Tip Thai Restaurant

Running out of suggestions as to lunch places in the Tri-Cities, my dad decided to finally give Tip Thai a try. Our first experience at a Thai restaurant was not impressive. That was Sang Thai, which is run by Chinese people so that doesn't really count. Tip Thai has been given pretty good reviews; a tiny restaurant with friendly staff and decent food? Definitely sounds attractive. But I'll have to give Tip Thai a mixed review.

Tip Thai is located in Downtown Port Coquitlam, which I think that sounds rather amusing. It is beyond Lions Gate Park after passing under the bridge. There is free street parking and a small parking lot behind the row of businesses. The restaurant is really small with only six or so tables. All the glass doors were slid open, so the whole restaurant front was open-air. At first, we were glad to see we weren't the only customers. Turns out, the man sitting at one of the tables was the waiter.

I was surprised that a Caucasian past-middle-aged man was the waiter; my family assumed he was the husband of one of the Thai cooks. Very friendly and welcoming service. Just a tad bit awkward because everyone could probably hear us discussing what to order, including the people across the street. 

Each of my family members chose an item from the lunch specials, which are served from 11:30am to 3:30pm, even on a Saturday, for only $6.99 each. Each entree has a choice of chicken, beef, or tofu and spiciness level. Adding $2 for a few frozen prawns or seafood is too much in my opinion. We were promptly provided with cold water and utensils after placing our order.

Pad Thai lunch special ($6.99)

Our orders were quickly put together in the open kitchen. I believe there were only two cooks making the food. They spoke a different language and I assume it is Thai. The lunch specials were served all together which is a sign of good timing in the kitchen. My brother got the Pad Thai with beef and asked for it as spicy as possible. Apparently that is 4x spicy. When it came, we were all curious to see how spicy 4x was. It wasn't spicy, at all. The sauce was more sweet than anything else. A bit too sauce-y and sweet for me, but my brother still ate it all. The noodles were perfectly cooked and still maintained its bounciness and chew.

Tip Thai Fried Rice lunch special ($6.99)

My mom got L1, Tip Thai Fried Rice with beef. I don't know if the cook put the wrong spiciness in the wrong dish because my mom's rice was way more spicy than the Pad Thai. Although bearable, there was a definite burn in the throat after swallowing a bite of this rice. The flavours of the fried rice were quite delicious. However my mom pointed out that the rice used was of very low quality. We aren't even sure if it was jasmine rice like the menu stated because it was obvious that the rice were broken and in small bits. This also makes it harder to keep it dry when frying as it clumps together in mushy lumps. The broken rice is sold of a lot cheaper because it is the 'rejects' from the crop.

Green Curry lunch special ($6.99)

Once we were given the menu, my dad immediately say "well, of course curry". So that's exactly what he got. There are three types of curry and he chose green curry and asked for it spicy and with beef (again...). The curry sauce was rich in coconut milk but the consistency was too thin for our liking; turns the rice into a soupy mess if too much sauce is added. There were a few pieces of eggplant and bell pepper, and a bit of basil for seasoning. The spiciness was just right for my tastebuds, enough to give it some heat but not mask all other flavours. The curry base is very flavourful, just need to thicken it up. 

Red Curry lunch special ($6.99)

I also got a curry, but the Red version instead, just to get some variety. I had it medium spiciness and with tofu. The coconut flavour was pungent (yippie!) and just as flavourful and thin in consistency as the green curry. The red curry is more sweet than the green one. Mine had pumpkin chunks, bell peppers, and basil too. The side salad that comes with all the combo dishes was lightly and simply dressed with fish sauce. Refreshing!

So here comes the bad news. For the whole afternoon following lunch at Tip Thai, my tummy was gurgling and feeling very uncomfortable. I won't go into any further detail than that. I suspect that it was either a) I scarfed down my meal way too quickly b) the food was just too rich compared to my usual clean diet or c) the tofu in my curry was spoiled. The last option is a possibility as it doesn't seem like Tip Thai has a steady wave of customers to regularily clear their ingredients. That is a pity because they have potential as being a great restaurant. Cheap prices, decent portions, tasty food, good service, and clean presentation, it's all there.

While I can't say I'll be running back to Tip Thai at the next opportunity I get, there are several other dishes on their menu that peaked my interest. Thai flavours seem to suit me well, coconut milk, peanut sauce, tofu, cashews, eggplant, Thai basil... There are areas Tip Thai can improve upon, and hopefully that will strengthen their restaurant. It's a good place to try if you're feeling sick of the usual rotation of restaurants in the Tri-Cities. Maybe the quality of the food will increase with the number of customers~



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡