After nearly four decades of serving up authentic Thai cuisine, Sala Thai, a beloved family-run downtown Vancouver restaurant, is closing its doors for good.
Located at 888 Burrard St., this culinary cornerstone has been a vibrant part of Vancouverโs dining scene since it opened in 1986.
Sala Thai wasnโt just a restaurant; it was a trailblazer.
Owned and operated by Joy and Sam Kongsilp alongside their family, it proudly held the title of Vancouverโs first Thai-owned and operated restaurant.
The restaurant was known for its intricate interior which transported you to Thailand to the servers in traditional Thai costumes and the special focus on central Thailandโs cuisine.
On April 3rd, Salathai posted the news on their official Instagram.
For our family, Sala Thai has been more than just a restaurant โ itโs been a labour of love, a dream realized, and a cherished part of our familyโs journey.
Sala Thai
While the physical doors may be closing, hints at future endeavors were mentioned.
Although no specific reason was mentioned for the closure, speculation from the comments around the internet points to the owners wanting to retire or due to the lease being up.
Back in March, we noticed Sala Thai’s unit was up for sale.
Although they did not respond to our inquiry about it, the lease on the listing was set for $60,000 per month – a price that seems outrageous for any food establishment to operate with.
In their goodbye post, fans and those from the food industry poured in, thanking the team at Sala Thai for their contributions and memories.
Sala Thai will be ceasing operations on April 28th. So make your bookings now before it is too late.
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Address: 102 – 888 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC