Yellow Curry at Viphalay

I was happy to learn that the 95 Street location of Viphalay is open for lunch from Tuesday to Friday. Better still, there is a special lunch menu with a variety of affordable options ($15 range). I had one of the curry combos. The yellow curry was just spicy enough, with a familiar, rich texture and flavour. It was full of potatoes and carrots, as well as tofu (my choice of protein). The abundant liquid went well with the side of coconut rice (jasmine was the other option).

Thai Samosas at Viphalay

A business dinner at Viphalay saw me order some tried and true favourites, like Pad Thai and the coconut chicken soup. However, I was also in the mood for some Thai samosas. Five small crispy shells were stuffed with chicken, peas, carrots, onions, and yellow curry. Although I typically associate samosas with East Indian cuisine, these tasted noticeably different.

Just Desserts: Gracious Goods

I found myself in Belgravia and in need of lunch a few days ago, so stopped in to Gracious Goods. My Thai chicken wrap had a lot of chicken in it, as well as crunchy noodles, green onions, and lots of spicy peanut sauce (which was a bit overpowering at times). Beef barley soup probably was not the most obvious side and the flavours clashed somewhat, but the soup was incredible: piping hot, and full of beefy goodness.

However, the real star of my afternoon was the affogato. A huge scoop of chocolate ice cream was surrounded by two shots of espresso. The mix of temperatures and a flavour combination that resulted in a pleasant mocha would bring me back here just for that.

Riverside Bistro

I spent most of the weekend at a conference at the Shaw Conference Centre, and needed a break. So, I headed next door to the Courtyard at Marriott for an early even snack in the Riverside Bistro. I ordered a Thai chicken flatbread, which took a while to arrive. My extremely friendly and attentive server (I would go back again just on service alone) brought me a garlic bread stick to help me pass the time. It was tasty, but would have been better warm.

Finally, the main attractive arrived, and it was good. Lots of chicken, creamy bocconcini cheese, red Thai sauce, and red peppers. The bread was also much more flavourful than typical flatbread, which tends to be bland. It cost around $14 which is on the higher end, but not unreasonable, for a gourmet, personal-sized pizza.

I decided to have dessert, and had a piece of Death by Chocolate cake. Despite the beautiful presentation, it did not live up to its name. It was rather dry, did not strike me as being overly fresh, and overall did not justify the $8 price tag.

A Stir Fry Adventure at Viphalay

Viphalay (the 95 Street location) is conveniently located near where I had a meeting last night, so I went there for supper with a newbie to the Thai and Laotian goodness served there. We both had a stir fry and shared. I had the orange cashew chicken, with lots of crunchy cashews, tender strips of chicken, and colourful red and green bell peppers, prepared in an orange sauce. The sauce was very subtle in flavour, with the hint of citrus accented by the cashews.

On the other side of the table was a basil stir fry with beef. The beef was ground, and the rustic tecture made me think it was done by hand. The flavour of the basil penetrated the dish, as did the spice from the chili flakes. Slivers of bamboo shoots absorbed a lot of the flavour, and diced snap peas added crunch. Overall this was a very flavourful, powerful dish that is definitely meant for sharing.

Tom Yum Soup at Viphalay

Tom Yum Soup, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Yesterday a co-worker and I had supper at Viphalay prior to a meeting. In addition to Pad Thai, which I have reviewed here before, we also shared a Tom Yum soup.

I have never had Tom Yum soup before, and found it five-alarm spicy. That being said, it was also tangy and delicious. We chose chicken as the protein, which blended well with the broth and vegetables. It was very warming on a cold evening, on a number of different levels!

Pad Thai and Roasted Chicken at Viphalay

Pad Thai and oven roasted chicken. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Viphalay has the best Pad Thai in the city. The sauce, texture of the noodles, and abundance of chicken and tofu simply is second to none. There is also shrimp, but we held that.

We also ordered the oven roasted chicken, which is a half chicken that is so tender it is literally falling off the bones. Plus, it is roasted in herbs and seasonings making the meat extremely flavourful. I also love the presentation - the chicken is cut into many small pieces, making sharing and eating very easy.

Iced Bevvies at Viphalay

Iced coffee and tea at Viphalay's original location on 95 street! #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I discovered this week that the original location of Viphalay on 107 Avenue and 95 Street is open after a long hiatus. This location is mere block away from my downtown office, so I had supper there with a co-worker on Wednesday.

For drinks, she had the iced coffee and I had the iced tea, Thai style. The coffee was like Vietnamese coffee, but already stirred into the condensed milk. My tea was rich and creamy, but still full of tea flavour. It's a red tea that is used (it gets orange from the cream). So tasty and delicious even on a cold winter's evening.

Taste of Edmonton 2012: Pad Thai at Numchok Wilai

Taste of Edmonton 2012, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Thai eatery Numchok Wilai was recently listed in the latest edition of Where to Eat in Canada.

The version of their Pad Thai being served up this year is vegetarian, with tofu as the protein. The noodles are springy and coated in the delicious sauce. I would definitely want to try out a full portion based on this sample.