syphay restaurant - edmonton, ab

syphay restaurant
6010 104 st
780.438.8338

I stopped in for an impromptu lunch yesterday, so I apologize in advance for the blackberry photos. As my dining companion felt the start of a cold coming, we figured a hot bowl of soup would be the great cure. With a limited time period, and an uncertainty about where to get our fix of hot soupy goodness we headed over to Syphay Restaurant.

Located right on the very busy 104 street, this tiny Thai/Lao restaurant seems like a strange fit when you take in all the surrounding buildings. Stepping inside for the first time, I couldn't help but think. Geez, only 4 or 5 tables..that has to make for long wait times. Luckily enough for you and me, there is a left turn which leads to a slighter bigger room occupied by another group of tables. The restaurant was probably 60-70% full, with most tables being twosomes and one polite server taking care of everyone. We started with green tea, as we read the menu and chatted.

This spontaneous lunch get together happened only a few hours after eating breakfast, so I didn't look too deeply into the menu and decided to also stick with soup. I did notice the typical offerings; curry plates, stir fry's and salads. I decided on the tohm yum shrimp, while my fellow diner order tohm kha chicken with a side of steamed rice. The server mentioned you can add noodles, which we both turned down, and then inquired about the heat. Which brings me to, what I find, a interesting point at Thai restaurants. Looking at Thai menu's, I often find the level-of-spice ratings so strange. For example, what is authentic heat? And why is that the hottest? So if you didn't want a 5 chili rating, would it not be authentic? Thoughts? I really liked the Syphay option of - mild, medium, or spicy. Straight to the point with no 5 star authentic rating scale. We both ordered our soups spicy.

We had plenty of time to talk, as the soups took longer than expected (although I'm quite used to the speed of pho). Arriving to the table, they provided a great aroma and you could almost smell the 'heat'. I didn't know what to think of all the mushrooms on top, but came to appreciated the soft texture they provided as they absorbed the spicy flavour broth. The bowl wasn't exactly swimming in shrimp, I counted 5, and I don't think they brought anything to party. The broth was what really won me over. Not as clear as many tohm yum bowls I've had in the past, it had great depth in every way. And the spice...a perfect heat that brought a few beads of sweat to my bald head and induced a few sniffles!

All in all, a great first impression. I'm definitely going to make a mental bookmark and head back for something a little heavier.

**I used the menu spelling for this post, but I can't recall these dishes spelled with an h before. Is it regional tom vs tohm?

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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.

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green curry chicken on coconut basmati rice

With my first attempt at making a Thai style curry dish a success, and a container of curry left, I jumped at the chance to make another dish. The main difference, if you couldn't tell by the name, was a change in protein. Chicken would be the flavour on this day.

Besides giving the chicken a partial cook and adding more vegetables, the dish came together in a very similar way to my first attempt. I also felt like I needed a bit more sauce so I also opened up two 14 oz cans of coconut milk instead of one. It turned out great and has given me even more reason to keep coconut milk on hand.

• Slice chicken breasts into strips (add salt and pepper)
• Heat up tablespoon of oil in pan and cook chicken until almost done
• Remove from heat and set aside
• Put sliced onions into pan and saute until soft, 3-4 minutes
• Add about 2 tablespoons of green curry paste and a handful of green onions.
• Cook this mixture until fragrant, about 1 minute
• Add in coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar
• Bring to a boil and let it ride 4-5 minutes to thicken up a bit
• Add in vegetables - I used red peppers, mushrooms, and baby corn
• Bring back to a boil and let it ride for a few minutes
• Add in chicken strips to finish their cooking and for sauce to thicken
• Plate on top of coconut rice, and finish with a slice of lime and fresh cilantro

While chicken strips are good; I'm pretty sure I'll go back to shrimp on my next attempt. If I do happen to have some chicken ready, I'm going to cook it through and add it back in shredded for a bit texture.

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green curry shrimp on coconut basmati rice

I'm going to let you in a secret, and I want you to keep it between just the two of us. I sometimes build up a fear of cooking the unknown. Especially if I'm cooking a new dish for friends or family. See, I want criticism when making new dishes and some people are just too darn nice to say anything even if they are choking it down. Thai food has created one of those fears, which is a shame because I enjoy it oh so very much. So here in all it's glory, my first crack at the can.

Lately I've come across some great examples (see Kevin and his delicious looking homemade curry paste or KimHo's recent lunch), which peaked my desire again. Top this all with a request last week to make a Thai style curry with shrimp and it was finally time to commit. After some 'research' it seemed like a pretty straight forward procedure. Choose a base, add curry paste, then some coconut milk/broth, throw in some vegetables and protein. Sounds too easy....

Safely stepping into the cuisine and not making my own paste from scratch, I had one decision to make during the last grocery trip - red or green curry paste. Green won the fight (but let me tell you, red can throw a mean punch or two) and accompanied me home on his victory tour.

So how did it turn out. Well, pretty damn good for a first attempt. I kept the heat to a minimum as requested so this is something I would change if making it just for myself or other heat minded dinners. But other than that, it came together relatively quick and was eaten up in record time - a true sign of success I think. Good thing, because I picked up a tub of the curry and it would have surely been food abuse if I chucked that away.

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