Vientiane ... Bien Thai in St. Boniface

Vientiane has been on my radar for months. It popped up when I was looking for the best Thai in Winnipeg and was unfortunately temporarily closed as the owners took a vacation back to Thailand. Having just recently re-opened, I could not hold back the temptation to pop in for a post-call lunch.

Vientiane lies in a small strip mall in the heart of St. Boniface. Arriving just after 1, the place was still bustling with energy. The decor was passable with dim lighting and booth style seating. The service was attentive and appropriate. And on to the food.

I sometimes feel the need to order lots to satisfy my blog readers and as leftovers for future at-home meals. I started off this meal with Rice Rolls. Also sometimes referred to as summer rolls, these were filled with vermicelli, shrimp, chicken and cucumber. Tasty and was an excellent start to this enormous meal.

Beef Basil is a traditional Thai stir fry with ... beef and basil. The version here ups the vegetable factor with mushrooms and peppers. The beef itself was standout, as was the soy based sauce. The basil flavour, while detectable, could have been bumped up as it was hidden by the strong soy. Overall, a good dish.

Pad Thai is a given for any Thai restaurant. Compliments to Vientiane for some of the best I have ever had. The tender rice noodles were swimming in the tomato based sauce and accentuated with the tender morsels of chicken and crisp bean sprouts. I was yearning for some lime to round out the flavours, but overall this was excellent.

In conclusion, Vientiane is one of the better Thai restaurants in Winnipeg. They offer a rating scale of spiciness from 0-10 (3 being medium), I suggest going with a 3 to start as the spicy flavour can sometimes dull and take away from the other, more sutble, flavours in a dish. Furthermore, I have to commend Vientiane on the value of the dishes. With heaping portions, tasty food, and extremely reasonable prices, I hope this is a model most mom and pop establishments take. Highly recommended.