Baan Lao is an award-winning Thai restaurant in Richmond with a menu that celebrates the flavours and culture of Thailand. The restaurant was just named Best Restaurant in Canada by the World Culinary Awards.
At the helm is Chef Nutcha who has designed a menu that showcases fresh, organic and natural ingredients sourced from local purveyors as well as abroad.
Baan Lao is dedicated to delivering the pinnacle of Royal Thai cuisine, so you can expect a one-of-a-kind dining experience fit for royalty. I visited Baan Lao for their 13-course tasting menu. Here are some highlights.
AMUSE-BOUCHE TRIO
Watermelon with Hand-Roasted, Dried Wild Rock Fish Flakes
This starter dish featured a juicy and sweet watermelon ball paired with dried wild rockfish. The wild rockfish had been steamed and dehydrated, then mixed with salt and coconut sugar. The salty flavour of the dried wild rockfish complemented the natural sweetness of the watermelon, enhancing its flavour profile.
Cha Plu Leaf Wrap with Hand-Roasted Organic Cashew, Herbs and Organic Coconut Flakes
This intricate dish featured a hand-carved carrot with a filling of Cha Plu Leaf (Miang kham), topped with tamarind sauce and organic roasted cashew. The tamarind sauce added a pleasant tang, making each bite bold and vibrant.
MacClintok’s Farm Organic Water Buffalo Homemade Meatball with Fresh Pineapple Spoon
The water buffalo meatball was presented on a fresh pineapple carved in the shape of a spoon and that has been marinated in lime for 24 hours. Underneath the meatball was cilantro and on top was chili which added a nice herbaceous and spicy finish.
APPETIZERS
Fraser Valley Organic Chicken Thai Dumpling
This dish featured dumpling made with organic chicken breast and Thai herbs and a wrapper made of cassava, tapioca and coconut milk. The dumpling was delicately pinched to resemble a bird, with black sesame seeds for eyes and chili for the beak.
Yellow Curried Alaska King Crab in Crispy Golden Pastry
The Alaskan King Crab rested on a bed of red, green, and yellow bell peppers and was served in a crispy golden pastry. It was garnished with a chum salmon caviar from a local Steveston purveyor and paired with house-made powdered curry paste. The delicate sweetness of the Alaskan King Crab shone through, highlighted by the subtle heat of the curry paste. The crispy pastry added a satisfying crunch, and the caviar provided an elegant touch.
SOUP
Organic Coconut Galangal Soup with Crispy Wild Sockeye Salmon
This dish features salmon from a local Steveston purveyor and it had been steamed with Thai herbs, crumbled, and pan fried until dry. The salmon was then crumbled, deep fried in organic sunflower oil, and then placed inside the bowl alongside mushrooms. The flower leaf tuile on top was colored naturally with beetroot, pandan, butterfly pea and turmeric. The fragrant and creamy soup was made with organic coconut milk and Thai herbs and it was a nice contrast to the crispy salmon.
PALATE CLEANSER
Lemongrass Pandan with Elixir
This was a refreshing drink made with a combination of alkaline water, lemongrass, pandan, and coconut sugar. The crisp notes of lemongrass and the subtle sweetness of pandan providing a clean, balanced flavour to cleanse the palate after spicy, rich dishes.
MAINS
Seared Hokkaido Scallop with Thai Herbs
A seared and scored scallop topped with organic seaweed caviar and edible gold flakes from Florence, Italy. On the side were slices of lemongrass topped with Bird’s eye chili pepper. There was also a trio of hand-carved vegetables (radish, cucumber and carrot) which takes the sous chef 30 minutes to carve out.
This dish was paired with a unique anchovy sauce that had undergone a two-year fermentation process. Wild anchovies were mixed with Thai herbs and placed under the sun in a barrel with the lid off so that the sun could break down the anchovies over the two-year fermentation process.
Phat Thai with Mangrove Black Tiger Prawn
A sophisticated take on the traditional Phat Thai which took 4 hours to create. The sauce was made from tamarind and specially processed chili peppers in which Chef peels the chili pepper skin off, remove the seeds, and pound the flesh to extract the chili essential oil with a cheese cloth.
This Phat Thai featured over 100 lines of egg lacing around organic rice noodles topped with wild-caught black tiger prawn from Thailand. The prawn being wild, was not grain-fed but fed on the bark of mangrove trees. The prawn was topped with microgreens and herbs from the Chef’s garden.
Grilled Organic Sumas Mountain Beef Tenderloin in Red Curry
This tenderloin comes from Sumas Mountain Farms in Abbotsford where the beef is certified organic, SPCA certified, 100% grass-fed & finished, and soy-free. This means that the animal was raised in a stress-free environment and that there was no cortisol circulating in the blood. These impart a more natural taste to the meat.
The tenderloin was served with a basil crumble (made from flour and fresh basil); coconut caviar (made with organic coconut and agar-agar); Hom Mali Rice (from Chef’s family farm in Thailand where water buffalos plough the field); and riceberry rice. Finally, it was accompanied by an organic coconut curry sauce made with organic coconuts, anchovies, and chilies.
PALATE CLEANSER
Lemon Sorbet
The lemon sorbet was bright and zesty, with the lime zest adding an extra burst of citrus. It served as a refreshing reset for the palate. It was prepared using a traditional Thai ice cream maker and shaped into a popsicle.
DESSERTS
Pumpkin Egg Custard & Smoked Ice Cream
This was a delicate coconut ice cream smoked with a Thai culinary candle for 2.5 hrs. I was told that the incense byproduct is safe to consume.
Next was a pumpkin carved into the shape of a sunflower and filled with a delicate pandan egg custard, garnished with an edible viola flower, and a long thread of egg yolk (where the long thread symbolizes a long life).
Hand-Carved Seasonal Fruit
The accompanying seasonal fruit bowl included hand-carved seasonal fruits (Japanese melon and pineapple) and Luk chup (a traditional Thai dessert made from yellow mung bean paste and shaped to resemble a chili pepper).
Parting Gift
Baan Lao means “our home” in Thai and the team believes that guest should leave empty handed. The parting gift was a handmade souvenir card, designed by a Thai artist and friend of the Chef. Inside the souvenir card was a Buddha tree, symbolizing peace and prosperity in the Buddhist culture.
Baan Lao offers a memorable dining experience that goes beyond just food; it’s a cultural journey through Royal Thai cuisine. Chef Nutcha’s attention to detail, use of organic and locally sourced ingredients, and intricate presentation make each dish a work of art. Baan Lao lives up to its reputation, offering a one-of-a-kind meal that is both satisfying and inspiring.
Baan Lao is located at 4100 Bayview St, Richmond, BC.