Maenam Please

Having discovered that Gastropod has morphed into Maenam, I was quick to make a reservation to try out their new Thai cuisine. The restaurant has a refreshed look and feel, but remains similar to Gastropod. The menu and prices, however, couldn’t be more different. It is a great menu for sharing, with many dishes “for two.” There is a much better wine list that you would expect at a Thai restaurant, and their sommelier helped us choose a nice bottle. We started with chicken satay, with lovely slices of chicken, served with muu peanut sauce and a spicey cucumber relish, both of which were so delicious they could almost be eaten alone. ($8) We moved on to share an enoki mushroom and eggplant salad with heaps of Vietnamese mint ($13) and a delicious piece of crispy ling cod, sweet salty and sour. ($17) Finally, we couldn’t resist a curry, and chose a mild panaang beef curry, rich and delicious, but lacking some punch. ($16) Overall the food was delicious, fresh and rich and it was extremely tempting to keep eating. Very reasonably priced, Maenam brings a contemporary spin to Thai food in Vancouver. I can’t wait to go back.