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Food-spotting: Bob Likes Thai Food
Bob Likes Thai Food
By Candice Macalino
Special to The Post
What's in a name?
Take Bob Likes Thai Food on Main Street. The question is a big pink elephant in the room: who is Bob??
Sadly there is no Bob.
It just happens to be the owner, Tai Keattivanichvily, likes the name.
Somewhere in the past, perhaps even 15 years ago, the name Bob, with all its mono-syllabic and palindromic charm, won the heart of a man who had just left his native Thailand but who couldn't find authentic Thai flavours in Vancouver.
Fast forward a few years to 2011, and you find the circle coming complete. Keattivanichvily leaves his career in animation and opens Bob Likes Thai Food after recruiting Thai cooks who could create his favourite dishes.
We started with the roasted duck red curry, as recommended by the waitress, and it was the best of the dishes we tried.
The meaty duck just melted in your mouth and the sweet hints of fresh pineapple, lychee and cherry tomatoes helped to cut the richness of the coconut-based curry.
The well-executed Pad Thai had a nice sweetness from tamarind and thankfully not from ketchup, typically used in Western renditions of this dish.
The gentle tang from the lime brought out the savoury flavours of the perfectly cooked noodles stir-fried with prawns, tofu, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. We accompanied our meal with some refreshingly sweet and creamy Thai ice-tea that went down way too fast!
Despite being full from dinner, I imagined Bob wouldn't end a meal without dessert.
So we opted for the deep fried bananas, a la mode.
We managed to devour the tempura battered banana fingers, rich vanilla ice-cream and sweet blackberries.
I even had to resist licking the plate when it was all done!
What matters is what something is, not what it's called. The Thai food is delicious and there is no mistaking that the dishes are authentic and reasonably priced.
Bob Likes Thai Food, to be called by any other name wouldn't smell as sweet.
For more photos from Bob Likes Thai Food visit, Candice's Cusina, www.candicescusina.blogspot.com.
Bob Likes Thai Food
Vancouver, BC
Lunch: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Dinner: 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Candice's recommendations:
Roasted Duck Red Curry $13.50; Pad Thai $12; Thai Ice Tea $2.50; Deep Fried Finger Banana Ice-Cream $4.50
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