{"id":1624300,"date":"2026-10-30T18:48:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T22:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/?p=1624300"},"modified":"2026-10-30T18:48:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T22:48:26","slug":"why-calamari-deserves-more-than-the-appetizer-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/why-calamari-deserves-more-than-the-appetizer-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Calamari Deserves More Than the Appetizer Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Calamari has long been a tried and true appetizer favourite. Often the first plate emptied and the dish everyone wishes there was more of, so it&#8217;s no wonder <a href=\"https:\/\/thaiexpress.ca\/?https%3A%2F%2Fthaiexpress_ca%2F%3Futm_source=search&amp;utm_medium=Paid&amp;utm_campaign=Local-Visits&amp;utm_content=generic_pmax_search_opta&amp;utm_term=PMAX&amp;utm_source=Search_EQ&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23751962348&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAqn2RDmmyYndJbN5U08b1tE8uxhoD&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwgJHXBhBGEiwAHohJq5vQL3WXwoy_2dHBuqvfiWRgT6W-EDp0oFzqNpCXvYoDp_wP1vSZoRoCunIQAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thai Express<\/a> is making a case for giving this seafood staple a bigger role on the menu.<\/p>\n<p>Because really, why should something this good be limited to an appetizer?<\/p>\n<p>With the launch of its first-ever Crunchy Calamari, the Montreal-founded restaurant chain is taking this seafood favourite beyond the starter menu and giving Canadians three delicious ways to enjoy it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1624303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1624303\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1624303\" src=\"https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-Express-22-06-202633482.jpg\" alt=\"Calamari: Fried calamari rice bowl in a Thai Express Bowl\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-Express-22-06-202633482.jpg 600w, https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-Express-22-06-202633482-320x256.jpg 320w, https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-Express-22-06-202633482-560x448.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1624303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Courtesy of Thai Express<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Served alongside savoury fried rice for a satisfying main, enjoyed on its own with a sweet chili dipping sauce, or added as the protein to your favorite Thai Express dish, calamari is proving there&#8217;s more than one way to enjoy this restaurant staple.<\/p>\n<p>And when you think about it, the move makes perfect sense. With its delicate flavour and versatility, calamari pairs naturally with everything from bold sauces to savoury rice and Thai-inspired favourites. Why limit something this good to a shared plate before dinner?<\/p>\n<p>Following the success of its limited-time lobster launch last year, Thai Express is continuing to bring premium seafood options to the quick-service menu, making it easier for Canadians to enjoy restaurant-inspired flavours without saving them for a special occasion.<\/p>\n<p>But calamari isn&#8217;t the only favourite getting a fresh spin.<\/p>\n<p>Crunchy Calamari headlines Thai Express&#8217; new Meet the Crunchies lineup, which also introduces Spiced PopBok, crispy, bite-sized chicken with a spicy kick, alongside returning favourites Imperial Rolls and General Thai Beef.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1624305\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1624305\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1624305\" src=\"https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-express-18-juin-2615572.jpg\" alt=\"Calamari: spiced PopBok bites in a paper bag\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-express-18-juin-2615572.jpg 600w, https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-express-18-juin-2615572-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-express-18-juin-2615572-320x320.jpg 320w, https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-express-18-juin-2615572-560x560.jpg 560w, https:\/\/divine.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Thai-express-18-juin-2615572-90x90.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1624305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Courtesy of Thai Express<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Together, the four dishes bring bold flavours, satisfying textures and new ways to enjoy familiar favourites.<\/p>\n<p>So, the next time you&#8217;re craving calamari, there&#8217;s no need to wait for dinner out or settle for a few bites from a shared plate.<\/p>\n<p>Thai Express&#8217; Meet the Crunchies lineup is available now at participating locations across Canada, with Crunchy Calamari and Spiced PopBok available for a limited time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-excerpt\">Calamari has long been a tried and true appetizer favourite. Often the first plate emptied and the dish everyone wishes there was more of, so it&#8217;s no wonder Thai Express&hellip;<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/why-calamari-deserves-more-than-the-appetizer-menu\/\" class=\"button button-primary button-effect\"><span>View Post<\/span><span><i class=\"cs-icon cs-icon-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":153,"featured_media":1624301,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[17434,17437,17441,17436,17438,17435,17440,17439],"powerkit_post_featured":[3,10392],"class_list":["post-1624300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-food","tag-calamari","tag-crunchy-calamari","tag-fried-rice","tag-meet-the-crunchies","tag-spiced-popbok","tag-thai-express","tag-thai-express-limited-time-menu-items","tag-thai-express-menu-items"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1624300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/153"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1624300"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1624300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1624307,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1624300\/revisions\/1624307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1624301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1624300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1624300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1624300"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=1624300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}