We’ve always enjoyed this place for their delicious Thai cuisine with a modern West coast twist! The restaurant itself is beautifully designed and furnished; and the presentation of their dishes match their elevated cafe-style dining room. Yes, items found on their menu definitely are priced higher than your average Thai restaurant, however; you could definitely taste the freshness and the quality of their seasonal ingredients. For example, their green papaya salad served over a whole grilled local sweet corn—smart flavours and super tasty! They also have a good selection of cocktails and drinks too. The overall experience for me has been very pleasant! Would most recommend this place for dates!
A great place to eat Thai food. It was a really nice experience and fair place. Food is very good, we ordered dumplings, vegetarian green curry and coconut soup and it was very very good. As most of the places in Vancouver they have options for everyone so even if you are vegan you will have at least an option. Also happy hour drinks are very good.
First time here yesterday for my birthday. What a show stopper! Our table ordered the chef tasting menu (pescatarian option— but no shellfish for us. They were able to accommodate this dietary restriction).Every single dish was tasty and I would order them all again. The tasting menu is the way to go to really get a lot of different options. It’s expensive but lots of food, and you get to try many more dishes than you’d get ordering the regular way.My one complaint is that with so many dishes coming at the same time I felt a little rushed. Food this beautiful and tasty should be savoured. But I don’t want things to get cold. I asked if they could slow down the other dishes but was told “it’s family style, it all comes out at once.” Perhaps it’s easier for the kitchen, but I felt rushed. Next time I’ll probably order a la carte and only order the next dish when I’m ready to eat it!Despite that, the presentation was beautiful and overall good service and nice intimate ambience as well.The Brussels sprouts were likely my favorite and I’ll come back just for them another day! It was a great way to celebrate a special occasion! My friends ordered the wine pairings and they enjoyed all three of the wines as well.
Family outing, group of five, we tried most/many items on the menu. Everything was impressive from the mussels to the sausage and fried rice appie, the Pad Thai, the beef, eggplant and deep fried cod. Wonderful meal, great service. Highly recommended!!
We’re in love! Cocktails, food + service are all chefs kiss! Absolutely amazing. Still talking about the incredible experience we had last night and planning our next visit.Ask the team for their recommendations as we absolutely loved EVERYTHING the bartender + server recommended to us. ♥️?
Perfect way to enjoy the Maenam experience. Dine out tasting menu. From the start to finish each dish was delicious. So many flavour points from sweet, savory and refreshing.
Excellent flavors. My favorites were the massaman curry of beef (beef is amazingly tender), grilled thai sausage and crispy rice salad, and 3 flavour pork rib (rib portions are small but the vegetables that come with it were delicious).My only disappointment is when ordering pickup you need to ask for the thai jasmine rice which is listed as complimentary for the pick-up order. Other than that mistake on our part the 15% off on pickup orders is a nice bonus.
Food was average. We did the chef’s tasting menu and thought we would be wowed, but it didn’t feel like it. The ambiance was good and service was good too. Wish the food was better as we had higher expectations. Maybe a la carte would’ve been better? The hot and sour soup was very bland and 2/3 mains were overly sweet for us. Might be a preference thing but we are giving it a 3.7 because the taste didn’t suit our palates and we also paid over $150 for the tasting menu for 2. Maybe it will yours? I’ve had good Thai food myself and have also traveled to Thailand multiple times, so my expectations were high.
Maenam’s Owner/Chef, Angus An, is no culinary slouch, & that is to understate it. He has formally trained at one of the most prestigious schools — NYC’’s French Culinary Institute — apprenticed at some of the finest restaurants; worked at the best in Montreal & in England after graduating, then retuning to open highly-regarded Thai restaurants in Vancouver — with Maenam in 2009 — following Gastropod, & then going on to open other eateries in River Market, New West; in Chinatown, & a chicken place within Maenam, operating out of it from 4 to 9pm, focused on takeout. Phew! That’s a long sentence, but don’t blame me; it’s all An accomplishments, which make it so. It did my best with internal punctuation! I went to Maenam, soon after it opened on 4th Ave in 2009, on that Kitsilano culinary strip filled with fabulous eating spots, all innovating in different ways. A fresh approach to eating, taken by many on 4th Ave, was led by iconic farm-to-table, Bishop’s, which opened on Dec 13,1985. Then there is Fable Kitchen, which opened in 2012 with its open kitchen where it’s chefs interact with guests & with communal eating; & more recently TurF, which combines fresh & healthy food, with activities, such as yoga, & boutique wear. Yet others likeTractor with its cafeteria-style healthy eating, & recently a Persian restaurant has joined the strip. So all aiming for a different approach. Maenam succeeds greatly at innovation; but always balanced with honouring centuries-old Thai recipes. Add great service. Then An takes that approach to his innovative eating places, inspired by the culture of Thai street food, such as at River Market; the noodle place in Chinatown, & the in-house chicken “shack” within. Innovation & balance, too, comes with the way An & his culinary team handle those intense flavors, which characterize Thai cuisine. Intensity is wonderful but it has to be handled with care. Enough to give what Thai food is known for but not so as to overwhelm the palate. An & his Chef de Cuisine, Mike, who hails fromThailand, know how to do this. Both widely travelled, they bring tastes from around the globe to enhance itsThai dishes. I loved Thai food from my first encounter in 1987 when we travelled to Asia, visiting 8 countries over some 3 months, engaging with the cuisines of the continent. It was not as open then to visitors, especially China & the then Burma. My love of Thai food grew & intensified when I did a 8 month meditation instructor course with Thai monks, the last bit in Thailand, exposed to differences regionally, from south to the north, where I did a mountain retreat. All so very good, eating street food, restaurant dinning & from vendors on beaches, eating food with those intense flavors from a very early Thai monastery breakfast though to dinner. Indeed I have never met a Thai meal I did not like. In Vancouver we ate first at Montri’s, perhaps then the only Thai place in central Vancouver. And from 2009 at Maenam. Those who love Thai food as much as I do, can take this into the New Year. Maenam is offering a NYE takeout menu for 120$, & it comes in three versions — adding a pescatarian & vegetarian option. While not dine-in ordering early is recommended by it wonder staffer, Tess. There is also a chef selection for dine-in. Most NYE offering are already booking up, so Maenam takeout is a terrific option. Posted by S Fuller
The most delicious Thai cuisine I have ever had! Everything tastes beautiful, I feel like my tongue is having a fantastic feast during eating time. Especially the final dessert, it really stole my heart~ ♥️