Here in Burnaby Heights, we have restaurants offering a great variety of cuisines from all around the world. From Greek souvlaki to Japanese ramen, Italian bakeries to Chinese barbecue, it’s wonderfully diverse. And now, with the addition of Siam Le Bien Thai Cuisine, we have (at least) three options for Thai food in just a few city blocks. I say “now,” but Siam Le Bien has been open for at least a while now. It takes over the spot that used to be Jane’s, next to the fire hall on Hastings near Carleton.
We’ve been meaning to try Siam Le Bien Thai Cuisine for a while, but didn’t get around to it until earlier this week. Realistically, I didn’t give it all that much thought, since we usually go to Chad Thai on Hastings near MacDonald to get our fix. There’s also Thai Cafe next to Cioffi’s Meat Market. But then, we started noticing a bit of chatter on social media about this new joint. How it’s both new and familiar in its approach to classic Thai dishes.
Like everyone else at the moment, Siam Le Bien is only open for takeout. You’ll also find them on at least a couple of food delivery apps. They’ve moved the pickup table right by the front door, complete with menus and hand sanitizer. According to their website, they’re “excited to create you a new dimension of Thai plates under the authentic flavour.”
Pad Thai With Prawns
Rice noodle with prawns, tofu, egg, shallots, bean sprouts, chives and ground peanuts in tamarind sauce reduction
I’m always of the mind that a great place to start when considering a new restaurant is to order the standard staple. For us and Thai restaurants, that usually means ordering Pad Thai. The version at Siam Le Bien ($15.50) with prawns doesn’t reinvent the wheel and that’s okay. Execution is solid with just enough sweetness. I think the tofu might be smoked, which offers another layer to the experience.
We got it with zero spiciness, because kiddo and grandma can’t handle the heat. The Pad Thai gives you the classic tamarind flavor with about a half dozen perfectly cooked prawns. It neither wowed nor disappointed me. This is exactly what I want when I order a Pad Thai.
Tom Kha Kai With Pork
Aromatic creamy chicken soup with Thai herbs (lemongrass, lime leaves, galangal), white mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions, coconut milk
You can get this soup with your choice of meat. We decided to order Tom Kha Kai Coconut Pork ($12.50). My assumption — which was clearly an error on my part — was that the soup would come with some noodles. It does not. I will say that it would go very well with a bowl of white rice or with some noodles, though, so that’s something we might consider for next time.
Tom Kha Kai is not one of our usual items, which is partly why we decided to get it at Siam Le Bien. I was immediately struck by how fragrant it was, packed with aromatics that warm the soul. Even though it’s “just soup,” the Tom Kha Kai came with lots of pork slices and mushrooms, making for a satisfying option. Pictures don’t do it justice. We ordered it with a medium level of spiciness; in hindsight, we should have kicked the heat up another notch.
I much preferred the depth and complexity of this dish over the Pad Thai, personally. And, it really made me curious about what other hidden gems we may be able to sample at Siam Le Bien next time.
Siam Le Bien Est… Tres Bien?
It’s hard to come to a definitive conclusion based on just two dishes. That being said, these two dishes are enough to warrant a future visit. If the Tom Kha Kai is any indication, their curries should be excellent. Diana Chan of Foodology tells me that the crispy pork and calamari don’t travel well, but I should definitely get the curries and noodles. Duly noted!
Siam Le Bien Thai Cuisine is located at 4217 Hastings Street in Burnaby. They’re open every day from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm, except statutory holidays. Call 604-293-1343 to place your takeout order. Check out their website at siamlebien.com for more information.
Editor’s note: I originally published a version of this post on Instagram. Follow me (@beyondtherhetoric) for more food, fun and fatherhood.
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