Charm Modern Thai

Charm Modern Thai_1259817579876

The red awning of Charm Modern is easily spotted, just across from Rodney’s in Yaletown. With the cold weather approaching, heavier and hotter meals appeal, and so on a ravenous Thursday evening I gave Charm Modern a try. The bold red exterior continues inside, with lots of red, bamboo, and a huge gold painting of a Buddha’s face. The layout is a bit odd, with the restaurant separated from an (empty) bar area that seemed cheerful enough. The menu is slightly perplexing, laid out in an entree style and focused on fusion dishes, such as ahi tuna, salmon, duck and rack of lamb.

We started with Crispy Shrimp Wontons, ($6) which were tiny, fried, and tasteless without even a full bite of shrimp. There was an odd honey taste in the slaw and crunchy noodles it was served with and the dish left no good impression. Following on we tried the Panang Curry, one of the only traditional curries on the menu. ($17) This looked really nice, but it was acidic and boring, maybe the worst panang curry I have had all year. The Spicy linguini, with bamboo shoots, peppers, basil leaves, and tiger prawns was no better. ($15) It was slimy, tasteless, and I would bet the shrimp were frozen peeled, and had a gross consistency, bordering on undercooked.

The restaurant was quiet, and yet the staff seemed in a rush with us, and kept asking if we were ready to order, when we had clearly not even opened the menu yet. And they remained uptight and on edge throughout. When it came time to pay, they messed up the credit card operation, so I could not leave a tip, and they would not cancel and redo the transaction. 10 minutes later they had changed their tune and figured out a way to accept my tip, which they insisted on in a rather brash fashion.

Charm modern has very little charm and the modern must be their unappealing attempt at fusion cuisine. I would choose my local take-away thai food over Charm modern any day, and in the midst of Yaletown goodness, I would certainly not go back on purpose, except maybe to drink at the bar.