Boun Thai
• 10056 107 St NW | Edmonton, AB | T5J 3J5
Average User Rating:
8.18/10
8.18/10
Recommended by:
100%
100%
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"Good Food"
Gary
January 2011 — "The Boun Thai is just a couple of blocks away from the Matrix Hotel and was recommended by the hotel reception. Edmonton was in the grips of a huge winter storm so there were only a few people dining that evening. One has the choice of sitting against a brick wall or against the windows. We opted for the brick wall as it felt cozier on such a frigid evening. Looking around, I noted Thai designed cloth streaming from the ceiling that when added to the background music helped to set the stage for our dining experience. The server looked very nice in her Thai style dress as well. I ordered Cashew Chicken and rice. In retrospect, I should have also ordered a vegetable dish. The chicken tasted really good to me, but might have been a bit sweet for some people. I was impressed with the server, and the meal came very quickly as well. I would like to return and try some of the other menu items. "
User Rating
8.60/10
8.60/10
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"Exquisite Thai slow food (if you look past the buffet)"
R John
December 2010 — "Buon Thai on 107 Street just south of Jasper Avenue is a lunchtime standard for the government area. The daily lunch buffet is small but popular with a crowd on a limited timeline but with taste for something a little bit interesting.
In the week between Christmas and New Years, a lot of downtown is on life support. It’s the recovery time between the two holidays. But we were a little surprised that Buon Thai’s buffet, which generally consists only of four items or so, soup and rice, wasn’t on. For the first time ever, we had to order from the menus.
Service started slowly and never really did get warmed up. One barely notices mediocre service when one is bellying up to the buffet, but when forced to order a la carte, one notices. It’s lunchtime, after all, and one of us might have somewhere to go within an hour, like back to work. So waiting 15 minutes to have the order taken, then another 10 or so for the appearance of the first food, is unconscionable at noon. There was no sign of a real rush in the place, which wasn’t busy. The word “negligent” comes to mind.
We started with the soup and deep fried packets, which is the Thai equivalent for wontons. The soup, a standby at the buffet, was excellent, and fresher than normal. The large pieces of chicken and cubes of mushroom are set in a thin golden spicy broth, with green onion. It is nicely balanced, and there was a perfect amount for three. It would be too much for two, too little for four. The packets were among the best deep fried wontons that I have ever had: crisp, flavourful, not greasy, light but substantial.
As for mains, we chose three different stir fries with sweet sticky rice. They were all excellent, and interestingly served in small raised bowls, although the timing at this point was certainly pushing it. We sat down at the stroke of noon, had our order taken at 12:20, got the appetizers at 12:30, and finally saw our stir fries, which we had been promised would take “five minutes,” at 12:42. Leaving us what? Ten minutes to eat?
However, on to the food. The first to come was the spicy basil chicken, which was balanced on a knife edge of spice versus flavour. One way, one ends up with a bland and boring dish, the other, a dish in which the flavour is obscured by the heat. This was neither, with the taste of the spices judged nicely with the taste and the heat. Highly recommended.
The second was the beef with kaffir lime and basil, which was a respite from the heat of the chicken dish. The beef was brilliantly done, cooked to tenderness and complemented by the milder spices and peppers in the dish.
The third was ginger chicken, a sweet mix of larger chicken pieces coated with a mild ginger sauce. Also very good.
We then had the ordeal of lining up to pay at the doorway, which normally would be no issue, but we were already late leaving. The food is remarkably good at Buon Thai, but don’t go if you need to be in and out in less than an hour. Or make sure that the buffet’s on, at least."
User Rating
7.33/10
7.33/10
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"Best flavour in Edmonton"
Yvonne
February 2007 — "I moved here from Toronto last year. This is one of three restaurants in Edmonton that I can truly give a happy review to (2nd place to Kyoto Sushi at Jasper and 109, 3rd to Kabsa on Jasper). Hands down, this restaurant serves up FLAVOR -- FLAVOR ppl!!!! I have been here a few times. Consistently awesome. It's like they care. I am VERY happy to have found this gem (in a huge culinary wasteland otherwise)!"
User Rating
8.67/10
8.67/10
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DescriptionServing up traditional Thai cuisine, including fresh spring rolls, papaya salad, chicken galanga, phanang shrimp curry and spicy basil beef, plus an extensive lunch buffet. As an added bonus there are both Thai and English speaking staff members.
Location Information10056 107 St NW
Edmonton
AB
T5J 3J5
