One of Vancouver's most celebrated chefs will soon welcome diners to his new West End restaurant showcasing the flavours of northeastern Thailand.
Chef and restaurateur Angus An (Maenam, Fat Mao, and Longtail Kitchen), is behind Sainam. Just last month, An was named "Chef of the Year" in the 2025 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.
Sainam is located at 1235 Davie St, in the space previously occupied by Davie Dosa Company, which shut down last fall. Opening day is now set for Friday, June 13 (with a few soft open days beforehand).
At Sainam, An is showcasing the bold, bright dishes of Thailand's Issan region, with signature menu items like Pad Mee Kora (a stir-fried rice dish with pork jowl) and Wichian Buri Grilled Chicken, along with a Som Tum "bar" with with seven different green papaya salad flavours. Som Tum dishes will include the classic Som Tum Thai with peanuts and dried shrimp; Som Tum Lao, a Laotian-style salad with salt cured blue crabs and fermented fish sauce; and Fried Papaya Salad with papaya fritters.
There will also be casual bar snacks, like marinated and fried chicken wings or Isaan sausage, and a full bar program to come. To start, as Sainam awaits its liquor licence, they'll have spirit-free cocktails by Tony Limchai, Maenam's award-winning bartender.
“Dishes from Isaan have very specific flavour profiles – it’s humble, rustic, and honest,” said An in a media release announcing Sainam's opening. “It’s food that’s meant to be shared. When guests walk through our doors, I want them to feel transported to Thailand.”
Leading the kitchen is current Maenam sous chef Poom Sikarin Sirisupanon. The Isaan region native, hailing from Khon Kaen, will be in the role of Head Chef for Sainam.
An is a big fan of Isaan fare; his home in Thailand is only about one-and-a-half hours from the region. He calls Sainam his "love letter" to Isaan.
The new restaurant is 1,200 square feet with room for 40 seats and An did a lot of the millwork himself. The design is meant to "reflect the energy of Isaan" by way of pops of colour, the use of natural textures, and special decor elements.
An has a bit of a "full circle" tie to the Sainam address; before 1235 Davie St was home to the Davie Dosa Company (which opened in 2017), is was the longtime home of Café Luxy, a beloved West End Italian restaurant since the 1990s.
Café Luxy's interiors were the work of local architect Scott Cohen, with whom An worked on the designs of his restaurant Gastropod, which gave way to Maenam in the same West 4th Avenue spot.
When Sainam launches on June 13, the new restaurant will offer dinner service Tuesday to Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday to Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. for walk-in guests only. Lunch service will be added in the near future.
Follow Sainam on Instagram @sainamrestaurant.
This article was originally published Jan. 21, 2025 and has been updated.
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