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BAAN LAO FINE THAI CUISINE
Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine invites you on a groundbreaking culinary adventure with its launch of the world’s first Afternoon Tea Thai Experience. Set against Steveston’s scenic waterfront backdrop, guests savour a selection of unforgettable and unique small dishes alongside a world-class tea offering.
Baan Lao is renowned for delivering the pinnacle of Royal Thai cuisine, where exceptional quality and culinary excellence are at the heart of every dish.
Chef Nutcha Phanthoupheng is a former registered nurse and cancer researcher who respects the impact food and food sources can have on health and wellness; therefore, every dish Baan Lao prepares is made with careful attention, using pure and whole foods.
She is dedicated to not only supporting farm-to-table, but also garden-to-table.
Chef Nutcha grows edible violas, mints, nasturtium and cilantro in her garden, which she picks every morning to beautifully garnish Baan Lao’s dishes.
Ingredients are sourced locally and sustainably. The restaurant receives the finest meats from Sumas Mountain Farm in Abbotsford, such as organic duck, beef, chicken, and pork. Their sashimi-grade tuna and salmon come from local fisherman Darryl Falk and Organic Ocean. They also use organic sticky rice from their farm in Thailand, which is prized for its quality and has been in her family for over 80 years.
Since opening its doors in 2021, Baan Lao’s guests have been whisked away on exquisite culinary journeys where they experience intricately prepared fresh and organic meals, beautifully layered flavours, white-glove service, dramatic presentations, and lovely surprises.
And the surprises keep coming. Baan Lao is a place where culinary and beverage delights are continually evolving.
After six months of research and development, Chef Nutcha perfected an innovative Thai-inspired afternoon tea.
She explains, “We wanted to create something truly unique and unprecedented. While there are many fusion concepts, we noticed a lack of purely Thai afternoon teas led by a tea sommelier. Since it's an afternoon tea, we aimed to highlight and celebrate this element to its fullest potential. Guests can expect a truly one-of-a-kind dining experience.”
“We concluded that traditional offerings like Chinese dim sum and English high tea did not fully capture the five taste qualities: umami, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.”
Five exceptional tea pairings are matched with twelve meticulously hand-crafted Thai dishes to share.
Chef Nutcha has created canapés that incorporate these tastes with a hint of Thai spice.
A certified TAC Tea Sommelier selects guests’ teas to ensure a perfect pairing. The sommelier sources and selects unique teas from private estates worldwide, presents their profiles and characteristics, and brews them with precise knowledge of time and temperature.
Caffeinated Gong Fu Cha, caffeine-free teas, and rare teas from Laos and Bhutan are offered.
A sampling of the menu includes Thai crispy wild sockeye salmon salad in crispy golden pastry, homemade brioche and grilled golden curry organic chicken, deep-fried organic soft tofu with wild seafood caviar, sticky mangrove prawn cake and sweet mango with coconut milk sticky rice.
Since the afternoon tea service commenced on May 3, 2024, Baan Lao has received overwhelmingly positive feedback. The work, research, and development that Chef Nutcha and her team put into this concept has genuinely paid off; some guests have already returned to repeat this memorable meal.
The most rewarding aspect is seeing the joy and delight on people’s faces as they experience something unique.
“Our team has worked tirelessly to deliver a world’s first here in Steveston, and it’s wonderful to see that hard work pay off. We certainly hope to attract both locals and summer visitors. Sharing our community is something we are very proud of.”
The Afternoon Tea Thai Experience takes place until the end of September on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with seatings at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m.
The restaurant is fully booked two weeks in advance for the afternoon tea. Bookings are structured throughout the summer to ensure plenty of availability for guests.
“We are delighted to have recently won several local awards. We received Best Restaurant, Best Chef, Best Fine Dining, and Best Thai Restaurant from Richmond News. Vancouver Magazine also awarded us in the Best Restaurant in Richmond category. These community awards inspire us to deliver our best. We are hugely grateful for this recognition and thank everyone who voted,” says Chef Nutcha.
“We have some exciting projects coming up, from new menus to collaborations and events. We hope these additions will further enrich the thriving food scene here in Richmond.”
In addition to the Thai-inspired afternoon tea, Baan Lao’s Our Signature Dinner Experience is available on select dates only. Their Taste of Baan Lao menu is available Wednesday through Sunday. Please visit the website for more information.
Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine
4100 Bayview Street Richmond, BC V7E 6S8
Phone 778-839-5711
Story by Sarah Gordon (May 2024). PALLA MEDIA
