Purple Panda ChiThai Bistro — Restaurant in Whistler Resort Municipality

The Purple Panda 🐼💜, a new addition to the Glacier Lodge in Whistler, offers a refreshing Asian-inspired twist to the local dining scene. This quaint spot, with its cozy atmosphere, is a welcome change from the usual mountain 🏔️ fare. My visit included the red curry 🍛 chicken, TomYum soup 🍲, and fresh lettuce rolls. One of the highlights was the variety of rice 🍚 options—Jasmine, coconut, and sticky rice—allowing you to pair your meal just right. If you enjoy a bit of spice, the side hot chili 🌶️ plate is a fantastic touch, letting you customize the heat level to your liking.

The fresh lettuce 🥬 rolls came with a delightful peanut 🥜 sauce, though I felt the serving of four pieces was a bit scant for the price; six would have been more satisfying. The menu has a diverse selection, and the dim sum options looked particularly enticing—definitely something to try on a return visit. Be sure to ask about the specials, as they do get busy, especially given their location near the Fairmont Hotel.

The friendly staff and reasonable prices make The Purple Panda 🐼 💜 a great spot for both locals and visitors looking to experience some Asian flavors amidst the mountain life. The Benchlands in Whistler has been in need of more diverse food options, and this place...

We were craving something fresh and light, and Purple Panda delivered!

We ordered a bottle of Cabernet Franc off of an excellent wine list. Service was superb. Jo was a delight.

The Mango Tango salad exceeded expectations! Chock full of fresh veggies and juicy, ripe mangos, the salad was a feast for the eyes. The dressing was perfectly spicy (we customized it to a spice level that suited us) and the dressing is something we will probably dream about. If you are keen on mangos, order this salad!

The Thai Laksa Curry Noodles were again ordered to our level of spice. It was absolutely delicious! The yellow curry, chicken, veggies and rice noodles hit the spot. Presentation was flawless.

The meal was so good we decided to drag it out as long as possible and ordered the Mango Sticky Rice. I have never had this before (we usually don’t do dessert) and now I’m wondering what else I have been missing my whole life. It was SO GOOD. This was the fresh and flavorful meal we needed with the friendliest of service.

We had no leftovers for our teenagers who fully expected to be compensated for leaving us alone for two hours. So, we ordered them Bangkok Fresh Rolls and Tom Kha soup. Each was devoured and also declared to be outstanding.

Well done,...

We had been staying at Whistler for last few ski seasons and looking forward to this first Chinese restaurant in the village. We walked past this a few times but it was not opened, so this place was highly anticipated.

Perhaps, we hyped ourselves too much, the food was okay but not that great. It could be also we had the wrong perception that this was going to be a Chinese restaurant but it was more like a westernized Chinese food, plus Thai food. For example, my orange chicken was overly sweetened by syrup. My western friend who lived in Hong Kong for decades asked for the highest level of spice - level 5 - for his laksa curry noodle. Our server was very sweet and concerned that would be too much and recommended level 4 instead and offered if that was not spicy enough, she could give him more chilli 🌶️ at the side. So, it turned out still too mild for him as expected and she gave him more chilli. On the bill, we were charged for that extra condiment. So, was this a subtle form of upselling?

The place was quite small, so seatings might be limited and not spacious enough for a big group.

Overall, it was still a good change of scenery for the dining experience at Whistler. If we come again, we would order Thai...