Strength: Delectable fried rice with affordable price
Weakness: Cooking Quality can be inconsistent
Thai Express is a franchise Thai cuisine food stand. You can find them in Metro Vancouver’s mall food court. They are not your authentic Thai food restaurants that food awards or anything, but they make of fried rice. This Thai Express is located in the food court of Metrotown, Burnaby.
Thai Express in Metrotown Food Court
When I go to food court, there’s usually only a couple vendors that I am interested in. Most of the time, I walk around the perimeter of the seating area, looking though the vendors at least 2 circles. This changed ever since I discovered the basil fried rice from Thai express.
Cooking Staff Manning the Wok Station in Hot Environment
The problem with a food court vendor is the inconsistencies between cooking staff. The fried rice quality may differ between different malls. Sometimes even the taste of one location can differ between different visits. That being said, I cannot blame the staff for not being able to maintain consistency. The cooking staff work in harsh working condition to make this fried rice.
Dining Experience and Wok Taste
Since there is always line up at Thai Express, the cooking staff are always at the wok prepare the next dish. This is part of the dining experience to see your food on fire. Also, the high heat react to the grease give the fried rice a “wok” taste.
Large Portion with lots of Shrimp
The Basil Shrimp Fried Rice was very well done. Each grain of rice is separate. It has a lot of wok taste that even some of the full-on restaurants are not able to create. The eggs were from a squirt bottle but it did not affect the texture. There are also lots of shrimp, and they taste quite fresh. The saltiness is at a good level. If you don’t think it is spicy enough, there is a bottle of sriracha hot sauce that pairs perfectly with the fried rice.
604 Food Critic Assessment
For $11.38 a portion, the Shrimp Fried Rice is worth it in every way. I have been to this location previously when the fried rice wasn’t very well done, so I would recommend Thai Express to get their consistency down. Other than that, I would sometimes drive to Metrotown food court just for their fried rice. They got a good thing going. As soon as they fix their consistency issue, they’re golden.
Menu
How to get in touch
- Phone: (778) 379-7131
- Address: 4820 Kingsway Metropolis at, Burnaby
- Hours: 10:00am – 9:00pm, Sunday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
