Good Pad Thai (and more) at Charm Thai

• Name + address: Charm Thai, 121 Preston St.

• Diet: Meat, seafood, vegetarian

• Appetizers: $7-$15

• Mains: $16-$20

• Wheelchair accessibility: No

• Licensed: No

• Website: www.charmthaicuisineottawa.com

It was just an unhappy coincidence of course but three of the Thai restaurants I positively reviewed all closed in the last two years.

We haven’t had much turn up to replace them but suddenly there was Charm Thai at the corner of Preston and Somerset. Phew! Or was my sense of relief premature?

We’re not out of winter yet and no surprise, my thoughts keep turning to warming comfort foods big on flavour and sometimes, with a little kick.

The weather had turned a little warmer and sitting down in the bright yellow room at Charm Thai I was suddenly struck by the sensation that it was actually as cold in the restaurant as it was outside. My starter soup was set to arrive and so that issue would soon be settled.

Rather than a tom yum soup, I ordered something called po taek which was described as a clear mixed seafood soup. 

It was different than I imagined and was in fact a tom yum soup that was halfway there. It was less spicy than tom yum but approached that flavour in most other ways. 

The broth was pleasant with a very mild hint of chili and citrus, a few tender squid rings, a sole shrimp and a few bay scallops that had come from the deep freeze and had that freezer taste. Some flaked white fish would have been preferable.

Always on the lookout for unique dishes when I go for Thai and Vietnamese I opted for the Kai Tod hard-yai. This was a marinated and breaded deep-fried chicken thigh served with a very appealing spicy tamarind sauce that should be bottled.

The pieces had been cut into bite sized morsels and the combination of moist thigh meat with that tangy tamarind was an appetite stimulating start.

Owner Shane Kanhakanchana must surely be the “charm” behind the name because he was as helpful, gregarious and kind as the nicest folks I’ve met in my travels around Ottawa. He was good enough to point my attention to a specialty menu featuring deep-fried Thai dishes of various proteins with toppings and sauces.

I’d ordered the Yum Saap beef which was advertised as a dish with a sour spicy lime dressing, thai coriander and that most wonderful of Thai seasonings: toasted rice powder.

As the meat had been cut into various sizes and thicknesses some pieces of beef were more tender than others while some were a little too hard to enjoy. The lime dressing was deep and brought a tear to the eye with its sourness and that toasted rice turned almost creamy as it mixed with the sauce. 

It was a dish worth trying but attention needs to be paid to a more uniform cut of beef to ensure even cooking.

Once again I’d made sure to ask about how the Pad Thai was prepared and I was told that ketchup was nowhere in the recipe. Thumbs up.

It’s a small quibble but I prefer this dish with both the crushed peanuts and beansprouts served on the side and not on top of the noodles but here it came in that North American fashion.

The noodles were of superior quality and had a springy resistance making the experience that much nicer. No overcooked, dissolving milky starch noodles here. 

As usual, I’d ordered mine with shrimp and for under $20 this was both a properly executed and generous portion of Pad Thai. There is however one thing I note over and over again in Ottawa and that is how timid Thai restaurants are when creating a Pad Thai sauce. Eating at Thai restaurants in Toronto or Vancouver I’m never left wanting for those bigger, traditional flavours.

Still, this is one dish that had so many things going for it that I’ll be back to experience more of the menu. I amped up the flavours by adding the prik nam pla (fish sauce with chopped chili and garlic) that Shane had been good enough to prepare for me and I was in that space of blissful reverie. This was good Pad Thai.

As a final surprise Shane kindly offered me a housemade mango “cheesecake”. A naturally sweet mango puree with mango bits over a whipped tangy cream cheese mousse. Digging to the bottom of the cup I extracted a salty, buttery crumble of crushed almonds and cornflakes. Now that was a taste sensation I wasn’t expecting and it’s an idea for which I’m grateful because I'll be using it at home.

Charm Thai is still awaiting its liquor license but dining here will reward you with a strong kitchen that offers generous portions for less money than at other such restaurants around town. 

One final note: I arrived on a Saturday at 5:20 pm. By 6:15 the place was 80% full so reservations are recommended.