[UPDATED May 4, 2017: Sen Pad Thai – a noodle shop by celebrated Vancouver chef, Angus An, is now open in Net Loft building on Granville Island]
Sen Pad Thai opened this morning on Granville Island, and we stopped in for the first taste of Chef Angus’ newest creations!
TAKE A LOOK AT SEN PAD THAI’S MENU:
“People know Pad Thai is Thailand’s #1 dish. We feature different variations of the dish from different regions of Thailand.”
– Chef Angus
What foodies see most often when they think of pad thai comes from the central region of Thailand. The dishes at Sen Pad Thai showcase the wide varieties of the region, like a Southern-style (thinner noodles + chilli paste + crab), a Northern-style with crispy pork, and a Vermicelli version (pictured below).
There is also a selection of rice dishes, savoury snacks, and desserts.
Drinks on the menu include Thai Iced Tea and Thai Iced Coffee. So refreshing!
We really enjoyed the Special Pad Thai. The unique red colour that makes the dish “special” comes from a dried chili pepper. The flavours are beautifully balanced – sweet, savoury, with a very mild spiciness.
Below is a classic Thai comfort food on the menu; Pad Kee Mah, which use wide, flat, fresh rice noodles, stir-fried with beef and holy basil.
Compared to Italian basil, holy basil has a more peppery flavour. What look like large onions are actually the fresh rice noodles – they have a glassy aesthetic and a satisfying chewy texture.
Next on our list to try are the Crispy Chicken Wings, the Banana Roti, and Thai Iced Coffee!
SEN PAD THAI’S STORY:
With a finite number of retail and restaurant spaces on Granville Island, a new restaurant opening is somewhat rare occurrence.
Sen Pad Thai in Net Loft is Chef Angus’s fifth restaurant in the Greater Vancouver area. This is an unprecedented record for a food business entering Granville Island, as most concepts are first ventures or second locations.
“I’m very excited to be a part of Granville Island. I think it’s definitely one of the must-do locations when anyone visits…so I’m very happy to be a part of the community here on Granville Island.”
Chef Angus’s most famous establishment, Maenam (food pictured below), is just 5-minutes from Granville Island on West 4th Avenue, and has consistently won the title of Vancouver’s Best Thai Restaurant.
Chef Angus lives by doing a limited number of things very well; the Freebird Chicken Shack in New Westminister is centred around Asian-style rotisserie chicken, Fat Mao Noodles in Chinatown is 100% soup noodle dishes, and Longtail Kitchen is Thai street fare.
Sen Pad Thai’s focus is on stir fried noodles. “Sen” refers to the they dry noodle concept, while “Pad Thai” literally means “fried Thai noodles.”
THE COOLEST THING WE LEARNED:
Shortly after our first Live Facebook interview, Chef Angus mentioned that he would be able to host “evening pop-ups” in the Net Loft space. In front of Sen Pad Thai is a small atrium with tables and seating for approximately 30 diners. So cool!
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH CHEF ANGUS:
We asked, “What is your favourite dish at Maenam?”
Chef Angus: Stir Fry Eggplant with Crispy Pork Jowl (and yes, this is on the menu!)
We asked, “What do you think defines Vancouver’s culinary scene?”
Chef Angus: There is a lot more focus in Vancouver on fresh and local. A lot of places are doing smaller scale, which is great. I really think the Chinese food in Vancouver is the best in the world. Our Japanese food…it’s not necessarily overly upscale, but we have amazing sushi, izakaya, ramen. The dining scene here is quite casual, which probably suits the lifestyle of the city.
