Inside Richmond's Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

Richmond is the spot to eat. The city is known for its wide variety of authentic Asian eats, from Taiwanese to Chinese to Vietnamese. You name it, you’ll find it.

When it comes to Thai eats in this area, there’s a place you need to check out if you haven’t yet: Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine.

The Steveston restaurant has carefully curated its guest experience from start to finish, and it’s certainly something special.

We stepped into the 4100 Bayview Street eatery to experience the cuisine from Nutcha Phanthoupheng, Proprietor & Executive Chef of Baan Lao.

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Nutcha’s story is a unique one. Born in Isaan, Thailand, she was brought up living the farm-to-table experience, foraging, fishing, and sourcing fresh fruit and veggies.

Nutcha was a registered nurse before getting her MBA and becoming a cancer researcher in Bangkok.

She moved to Vancouver in 2014 but eventually returned to Thailand to become a chef. Nutcha learned alongside Michelin-starred Thai Chef Chumpol Jangprai and Chef Vichit Mukura, who once served the Thai Royal family.

Nutcha first opened Baan Lao in the winter of 2021. Since then, the restaurant has appeared on several “best” lists including Canada’s 100 Best New Restaurants 2022.

Typically, only 20 guests are served per night here. Dished was told staff are happy to welcome diners in for as little or as long as they’d like, as parties don’t have time limits at their tables.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

The room itself is intimate and perfectly curated just like the dishes we were about to enjoy.

A decor highlight here is undoubtedly the paintings created by the world-famous elephant, Suda, who resides at the Elephant Park & Clinic in Thailand.

We were seated right by the large windows in the dining room, with a great view of the Steveston Harbour Boardwalk and the water. A pretty dreamy setup.

The Taste of Baan Lao menu, which is what we experienced during our visit, is available Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday with seatings at 5, 6:30, and 7:30 pm.

Guests who indulge in the Taste of Baan Lao menu can opt for wine pairings from award-winning Master Sommelier, Pier-Alexis Soulière, or, exquisite tea pairings from the restaurant’s Certified Tea Sommelier, Del Tamborini.

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Each dish here was painstakingly executed and artfully plated.

The amuse bouche, rice cracker with tomato Thai chili, not only stood out in terms of flavour, but also due to the hand-roasted, wild, organic insect perched atop.

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The housemade rice crackers are made from Baan Lao’s own rice fields in Thailand from an Organic Hom Mali Jasmine Rice that is dehydrated for over 16 hours before it’s deep-fried in organic sunflower oil.

We’re told insects featured on this dish can rotate between grasshoppers, crickets, silkworm larvae, or even forest scorpions.

From there, every dish that landed on the table seemed to be more and more exquisite.

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The Pomelo Salad with Tiger Prawn arrived on dry ice making for a made-for-social-media moment, not unlike the palate cleanser that came one course later.

This azure blue elixir is made fresh daily using butterfly peas, pandan, and lemongrass. It’s described as a playful nod to Nutcha’s previous life as a nurse.

Diners simply inject the syringe filled with freshly squeezed lime juice into the glass and watch as the blue turns into violet.

If you’re wondering what this tasted like, think fancy Fruit Loops.

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Moving on, we were told that the Mangrove Black Tiger Prawn Phat Thai is a returning customer favourite, and it’s not hard to see (or taste) why.

Beyond it being a true work of culinary art (Nutcha keeps her perfected recipe and technique under wraps), this dish tasted incredible.

The herbs, seasonings, hand-pressed fresh tamarind, and fresh tiger prawns are something to savour.

Being one of the most well-known Thai dishes, especially on the street food side of things, Nutcha has taken this childhood favourite of hers and made it a Baan Lao staple.

This is one of those plates you dream about post-meal.

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The Wild Sockeye Salmon Green Curry was served with both organic jasmine and riceberry rice.

This fillet was marinated for twenty-four hours before it was sous vide and then charcoal grilled and served with OceanWise Acadian Caviar and a touch of Manetti edible 23k Italian gold leaf.

A true symphony of flavours unfolds in each bite of this dish.

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Judging by the level of excellence we’d seen by the time dessert rolled around, we expected a truly magnificent, sweet finale.

Sticky rice topped with a rosette hand-carved from fresh mango, housemade coconut milk ice cream, and coconut milk jelly exceeded our expectations.

Hanna McLean/Daily Hive

Beyond the cuisine and the overall atmosphere, elements like having the world’s most expensive fish sauce and boasting the same flatware brand used by the King of Thailand puts Baan Lao into a league of its own when it comes to fine dining in Metro Vancouver.

Nutcha’s love of traditional Thai food mixed with her training from renowned culinary veterans is a recipe for a unique meal. The exceptional service from the staff here is the cherry on top.

If any foodies out there have been curious to check out Baan Lao and haven’t yet, this is your sign to do it.

Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine

Address: 4100 Bayview Street, Richmond
Phone: 778-839-5711

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