Went in there excited to try this place as Thai is one of my personal favorites.

The first lady asked us where we'd like to sit. There was only one other couple in the entire restaurant at around 6:30. They had the cushion seating, which we said, sure that looks neat.

We wait a while and then a man wearing casual street clothes approaches us -- not sure if he is the waiter -- but I guess so, he asks us what we want. I started out picking the curry prawns which were $13.99 and added a rice to that $1.50. My friend ordered something similar. He then tells us we need to add more -- pointing out on the menu there is a $15 per person charge -- which I only noticed on the menu after. I was literally 50 cents short! There was never mention of this before the hostess invited us to sit there.

He claims this is never a problem as most people order more than $15 each. I said we weren't that hungry and that would probably be too much food. The tone of his voice made us feel like second class citizens. I REPEAT NEVER, HAVE FELT THIS WAY FROM GOING TO A RESTAURANT.

He never even ask us if we wanted a drink -- which would have put us over his $15/per person minimum. By this point I felt really insulted and said 'you know what, that's fine we will eat elsewhere'.

He continued to jab at us as we made our way out of the restaurant. Saying don't come here if you don't have money to spend. I eat at restaurants usually 4-5 per week -- never encountered something like this.

This was a Monday night with as I mentioned -- 2 people in the entire restaurant space. I departed by saying fine, we will go up the street to 'Sala Thai' -- we have always been treated great there, welcomed with big smiles and their food is terrific. Not surprising the least the restaurant was 99% empty -- with this sort of attitude, I wouldn't give this place very much longer.

I understand the economy right now sucks. But It was almost like he was releasing his frustration on us -- telling us to spend more money. LOOK, you do it right -- treat people like people and things will work out. Hence Sala Thai which had over 20 people eating in it.

Unfortunately this review will only go to further the damage. I really hate to write things like this -- but I feel I'm 100% validated.

We went on a weekday evening around 6:30 pm. There was no problem in parking as we found plenty of free street parking right outside.

Comment on Ambiance:
A fairly large restaurant with a traditional Thai style. Seating was not comfortable due to lack of warmth in the building. The server had to use short portable electric heaters with bright light at eye-level to give direct heat at the table. This cause irritation to our eyes and feels like eating at a cheap restaurant. The dishes were nice but some were chipped.

Comment on Service:
It's terrible. We were the only group eating there that night. Our server was a male wearing his casual outdoor jacket and street clothes. He was the only person serving the floor. We ordered an appetizer, entree and dessert. The server did not refill our water glasses when we needed it for our curry dishes. He seemed to be in a hurry to close up and made us feel like we cannot leave in a calm manner. The restaurant felt very empty and very cold.

Comment on Food:
The food was decent. The appetizers were somewhat oily and the portion of sauce to go with it were very little (miniture size). The entree was very spicy hot, even though we specifically ask for it to be mild. The rice was fine. The dessert was very sweet and in minature size.

Comment on Value:
The portions were tiny for the price we had to pay. There are plenty of decent Thai places in Vancouver that would give better value for your money.

Overall would not recommend to others unless you want below average experience.

One thing that stood out was the ample use of fresh herbs and spices in their dishes. Food was extremely tasty, unlike other thai restaurants where the sauces tasted pre-made and bland.
I agree with other reviewers that the portions are on the small side. The prices of the appetizers and soup were also ridiculously expensive; a small cup of soup costs around 7 dollars. But if you stick to the main dishes like the deep-fried ling cod which was 12 dollars, I think the prices are very reasonable.
Overall I think this is a decent place for Thai food.

The search is over. This place is the real deal.
The food will transport you to Thailand, redolent with the herbs and spices that other non-authentic restaurants lack. Kaffir lime, mint, Thai basil, excellent fish sauce and quality produce and meat shine at this lovely family run restaurant. The pud krapow and the larp are exceptional. The penang curries are wonderful.
The service is sweet and kind. How many other places will the meal end with a lemongrass hot towel?
Wait until you see the gorgeous decor, complete with gold and green triangle pillows.
Seriously, you need to eat here.

In response to the previous reviewer, I must say I have to disagree with their opinion.

I've been to this restaurant several times (usually not my pick). The food is only okay. I find the curries waaaay too watery in consistency. Your rice becomes a soup because the rice can't probably absorb the liquid curry. The size of the appies are somewhat small. Even though the outside is nicely fried, the skin of the spring rolls is a little too thick, resulting in a spring roll that's all skin and minimal filling. A couple of the stir-fries we had were good. If you want really authentic Thai food, one of my faves is Sawasdee--much better choice, in terms of taste and value.

Although the staff are usually pleasant, they occasionally rush you. But polite nonetheless.

I hadn't noticed during any of my previous visits, but on my last visit (in Oct '07), I saw in their menu that they have a minimum charge per person if you want to sit in their "nice" cushioned area. I find that quite offensive because to me, that is saying that if I don't order a big/full meal which equates to more than $15 per person in my group, then I am not worthy of sitting in their "nice" seats. So I guess that means that some patrons are more important than others....interesting. Hence the ambience gets a rating of 2, even though the place is "nice" looking.

Worth a visit, but if you're a huge fan of Thai curry, then go somewhere else.

I spent 10 years in Thailand and have to say after years of searching for great Thai food I have found it. Pad thai is the hardest dish for restraunts to get right and these guys do it perfectly. I would like to re paint the outside, because it is a little to purple for me. The inside is done really nice. The service is good and when we order for take out it is very fst.

After reading good reviews about Arroy-d Thai and I decided to try the restaurant. When you first walk in you are greeted by a lovely garden feature. I was pleasantly surprised by the decor; it's by far the nicest I've seen of any Thai restaurant. The restaurant is large and has two sections: one with regular tables and a centre section where you take your shoes off and sit on cushions.

The appetizer selection is limited and we had the deep fried tofu. The tofu was good. It was very crispy on the outside with lots of tofu goodness on the inside. We had Pad Thai, yellow curry with prawns, and chicken marinated in Thai spices wrapped in banana leaves.

The Pad Thai was pretty good; nice flavour with good size prawns instead of the small shrimp you usually get with Pad Thai. I loved the yellow curry. It was very flavourful and had a nice spice to it. I love how curried potatoes taste and at some places it seems like they just added the potato, but here you could tell the potato simmered in the curry for awhile and soaked up the flavour. Unlike other places, the curry wasn't full on onions as a filler. The only negative thing I have to say about the curry is that it was too thick. I thought the chicken was just okay, but my boyfriend really liked it as he likes the sauce you usually get with this dish. The chicken had an overpowering lemongrass flavour and it kind of bothered me. Overall, the food felt very authentic.
The service was really good. The waiter was really attentive and very polite. All the plates and serving dishes matched, which I really liked. They were a jade colour and some pieces had ornate images molded in. The curry and rice were served in bowls with lids with a slot for the spoon and everything was placed on a pedestal-like plate. The deep friend tofu came on a pedestal with a small flower-shaped bowl in the centre with the dipping sauce. I thought the matching plates and serving dishes were a really nice touch.

this meal was good enough to warrant my first post on this site.

like others have noted, the purple exterior of the building hides a very serene and spacious interior, with plenty of natural light. we were the only people in the restaurant, a bit strange on a sunday night.
the meal was worth it solely for the thom yam (sp?) soup - the thickest, spiciest, most flavourful version of it i've had so far.

the other dishes were all solid, the service was very friendly and professional, and there's not much more to say!
if you're looking for a good thai meal, brave the cambie construction and head here.

The atmospheres is pretty nice, they have an area where you can sit down on the floor on pillows, and the normal chair and table area with present music plays in the back ground.

The portions are smaller the some of the other places I have been too but it always fills me up, the good is very good and there lunch specials are great
Less then $6 for most lunch items and 12-15 for the dinner.

Service is fast and the waiters are approachable and attentive.

I would suggest this place to anyone in the area and I might even be convinced to travel some distance to eat here.

Worth a visit

We were walking down Cambie and were quite hungry. We noticed this ugly purple building that seemed to be a Thai restaurant. We entered with a very reserved "Lets give this a chance". The moment we entered we were taken aback by the lovely interior. I myself was immediately taken up by the ability to sit on the floor on pillows. Yes, what can I say I am a sucker for things like that. We ordered and the service was quick and very helpful. The portions were a little small but ended up being perfect for 2 people, I recommend if your group is larger then 2 to order 1 or 2 extra dishes. The flavor was wonderful, the ambiance was fun and cheerful clearly a surprise based on the outside appearance. Lastly, the price was amazing, for 2, with beer or wine it cost 35.00 with 2 dishes.

My girlfriend and I have been back several times already and will continue to go back. It is definitely worth a visit.