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Mali Thai Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
2710 Main StVancouver, BC V5T
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
(604) 879-0560
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Ronnie S. said: "The place we always end up !! Since the Thai House upgraded a few years ago, it has really become our favourite local restaurant. It's a fantastic mix of ambience, decor, excellent service, and great food. It's one of those…" read more »
28 reviews for Mali Thai Restaurant
Review Highlights
28 reviews in English
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Review from Kendra N.
Vancouver, BC
2/4/2012
Mali Thai is one of our go-to takeout Thai restaurants. We've ordered from here several times - every time it's been awesome value ($ for the amount of food) and delicious.
While we haven't veered too far away from our favourites - curries, tom kai gai soup, pad thai, steamed veg in sauce - they do all of these well. By the looks of the reviews, most everything on the menu is a good bet. The veggies are never soggy or overcooked, always slightly crunchy. While the curry could use a little more food in it, it's still a winner.
Things I love about Mail Thai: They have jasmine brown rice, the takeout containers are recyclable (although once we got rice in styrofoam...boo) and takeout can be super-fast if you pick up.
Things to consider: I wouldn't opt to eat in their restaurant. It's clean but tiny, and the number of takeout orders coming in the door might make it chilly in the winter. Twice they have confused the spiciness levels that we ordered...so if you are spice adverse, be sure to say that loud & clear over the phone. -
Review from Sarah D.
1/1/2012
There are four words which perfectly describe how I discovered and subsequently fell in love with Mali Thai: debit at the door.
It was a blustery Friday night, my pantry was bare and I had no desire to leave my house to obtain either cash, groceries or prepared food. After a few minutes of searching Yelp and Google, my options were presented to me: pizza, or Mali Thai. I quickly placed an order on Mali Thai's (super convenient) online ordering system and they called me back within five minutes to confirm my order and let me know it will be here within an hour.
Twenty-five minutes later, the friendliest delivery person I've ever met was at my door apologizing about taking so long. Twenty-five minutes! I don't know about you guys, but I thought he made excellent time.
As for the food, although it's not the best Thai food I've ever had, it's certainly up to par. Whereas their hot and sour soup was okay, their Pad Kee Mao is one of my favourite things, and their Thai iced tea is to die for. I should also mention that their portions are fairly generous, especially given the inexpensive price-point.
Mali Thai has now become one of my go-to restaurants when ordering in is... well, in order. I'd encourage anyone to give it a shot, especially when you find your wallet low on cash, and pizza has worn out its welcome.Listed in: The Main Attraction
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Review from Ben C.
8/29/2011
This is what I call a sure bet when it comes to Thai food.
Intimate eating area (ok fine, small - but not a bad thing). Friendly service and I always like supporting family businesses.
Food: FRESH, I had the papaya salad today and I swear it seemed as if each ingredient was hand picked and placed on the plate. It was perfectly balanced and a true appetizer, not that I needed an appetizer for the red curry at this place!
I can't wait to come back. -
Review from Matthew P.
Vancouver, BC
11/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
A solid 3.5 stars!
So after a long time of searching for some decent Thai food, we decide to order delivery from Mali Thai. I wasn't to excited at first due to my last experience with Thai food from Vancouver( read my last Thai food review). I opted not to order my usual of Pad See Ew because we'd already decided on pad thai and didn't want another noodle dish. We ended up with the app platter, beef curry, and Pad Thai. All in all everything tasted great. If I want Thai food in Vancouver, Mali Tahi will be my stop from now on. If their Pad See Ew is good as well I'll up their star rating to a solid 4, untill then... 3.5! -
Review from Amy T.
11/5/2011
Do you want good Thai food, but don't care about all the frills and price of a fancy restaurant? Mali Thai can be your answer.
Walking in for an early dinner, the restaurant was full. Mind you there were only 6 tables. Within 5 minutes a couple left and we were seated in the middle of the restaurant.
We ordered the papaya salad, - fresh, crunchy and peanut-ey goodness with a nice kick of chili and lime. The chicken satay had a nice bounce to each bite and juicy. The yellow curry chicken wasn't too spicey, -infused with coconut, onions, cilantro and potatos. Lip-smacking good since we coudn't help but to order another bowl of rice just to finish the sauce. -
Review from Simon K.
Looking for another 'hole-in-the-wall' joint to add to your list? Some good Thai to boot, well then this little one joins my list after going in here for a snack. Was not really craving anything while walking Main Street, and just saw this place quietly tucked in on the block, and after I was finished I can say that me and my stomach were happy we both came to try.
When you come in here, this place is small, probably at most 6 tables, with not many chairs. This place looks to be a 'take-out' joint but the decision was to sit down and enjoy the tight surroundings and enjoy plates right out of the kitchen. The first odd thing happened when I asked where the washroom was, and it was through the kitchen! So you go through the front counter where the orders are taken, and step in through the clean kitchen and into this one washroom near the end of the shop. The washroom was clean, but walking back to the front of the restaurant, I looked again, as I smelled all the cooking that was being done, and just to see the care that this Asian kitchen had to keep it sanitary.
When the food came, which was a stir fried noodle dish, and a bowl of their red curry, the taste buds kicked in, and the devouring began. Remember to order the large rice with the curry, this thing is saucy, and tasty, and your going to need something to go along with all this dish. They definitely do not cheap out on the meat, as we had beef in the curry, and there was plenty to go around, where I had to pack this dish and there was still meat. Thinly cut, filled with coconut, and tasting just right, not overly spicy, as it goes yellow, red, green on the spice level. The other dish that was had was this fried noodle, that was a steaming spectacle when it arrived on the table. We did not even even split the food to our separate plates, and just dig our forks into each bite and led the tools of eating to our mouths. The one word to describe this food that we had was Thai comfort food.
I would definitely come to try this again, and maybe for take out in the coming chilly months! -
Review from Caitlin C.
Vancouver, BC
2/12/2012
Ordered it last night after trying to order from someplace that closed down! At first glance I was indredibly skeptical due to it's appearance from the image (terrible of me I know). But was I ever surprised!! Possibly some of the best thai food I have had (except for the spring rolls- almost no veggies?) we had broccoli and mixed veggies with peanut sauce (came seperate which was a nice touch), as well as pad thai with tomoto sauce.
Will definitely order again. -
Review from Amanda L.
7/15/2011
Mali Thai I am dissapoint!
My and my office crew order from here periodically for delivery to our office. We usually place a huuuge order (typically 7-10 people)and they typically give us a free appy platter which is nice. Downside they force us to write down our entire order and fax it to them which is annoying for the person who gets stuck doing that. It also typically takes an hour. This service has been mediocre at best and the food is good but like every other place in Vancouver Thai food ain't cheap!
Yesterday me and 2 people ordered basic lunch from Mali Thai for delivery and were told a 1 hour wait. Annoying but we should have saw that coming. After close to 2 hours later we called them and all they had to tell us was it has left the building but they have no idea when it will arrive and they are very busy!
My question is would you ever expect someone in a restaurant to wait 1 hour let alone 2 hours to eat? People order food cause they are hungry now, not ready to eat in 2 hours! Your food is 3 star but your ridiculously lousy service for off site orders drops you down a star.
If you can offer decent delivery service, perhaps don't offer it at all...just a thought. -
Review from Sean McLean C.
Vancouver, BC
10/18/2011
THIS IS THE BEST FOOD THAT HAS EVER ENTERED MY MOUTH
Mali Thai has the best food in Vancouver, hands down. IT IS THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD I have ever tasted since I have been born. Do you think I am lying? Try it for yourself. That is all I have to say. -
Review from Gina I.
2/3/2011
When I'm sick Tom Kha Gai comforts me with it's hot broth.It was good, but I've had better at Tropika, etc. There was no red chili floating in it and I prefer the straw mushrooms rather than just regular white mushrooms.
The yellow beef curry was the best dish, the flavours really stood out and it had a nice balance of sweet and spicy.
I was a little disappointed with the Pad Thai, but then again so many places never make it how I like it. It wasn't tangy enough, if anything.
I'd eat here again, but there are a lot of other thai places I'd rather go to. The delivery took an hour, but I don't know if that's normal or not, since I rarely get delivery. -
Review from Tessa B.
4/11/2011
Without a doubt, my favourite Thai food in Vancouver. Their drunken noodles and red curry are absolutely to die for.
The only complaint I have is that they tend to go a bit overboard with the egg. I actually order it without egg, so if you're not a fan of egg I'd recommend you do the same. -
Review from Kristin H.
Vancouver, BC
10/31/2010
I always stop here on my way home from work when it's getting late, I know there's no food in the fridge and my stomach has started growling loudly. I come here because it's cheap and the takeout food is usually ready in under 10 minutes.
The only problem is that the food just isn't all that great. The rice is usually dry, although they do give you a substantial portion. Actually, all the portions are substantial. The vegetarian pad thai is okay, but they don't cook tofu very well - it's usually dry and chewy. The spring rolls are large and greasy (no half-orders allowed), although always deliciously crispy. The actual curry sauces are quite good, but the vegetables they are paired with are lackluster. Lots of filler vegetables like cabbage or a frozen carrots. Maybe the meat-based dishes are better, but I can't speak to those.
Don't come here if you are expecting quality Thai food, with good quality vegetables and ingredients. Come here if you are looking for a cheap and plentiful "fast food" Thai meal. Make sure you get takeout. The actual restaurant only has three or four tables with cheap plastic chairs and very little in the way of ambience or decor. -
Review from Waylon C.
Vancouver, BC
5/2/2011
Good, cheap Thai food. Very close to my house so I get take out here fairly often.
I wouldn't eat there as the ambiance = zero.
Good for a quick, cheap dinner. -
Review from Corstian P.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2010
This place was a five star the first time we ordered out. The second, third, forth and every other lazy home order-in night has proved its worth.
You name it we've tried it. The curry's shine from this place. Red, yellow, green; doesn't matter which you choose because you'll be satisfied.
Dining in is still great but the front of house is not much to look at. The real actions in the back.
So get off the couch or don't and try this place out. -
Review from Reena M.
7/7/2011
What got me to order here was definitely their online presence and promise of free delivery over $20, to downtown as well! It wasn't bad Thai food, but it wasn't something I would go out of my way to get again either. It was convenient, and inexpensive, and suited both my friend's and my dining preferences (gluten free, fish free). It was convenient because we just ordered online at http://just-eat.ca and it came within 45 minutes. The menu prices were a lot less than downtown thai restaurant that also charge for delivery and it was worth it. It turned out to be $31 including a tip for two of us--2 dishes and an order of chicken satay.
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
11/9/2009
* Toto, we're not in Sukhothai anymore! *
I got my test dish of beef grapow (beef with holy basil, chili, and garlic). The basil certainly wasn't holy. It was typical sweet basil - and it was in very limited quantity - perhaps 3 or 4 pieces in the whole dish. There was no noticeable chili, even though it was listed as a "warning hot" dish on the menu. There were a ton of sweet bell peppers. Really sweet - and in really big slices. It reminded me of the Canadian style Chinese stir fry you find at some Chinese restaurants in small towns with a little sweet basil added in. It came with rice (which was slightly overcooked), a salad with onion dressing that was the highlight of the dish, and a very greasy spring roll.
I also got to taste a little bit of the Pad Thai. There was no hint of tamarind, fish sauce, or lime at all. But there was LOTS of ketchup - to the point of it being almost sickly sweet.
If I click my heels 3 times can I return to Thailand and get some good Thai grub?Listed in: Fool me once, shame on you.…, Vancouver Thai Food
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Review from Tabatha Anne Y.
Richmond, BC
1/6/2011
3 stars because I don't know the first thing about Thai food and my coworker says this doesn't compare to some other places he's had...so they're his stars, not mine.
We both ordered yellow curry, he had prawns I had mixed vegetables. They give you the option of brown or white rice on the side so we got one of each.
Nice spice, good flavour, ingredients seem fresh. The curry was a bit watery though, and the amount of vegetables was severely lacking. It was mostly sauce and rice. I paid $15 including tax and tip and I think it was a bit expensive for what I got. However, the portion was generous and I have enough left over for lunch tomorrow.
Might order from them again and try something different next time. -
Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
12/8/2010
This is a tiny little restaurant, with only about 6 tables. Their lunch specials are pretty good deals: pad thai, pineapple rice, yellow, red, or green curries etc. for $6-9, and with fairly good sized portions for one person.
The food is good, nothing spectacular. I appreciate the fact that they do not skimp on the meat; often, you'll have restaurants trying to save on ingredient costs by cutting their meat really small and supplementing the dish with lots of cheap veggies. However, this restaurant gives big chunks of meat and doesn't add filler like tons of bean sprouts, for example.
I'm not sure if there's two different types of pad thai here; I ordered the Sunday special, Mali Pad Thai, which isn't as orange in colour as most places. It was very good, and the portions were big.
Both times that I've come here, I've had a good experience, with friendly and prompt service.
There's limited parking in the back, and the first time I came here, this is where we parked, and we ended up having to walk through the kitchen in order to get to the restaurant, which was a little strange. (I can tell you that the kitchen looked clean from what I saw : P). -
Review from Kelsey P.
Vancouver, BC
12/4/2009 1 Check-in Here
Tried other items on the menu but in the end the gold stars go out to the curries. Red, green, and yellow. I order all three every time. For delivery of course. The place is quite tiny to eat in.
They make the curries very well (although I wish they were a tad spicier) and they are so so friendly.
I order from here frequently. -
Review from Miranda L.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2010
We recently moved and with the move came a whole new pile of take out options. Mali Thai was one of them.
From the first time we ordered we were really impressed - this place is fantastic!
The curries are to die for - I typically get the red curry and it's one of the best I've had anywhere, and often at more money.
Both the cashew beef and spicy chilli paste chicken are also fantastic and regular menu items for us!
The only item I personally steer clear of is the Pad Gai Sub, only for the reason that the chicken is chopped/ground very small vs. the larger chunks of chicken in the other dishes, and that's not my preference.
We haven't eaten in but if you're within the delivery area this is a must-try for reasonably priced, healthy, to your door thai -
Review from Heidi H.
Vancouver, BC
4/9/2009
Back in SF I had a fav local and affordable Thai place, King of Thai Noodle. It was my comfort food and I loved it. I have been on a hunt to find a place that does a great pad thai and panang curry to replace my old comforts of King of Thai. So far I have struggled...
However tonight on my walk home with the tummy grumbling, I was deciding between some other fast food until Mali Thai showed up in my path. I had stopped here before and was disappointed by the pad thai. But something called me in here again.
The lovely gentleman working the front greeted me. I asked what he would recommend. He said they had two new dishes and asked - 'do you like spicy?' My answer was yes. I ordered all he suggested and figured I would have leftovers for lunch and boy am I glad it did!
The two dishes...
1) Pad Prig Khing (Spicy Chilli Paste) - stir fried green beans, lime leaves, bell pepper with spicy chilli sauce
2) Pad Pong Ka - Ree (Curry Powder) - Stir fried egg, vegetables with curry powder
All I can say is YUM! Flavourful, fresh and delicious! The Pad Prig Khing was just spicy enough, the green beans perfectly cooked (with just enough crunch) and makes me happy I have more for tomorrow. The Pad Pong Ka - Ree was full of flavour and had more of a sweet undertone compared to the spicy beans. Perfect compliments!
He also suggested an order of the spring rolls. Those I could have done without, but shoot, two out of three isn't bad!
So looking for Thai delivery near Main - check out Mali thai. They also do bubble tea.
P.S. The leftovers are just as delicious as the meal last night! -
Review from Adelina W.
Richmond, BC
10/24/2010
Another one of those unassuming places where the food is amazing good or horrifically bad. Mali Thai was one of the former, but if you looked at the restaurant, you wouldn't think it. It was decorated modestly and the tables and chairs were stark and not very comfortable. It doesn't invite you in. And yet, they have a lot of customers shuffling in and out of its doors.
I ordered their pad thai with chicken and the appy of spring rolls to go. It too forever for them to cook it. Maybe they were making the spring rolls, I don't know. When I finally arrived home ready to eat, I was pleasantly surprised with the size and quantity of the food. My pad thai was massive. It could have fed two people. The spring rolls were delicious. They were pretty oily, but oh so delicious. They were still pipping hot and the filling to wrap ratio was great. The best part? Its vegetarian!
I will definitely be back to check out the rest of the menu. They offer a number of specials that change from day to day as well as a significantly cheaper lunch menu. Yum! -
Review from Trudi C.
Looks wise, this place reminded me of my fave Thai back in Germany - no frills presentation, but home to some fantastic food! I ordered the yellow curry to take home (already had rice prepared), and it was fantastic!! Absolutely HUGE portion, with a thick creamy and slightly spicy sauce, with a healthy portion of chicken and potato. I will certainly be ordering again!
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Review from Ross M.
Vancouver, BC
4/2/2011
We have used Mali Thai for delivery several times now. Great tasting, good quality, good value and good service. Seriously, a main with large rice does 2 people and is only around $12. Chicken penang curry is excellent.
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Review from Shawn C.
Vancouver, BC
11/7/2010
This had become my go-to takeout-food delivery place until last night. The food has been decent and fairly priced so last night we tried to order 2 items. The price came to about $15. We were told the minimum order for delivery was $20. Fair enough; I changed one of the orders to a high-priced item, but the final tally was still shy of $20 - 10 cents short (and that's not including tax, which would've put it well over $20, but whatever). "So add 10 cents to the order," I said, and the guy said they couldn't do that, it's against policy. I said thanks but no, called Martini's for a Mediterranean chicken breast (yum) and a prawn skewer for just over $20 (with tax), and had a great meal.
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Review from Daniel L.
11/20/2009
I've had about 7 meals home delivered meals from here... When I started dining from here it was okay value, but I am getting the sense the whole quality of their food is starting to drop off. I am not sure if they have changed owners or chefs but its not the same as last year... So based on that I am going to give it a break for now and try later. Maybe they need to sort out a few things but not at my expense..
Listed in: The Main St Event
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Review from Kristel W.
10/21/2010
if i ever leave vancouver, this will be one of the hardest spots to say goodbye to. i only discovered it after miranda l. recommended it to me maybe three months ago, and upon reading her review, i ordered the red curry. i also ordered the pad thai and a thai iced tea. the pad thai was not so great, the iced tea standard... but the red curry. the red curry. i am absolutely addicted to it. i've probably ordered it again 5 or 6 times, and am currently waiting on a delivery now.
UPDATE NOV. 8, 2010:
wow. this is quite an update.
tonight, we ordered dinner to go pick up. i had a dealfind voucher for $45. we ordered 2 red curries with chicken, 1 cashew beef, 1 drunken chicken with prawns, 1 large rice, and 2 thai iced teas. we drove over to pick it up -- it was my first time actually seeing the place, since i have always gotten delivery. the place was small and sparse, but still charming (of course, i knew i was biased in this, since i love their red curry so much).
we arrived home and began plating the food, when we realized we had cashew chicken, not beef. and no drunken noodles -- instead, pad thai. so i called them back to tell them about this, and said that i didn't mind the cashew dish with chicken, but that i would like a credit on my account for the pad thai, because their pad thai is pretty terrible. the man said that i should have known what was in our order, because of the cost... which makes no sense, because beef and chicken cost the same amount. the man said that we could drive back and he would give us the new dishes. well, during rush hour, it took about an hour to drive there and back, so i said that i did not want to do that, but that he could have someone deliver the proper things and we would give them the items we didn't order. he said that that would go against dealfind's policy -- to which i said, "why would dealfind have a policy against resolving YOUR customer's issues when YOU make a mistake??" and he kept saying that dealfind's policy was for me to go pick up the proper dishes, which obviously makes no sense at all. so he said that he would have the manager call me back tonight.
so, meanwhile, i go back to getting our dinner gathered (minus the wrong dishes), and when we take out the thai iced teas, we see... they're... not... thai iced teas. at least not like any i've seen before -- they're black. so i call back, just to update the information that i had given them, and this is how the conversation went:
me: i just wanted to let you know that we did not receive our thai iced teas, but some other black drink
guy: you ordered two thai iced teas, no ice.
me: yes, and what we received was a black drink
guy: that's because you said no ice. yours has no ice.
me: well, no, sir, it has nothing to do with the ice... it's a different colour
guy: (laughing) i've run a thai restaurant for over ten years, i know what thai iced tea is. maybe it's different from another restaurant, but i know what it is.
me: no, sir, i'm not comparing you to other restaurants, i'm saying i've had *your* thai iced tea about a dozen times, and what i received is not it.
guy: it's because you said you didn't want ice. we didn't give you ice.
me: no, sir, please listen to what i'm saying, i'm trying to tell you--
guy: i know what thai iced tea is
me: sir, please let me finish, is your thai iced tea usually--
guy: i'm not going to discuss this any further
me: sir, just let me--
guy: i know what thai iced tea is. i'm not going to argue with you. goodbye.
and he hung up.
about 20 minutes later, he calls back and says that he will return my voucher if we bring the food back. he also says that he is upset because he knows what thai iced tea is. i ask plainly, "is yours usually orange?" to which he said, "you asked for no ice." "sir, yes or no, is it usually orange?" "yes." "well, this is black." he laughs. "it is not black, it is orange." i say, again, that he can have someone come and pick it up, but we will not take another hour of our time to fix their mistake. he says he doesn't have a driver. i say that when he does, he'll have to send them, because we will not drive to return or exchange it. they screwed up the order, he hung up on me, this is just terrible service. he agrees to send a driver to pick up our food and return our voucher and refund the total that was charged to my credit card.
and that's that. really bummed that i still have five dealfind vouchers for this place, so i'll need to contact dealfind for a refund. and honestly, i'm just especially bummed that i won't ever have their red curry again. i was not upset about the errors even, but about the complete lack of customer service. -
Review from Colin B.
Vancouver, BC
11/29/2010
With all of the Thai food options in Vancouver, I have no idea why anyone would go here. The only reason I went in the first place is because I got one of those group coupons...$20 for $45 worth of food and drink. We grabbed a table for two in this small, sterile, and drafty room and I was immediately thrown off when we found out the place was not licensed. Now that they don't have beer or wine, we have to order $45 worth of food for two people. So we're still trying to be positive as we will get to try a number of different dishes. At the end of the day, all of the food was sub-par. The prawns were kind of nasty, the curry was really oily, and the noodles were somewhat bland. Overall, it was a disappointment and I don't plan on ever going back.
