Thai Basil Restaurant — Restaurant in Vancouver

I have had several meals here since 2010 and overall it's always been good value.

However, I do have one gripe. Today, I paid for my green curry with extra vegetables with a debit card. As you pay up front, you are prompted by the machine to tip upfront. I tipped 18%, which, considering that you bus your own table, stand in line to order, and have to fetch your own serviettes, cutlery, and other accoutrements, is actually more than fair.

When I saw the neighboring table had been served a bowl of brown rice instead of white I went back up to the till, and after waiting in line - again - I asked if I could have brown rice instead of white rice with my meal. The employee - very politely - informed me that it would be another 50 cents. Not a big deal, but I didn't have change and had already paid. She suggested debit - but debit costs the restaurant between 25 and 50 cents and it would be a wash for the estabilshment...in fact the only person benefiting would be the tax collector who'd get the sales tax, which really, we pay enough tax and I'm not buying brown rice just to only have the government get 3 cents.

I did not gripe to the employee or anyone else, I just said no thanks, politely and sat down and ate my green curry - which was excellent but had a very high fat content, even for green curry, and there was a much larger than usual layer of cooking oil on top of the coconut milk base.

My beef is that I'm fairly confident any competent server would gladly change out brown for white rice at no cost as they would be sure that a larger tip would result from such good service. Having already given a generous tip, I wasn't helped out at all. Which is fine - but I deducted two stars from my previous 4 star rating. 1 for charging for brown rice and the second for being expected to tip ahead of your meal...which is rude, and, frankly, entitled.

That said it's an excellent place to eat fairly authentic Thai food. I still recommend it...just don't tip until after you eat and have the expectation that...

Khob khun ka ขอบคุณค่ะ !! A vibrant, quaint yet traditional upbeat take-out style Thai joint is a great go-to option right besides Kitsilano Pool and the beach with an easy and efficient ordering service. I was impressed at how cheap this joint was, especially due to its location with pretty fresh tasting and delicious in plentiful portion. Boxed up in the cutest concept of takeout Asian food within a stereotypical cardboard carry box is the best and coolest way to tuck in with chopsticks. This place is a local Hotspot for a reason which you can see from the sheer amount of loyal customer volume they serve. Enjoying this on the beach for sunset is an absolute must, great vibe. The staff are also super friendly, kind and very polite. I got a Tofu Pad See Ew ผัดซีอิ๊ว and additional Fried egg (cooked perfectly sunny side down) which was yummy, flavorsome, filling and you can grab yourself some spicy sauces, condiments and extra peanuts. It was just missing a bit of zest that gave it that really fragrant thai style flavor which always sends you back to reminiscing of good old days backpacking beautiful Thailand. I was pretty disappointed as the fresh rice noodles weren't the super thick, drunken-style which are traditionally served with this dish. It would be great if they could offer more compostable-based packaging if also possible, especially due to the amount of customers they serve. All in all, a great experience and would recommend if within the area again for...

I feel compelled to share my experience at Thai Basil, as it was unlike anything I’ve ever encountered at a restaurant. My husband and I were excited to eat some good Thai food, so we decided to try this spot nearby based on its good reviews. Unfortunately, the experience quickly went downhill. Upon entering, we noticed the staff sitting at one of the tables eating and on their phones, which immediately set a questionable tone.

I ordered spring rolls, two Pad Thai dishes (one vegetarian and one with chicken), and a side salad to share. The food arrived within just five minutes—way too fast for a freshly prepared meal. The salad was served hot, and the coconut “dressing” was more like a sauce, which was odd. As for the Pad Thai, it was completely soaked in a sauce that tasted more like ketchup than any Thai seasoning, and the chicken was rubbery and unappetizing. The spring rolls, which were supposed to be filled with vegetables, were nothing more than noodles inside a wrapper.

We took one bite of everything and couldn’t stomach another. It was honestly inedible, and I wouldn’t even feel comfortable feeding it to my dog. Despite the meal costing around $60, we ended up walking out without finishing a single dish. I’m very disappointed, and I definitely won’t be returning. This is definitely not...