Matahari - sadly closed

This evening I had a craving for Asian or Vietnamese dining - After taking a look at a couple gluten free reviews on-line - I decided we were going to try out Matahari restaurant on 124th street.  When we walked in I immediately loved the ambiance - the cement fish pond with the koi fish added something unique - the seats that were set in a wooden boat - cool - and the fact that you could reserve a private room and area was a nice add as well.

I do get my first "food" impression when I look at the menu ~ and as a celiac I look for how they have accommodated allergies or sensitivities on the menu.  I was pleased to see that the menu included (did not need a separate menu) celiac safe choices, and the fact that they used the word celiac instead of just gluten free was great also.  I was excited to see that in each category from appetizers, soups to entrees they had choices under each heading that were celiac "friendly" - I was excited to order and dig in.

Though my son does not eat gluten free he joined us (my partner and I) in having a couple appetizers - I chose the Pork Satay and the Shrimp Rice Wraps - both came with sauces on the side.  The Pork Satay was cooked just right, and the seasoning on it was very tasty, I would like to try the other choices in the future - the beef and chicken.  :)  The Shrimp Rice Wraps - was like a little shrimp salad wrapped in a bundle, it came with a slightly sweet sauce for dipping that was a very nice light add.

My man decided to have the Vietnamese Vermicelli - 
(lemongrass grilled pork and beef, Vietnamese spring roll, rice vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, julienne carrots and lettuce, crushed peanuts, and green onion oil)
- The vermicelli noodles were very nicely cooked - and the pork and beef were nicely spiced - green onion oil was a nice light flavorful touch on the dish.  He gave it a thumbs up.

My son had the Cashew Nut Chicken - and though it was not marked on the menu as celiac friendly ~ and he didn't order it so, she did ask him if he wanted it that way ~ this made me realize that they were very accommodating to whatever you wanted to order off the menu - that most dishes could have substitutes added or things removed to make it safe to eat.  Nevertheless - I didn't try anything off his dish as it was not a celiac friendly dish - but he really enjoyed it and said it was another thumbs up.

I decided to try the Sambal Prawn dish -
(shrimps in an exotic Malaysian style shrimp paste blend sauteed with onions and shallots – served with coconut rice, tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber)
- Very tasty - the waitress asked both my son and I how much spice we wanted, he said mild for himself and I said not spicy please.  The dish still had a touch of a bite to it, obviously the Malaysian flavor requires a bit - but it was delicious.  I loved the add of the tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber that touch of salad really helped offset the richness of the sauce on the shrimp - the onions and shallots were sweet, the shrimp cooked just right.  I really was impressed with the amount of the good sized shrimp in the dish, the servings were filling and delicious and we left satisfied and full.

I look forward to our next visit and trying a few more things off of the varied menu.  The bill for the three of us (we had ice tea and sodas for drinks) came to just over $60 - which I found more than reasonable.

Good food, great service and awesome people to be sharing it with.  Matahari is a thumbs up.  :)  

Matahari - South East Asian Restaurant
10108B - 124 Street
Edmonton, AB
Ph: (780) 452-8262

Ample parking at the rear of the building.  :)  With an entrance to the restaurant in the back and the front.