we were a party of three with reservations at sainam, an isaan style restaurant on davie street at 6:15 pm on a friday. the same owner behind the well known spots maenam and fat mao. the restaurant focuses on the bold, punchy cooking of thailand's north eastern isaan region, which borders laos and shares many culinary traditions with it. compared with the thai dishes that are more widely known internationally, isaan cuisine tends to lean into sharper, more direct flavours. dishes often balance sour lime, salty fish sauce, fresh chilies, and aromatic herbs such as mint and basil. fermented ingredients and toasted rice powder are also common, adding deeper savoury notes and texture. grilled meats, herb forward salads, and papaya salad variations are central to the cuisine, and meals are typically served family style. the dining room at sainam is relatively small, with around forty seats, but it feels lively and welcoming rather than cramped. the interior blends natural wood, dark tile, and soft green seating, with mirrors and warm lighting helping open up the space. tropical plants and colourful artwork add personality, giving the room a relaxed, modern feel while still remaining casual and comfortable. before visiting, i wasn't very familiar with isaan cuisine, but it quickly became clear how much the style emphasizes intensity and balance at the same time. many dishes layer pungent, fresh, salty, sweet, sour, and herbal flavours together in a way that feels vibrant and rustic. the service set the tone early. our server was friendly, welcoming, and happy to make recommendations, which helped us navigate a menu that featured many regional specialties. to drink, we ordered a beer from main street brewing, chef angus an's crispy lager with a splash of black lime. it was refreshing and slightly tart, a great match for the strong flavours of the food. we also tried two non alcoholic drinks. the lychee rhubarb lemonade, combined lychee, lime juice, and rhubarb syrup with a fresh lychee garnish. it was bright and refreshing with a gentle sweetness. the mango thai and ginger mixed mango purée, lime juice, ginger beer, and cassia bark, giving it a deeper, slightly spicier flavour. one of the highlights of the meal was the som tum korat papaya salad. this korat style version came with peanuts, dried shrimp, fermented fish sauce, and pork crackling. it had everything you want from a papaya salad, crunchy, funky, salty, sour, and spicy, with the pork crackling adding extra texture. we also ordered the local mussels, served with bird's eye chili on the side, along with thai basil and lemongrass in a nahm jim seafood sauce. the flavours were bright and aromatic, though the broth itself was quite salty. in hindsight, it likely would have been better balanced eaten with rice. the crispy wings with sweet fish sauce were simple but very satisfying, crispy on the outside, sticky with sauce, and finished with herbs that helped keep them from feeling too heavy. another standout was the nam tok pork neck. the grilled pork neck was well seasoned and very flavourful, tossed with toasted rice powder, fresh herbs, and a spicy lime dressing. it had great texture and a smoky richness that paired nicely with the sharp acidity of the dressing. we also tried the pad thai with chicken, which we tend to order at almost every thai restaurant as a point of comparison. the classic stir fried noodle dish came with tamarind sauce (not ketchup) egg, tofu, peanuts, chives, and bean sprouts. compared to the more regional dishes, it was the most familiar item on the table, it was sweet, but well balanced and satisfying. overall, the meal felt like a great introduction to this style of thai cooking. the food leaned into bold, rustic flavours, and many of the dishes worked best when shared around the table. paired with friendly service and a warm, lively dining room, sainam delivered a memorable and flavourful dining experience. read more

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A group of us were on the waitlist for Tom Sushi, but the wait was 90 minutes, and a couple of us were hungry, so we decided to stop here for a drink and quick bite. Being familiar with Maenam, Sen and Fat Mao, I had a certain level of expectation for Sainam. It was early on Friday evening (around 6pm) and it wasn't busy. I didn't make much of a note of the decor - a nice enough space, but not memorable by any means. What I tried: - Lychee Rhubarb Lemonade: Good. It was refreshing. - Som Tom Sua: Not good. It lacked flavour. I wouldn't order it again. - Laab Fried Rice: Good. Good flavour and wok hei. Quite expensive for the portion size though. Service was adequate. Friendly and attentive enough, but nothing remarkable. I recognize that we didn't sample a lot, but what I did have was mixed. I would consider coming back to give it another chance. read more

Sainam - Som Tum Sua - Thai Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We found parking on the street but there is an underground parking garage right between Sainam and the Independent grocery store. We had reservations. The décor is very nice. Service was okay. I prefer another Thai restaurant that we tried last month. We wanted to have mussels, but they were not available. We had pork crackling to start and ordered pad thai with chicken, grilled pork neck and a bowl for jasmine rice for our dinner. The pad thai was very good. The grilled pork neck was average. I was very surprised that the rice came hot in a small plastic bag. Not sure how healthy that would be. We also ordered a couple of glasses of wine. The wine prices are exorbitant. $15.00 for a glass that did not appear to even have 6 oz. of wine in it. It is unlikely that we would return. There are better Thai restaurants in town. read more

We came for dinner on a Friday and there weren't many people as it was still early in the night. The som tam was really well balanced. Had a seafoody flavour to it that I liked. The portions as pretty big as well and not too spicy. The beef carpaccio has a very powerful kick to it. The meat was a bit chewy but that was fine. I liked the balance of the mint and the onions. It gave it a freshness. The cabbage is necessary in this dish and so is the cucumber. The Tom yum gong is where it went downhill. It was way too salty and I know it's meant to be had with rice but it was still too salty. I wished it was more sour. There was a lot of mushroom in this dish along with chicken. The Thai tea was pretty good. Had the chatrumae flavour to it. Not too sweet. The service was good not overly attentive. Everything came out really fast. Overall not bad but I wouldn't purposely come here just for the Thai food. read more

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A really good Thai restaurant on Davie Street. We came for lunch as we haven't been downtown for awhile and wanted to try this place. The service was great as they were friendly, welcoming and provided good recommendations. We ordered the their pad thai special, Laab fried rice, and their beef quartet. Our favorite was the lamb fried rice as it was so fluffy and flavorful. I joked with my wife that it was like eating a cloud as it was that fluffy. The beef quartet was also very tender, even the tripe was soft. Usually tripe is a little chewy but the ones here wasn't, which was good. Their pad thai special was salted egg with oyster mushrooms. It was a little too salty for us as we don't usually put too much salt when we cook. We know, it's a salted egg dish so it would be a little salty. For others, it may be just the right amount. read more

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Really really excited to try Sainam, as I'm a big fan of Maenam, and was not disappointed! The restaurant itself is beautiful, with cooler retro theming. The service was very friendly and our waitress answered all of our questions and gave suggestions. The food was delicious, fairly portioned and with a wide variety of options. A standout was the pork belly! I'd love to return and try more. read more

Sainam - Thai Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A good Thai restaurant serving north style added to the Davie Street food scene. The space is clean and cozy with minimal decor. The bar is upon entry frames the restaurant nicely. We sat at the back and close to the open kitchen to check out the dishes coming out. However, the front with the tall glass window frames the street scene and offer so much light. Service was excellent and they really help to answer your questions. I can handle some heat but even their lowest is still spicey for me so make sure you speak with your server to adjust the spice level. I didn't want any alcohol that evening so selected the ginger beer which helped with the spice level. My friend and I enjoyed all our dishes but found the noodle dish to salty: fresh chili jiao (pork crackling), classic papaya salad, fried chicken wings, pad mee korat. The portion size can be smaller for certain plates (eg the noodles) but compensated by added another dish. Would visit again. read more

Sainam - Thai Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Havent had Thai food for a while so we decided to try this relatively new thai restauant Decor was amazing and service was great. All of our servers were very friendly We tried the pork jowl rice noodles, fried chicken wings and a grilled corn salad the fried chicken wings were very good. came with a side of sweet chili sauce. Really enjoyed the refreshing corn salad on a hot day. the peanuts in the corn salad gave it a nice texture difference. However the sauce on the rice noodles was too sweet and thick. this made the rice noodles to stick together and heavy. read more

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As somebody who frequents Thai restaurants multiple times a month, I had really high expectations for Sainam. I'm also a fan of their sister restaurants, Maenam and Fat Mao. Unfortunately, our group found their food far too salty. Even after adding their signature sticky rice, the food was so salty that we couldn't taste much. The rice itself was good though. The ingredients used for their Pad Mee Korat (pad Thai) were of very high quality, the pork was delicious and tender, but the salty sauce completely overwhelmed the dish. Thankfully, their curry dishes seem to be more on the tangy side and a bit more palatable. read more

Sainam - Thai Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A wonderful new addition to the Davie Street food scene from Maenam's founder, Angus An. Sainam specializes in Isaan style Thai cuisine from the Northeastern region of Thailand, with an emphasis on spicy flavors, the use of herbs and sticky rice or papaya salad. I did walk in at 5pm and the establishment filled up quite fast by the time we finished our meal. The servers were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. My friend and I also appreciated the thoughtful use of space, which created a cozy and inviting atmosphere. My friend and I got two share plates (the Laab Chicken and the Pad Mee Korat, featuring crispy pork jowl with rice noodles done in a pad thai korat style) and 2 bowls of jasmine rice to share, and we left very full. The Laab Chicken is spicy but the mint and the veggies provided on the side really help compliment this dish and provide that freshness to break up the heat. As it was my first time trying a minced meat salad like this, it's a really interactive dish and pairs well with the rice ordered separately. The sauce the rice noodles were cooked in could come off a little salty to some folks, but it had all the flavor I'd want without being oily like Chinese flat rice noodles that I'm used to. It had more of a syrupy, sticky consistency that helped the noodles stay the same texture. The pork jowl was very well done with excellent bite and taste, but I didn't know the menu said "crispy", since it was just normal to me. Can't wait to be back to try all the other offerings on the menu! read more

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We have been there twice since the last review and both times we found both the food and the service to be five star. That level of consistency is hard to achieve. On our last visit we took a visitor from Toronto as there are no restaurants there dedicated to Isaan food. She loves Thai food. She was very impressed. The ambiance is wonderful. read more

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Best Thai spot in Vancouver, hands down! All of the classic traditional dishes but elevated. We loved the grilled chicken, the beef tartare, the papaya salad, the Laab****** and the gai lab. Service and ambience were 5 stars. We will be back ! read more

Bravo! First time at this restaurant. Enjoyable evening from start to finish. We asked our server to pick everything except our drinks. We were all impressed with all the food choice and flavour. Our server added to our 5 star review. Worth a try. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as we did. read more