thai valley grill - edmonton, ab

thai valley grill
whitemud crossing
4211-106 Street
780.413.9556

I consider myself lucky to have a few wonderfully inspirational people in my life. One of them, knowing it was my birthday, offered to take me out and relax over some food and maybe a bottle of wine. After a brief discussion we settled on thai valley grill, a restaurant we had both previously enjoyed.

Located in the once burgeoning whitemud crossing, thai valley grill fills a tiny little spot with it's bold and colorful cuisine. While other dining options have come and gone, it continues to push on since the move from their old location in cloverdale a few years back.

There was only one table occupied when we arrived so we had our choice. The space is cozy, around 10 tables, and my understanding is that it's run by a husband (who works the front of the house) and wife (who runs the kitchen) team. We decided to start with a bottle of Luigi Bosca Malbec, which created a nice little bit of humor. The first bottle became a write off, as our server fumbled for a few minutes with the bottle opener before mangling the cork. Apologizing profusely about the mess, he scurried off to get a second bottle which he opened successfully.

We decided to split an order of spring rolls while we gave the menu its due justice. Almost like the rolls were created in a Star Trek replicator, the other half of this efficient team delivered these to the table. I don't think I'd even made it through the first two pages of the menu. Either she has extremely quick hands or they are made a head of time. Regardless of how they were made, the rolls hit the spot nicely with perfect wrappers and lots of basil. The dish was delivered with two sauces, a peanut and a chili.

My dining companion, having dined here many times, mentioned she was going to branch out and try something totally new. Deciding to do the same, I orderedPad Ra Ma Long Song - fried bean curd in a spicy peanut sauce, served on a bed of spinach. The tofu was nice and crispy, complemented by the warm spinach with the spicy peanut sauce adding a distinct level of heat. As I ate my way through the dish, I couldn't help but notice a generous amount of oil left on the platter. Not knowing what I was going to receive the dish did it's job, but would probably fit better in a family style, multiple dish meal.

Thai Ginger Salmon - salmon fillet marinated in delicate Thai spices and ginger was on the menu for my friend. Delivered on a hot plate, it included a generous portion of perfectly cooked salmon topped with various vegetables. We both agreed the dish was good but could have used some heat to kick it up a notch.

Having just had fried bananas at Culina, I had to pass on their Thai version (although it sounded delicious) and settled on a bowl of green tea ice cream. It was creamy and left a wonderful after taste; a nice way to wrap the meal up.


I'd like to think I could be eating just about anything with this friend and it would be good, but the 2 hours we spent relaxing, celebrating and catching up were made that much more special by the food provided through out the night. With all the Thai restaurants in town, I think you should definitely consider this in the top 5.