kept secrets. The establishment is comparatively small, but nicely intimate. The atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing, and service is always friendly. Even when they are busy, there is always time for a little chat, if you are so inclined. As for the food itself, anything we have ever enjoyed at Thai Valley Grill has been top notch. The evening we went we started off by sharing an order of Chicken Spring Rolls. They were filled with silver noodles, carrots, taro root, mushrooms and, of course, chicken. These are among the best spring rolls you’ll find anywhere. They were flaky, with no grease, yet moist. The flavor is just a bit different of ordinary, making for a delightful change. I was quite anxious to try the Siam Seafood Curry, which was a medley of shrimp, squid, crab and fish cooked in yellow curry and coconut milk. This was delicious. It was sufficiently hot to keep the tastebuds on alert, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable or to overpower the taste of anything else. The seafood and fish were succulent. Jana ordered the Galanga Cashew Chicken. This was probably the hit of the evening with most, although I did enjoy my curry seafood. Chicken fillets were cooked with galanga, pineapple, onion, red and green peppers and cashews. It was an impressive and unique flavor combination that did not taste foreign at all. While different enough for the adventurer, it is also tame and familiar enough for more conservative diners. This is a must-try. Graham went for the BBQ ribs. This was the feature of the day and recommended to us by the establishment. While one would not normally thin of BBQ ribs at a Thai restaurant, these were very good as well. They were meaty, tangy and fun. We had also ordered a large bowl of coconut rice to share. Somehow, a Thai meal is not a Thai meal without the coconut rice. If you haven’t tried it, you are missing something extraordinary. After this, rice will never be the same. They have a limited, but acceptable, selection of wine. They also have great Chinese and Thai beer, best suited for a meal of this kind, as well as a variety of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. We were too full for dessert, which was unfortunate, as their desserts are also wonderful. The cost for the four of us was just under $100.00. To fill four people, that’s not bad. We had a beverage or two, but no desserts. BEST POINTS: AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: RATING CATEGORY: |