REVIEW | SAWADDEE THAI | SHERWOOD PARK

Hi, hello, sawaddee kha! 

Since 2015, Sawaddee Thai Cuisine has been greeting every customer that walks through their doors with a smile. Sawaddee is a small family-owned restaurant located off of Wye Road in Sherwood Park. Very rarely do I find myself in this part of town (I'm a peasant if you didn't know), but a recent errand in the Park prompted me to look for a dining opportunity that wasn't a chain.  

The restaurant is mostly comprised of booth seating running along the left perimeter. Only a few tables were occupied during Sunday lunch so we had our pick of them. The walls are painted with bright purple and fuchsia, but instead of looking garish, the dark wood paneling and a dimness in the lighting tones the colours down and gives the space a cozy charm.

There was only one server running the show but she was the friendliest soul, checking in often without being overbearing and making sure waters were continually topped up.

We don't eat Thai food very often, but Sawaddee's menu seems like it covers a good chunk of traditional favourites. Between the two of us, we decided to share an appetizer, a main, and a noodle dish. 

Curry puffs ($7.50), or karipap in Thai, are fried pockets of dough filled with chicken, potato, onion, and curry powder. The menu says two pieces come with an order, but we lucked out and were given three. These were tasty little morsels, delicately spiced and piping hot. They were at most two-biters, so at first glance, they did seem quite pricey for the portion. But coming from someone who has folded a lot of wontons, spring rolls, and dumplings in their lifetime, I know the cost comes from each small fold and crimp in the dough. It's definitely a labour of love.       

For our main course, we decided on the pla rad prik ($17.00), crispy fish topped with a sweet sauce, bell pepper, and fried basil. The pieces of fish are lightly battered and flash-fried. They're crispy for the most part but they do get soggy the longer it sits in the sauce. Speaking of, the sauce was a little too sweet for me, so I wouldn't hesitate to ask for the dish to be made spicier than it's indicated on the menu. The fried basil is definitely one of the best parts of the dish -- crispy and aromatic!

What visit to a Thai restaurant would be complete without ordering pad Thai ($17.00)? I know, I know. It's like ordering butter chicken in an Indian restaurant or sweet and sour pork in a Chinese restaurant, but I happen to like them.

The pad Thai consists of stir-fried rice noodles with tofu, egg, peanut, and tamarind sauce. You also have a choice between prawn or chicken for a dollar less. The flavour was sweet, but in a balanced way. The noodles weren't wet but they weren't dry either. It was the perfect in-between texture for me. Definitely one of the better pad Thai's I've had.   



If you ever find yourself gallivanting through Sherwood Park, Sawaddee is definitely a hidden gem worth finding.

Sawaddee Thai Cuisine
www.sawaddeethaicuisine.ca
664 Wye Rd #190

Sherwood Park, AB
(780) 570-1999

  

- CT