"Handmade with love": A family-run restaurant in Port Coquitlam is making the most delicious Thai food

If you’re driving around Port Coquitlam and notice a cheery, island-blue storefront with a sign that says “Good Mood Thai Food”, consider it a sign from the universe to slow down and come to a complete stop.

Enter, and find yourself inside Thai Coco—one of the city’s newest Thai restaurants, which opened its doors last summer—perhaps one of the best places to get a true taste of Thai food without having to get on a plane.

Items on their menu include familiar classics like tom kha soup, drunken noodles and pad thai, though you’ll immediate notice something unique about the categories. Instead of having a standard “appetizer, lunch, dinner” format, you’ll spot shout outs to different family members—Cousin Jesse’s Cold Bowls, Grandpa’s Noodle Bowls, Mom’s Delicious Curries—all of whom have contributed to owner and chef Jenny Lertvisudth’s love of Thai food.

Inspired by her family’s love of cooking, Chef Jenny Lertvisudth discovered an interesting opportunity once she moved to Canada from Bangkok, Thailand to pursue a Business degree. Wanting to share her passion for food, Lertvisudth and her sister decided to open a restaurant in Pitt Meadows, B.C. seeing the opportunity to permanently immigrate and follow that passion.

Since its debut in 1999, Pad Thai Restaurant has established a loyal following in the area and has won several awards including the Pitt Meadows People’s Choice Award in 2000, the Business Excellence Award in 2002, and the Time’s Readers Choice Awards for Best Thai Restaurant in Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

It’s no wonder then that we’re so excited to have Thai Coco in the neighbourhood, giving us a taste of authentic Thai recipes that have been passed down for generations in Lertvisudth’s family. Sometimes the best food experiences come from eating at someone’s home—at Lertvisudth’s restaurant, you can do exactly that.

Address: 3242 Westwood St #103, Port Coquitlam

Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.