Best of Toronto
The Best Thai Restaurants in Toronto
The Best Thai restaurants in Toronto all conjure memories of backpacks and reclining Buddhas, beaches and the banana pancake trail. Some pull of the trick with ambience. Cribbed signifiers are borrowed from the wats and night markets that litter the land of smiles from Koh Lanta to Chiang Mai, elephants and old gods hanging from exposed brick walls suffuse rooms with shorthand orientalism or opium den shadows evoking a more sultry landscape than our own.
More importantly, all of the best Thai restaurants pull off a much more immediate bit of alchemy transporting patrons through the food they serve. Combining spices, rice sticks, curries and chilli heat, the best Thai restaurants in Toronto thaw local taste buds with authentic flavour and, keeping the ketchup to a minimum, pull off some everyday magic on their menus.
Here are the best Thai restaurants in Toronto.
Note: This list was previously published on May 15th, 2008. Comments below made up until February 9th, 2011 are in reference to the old list. We've purposely kept the archived comments here because we believe they (mostly) add value to this topic. If you don't want to have to wade through all of them, simply hit the "sort by newest first" link at the top of the thread.
Top photos by Jim 2, foodpr0n and mila0506 on Flickr.
Khao San Road
A “Regular” contributor to Best Thai lists, Jeff & Nuit’s Khao San Road eschews tourist kitsch for authentic flavour. The food is definitely worth the sometimes excruciating wait. Classic Khao Soi with chicken, complex and deeply flavourful curries, 2 versions of text book pad thai, insanely great squash fritters and now Singha too! I’d say get there early to avoid the line but 9 am is a little early for Thai (though rumour has it they’re launching a brunch menu soon). More »
Sukhothai
Dean Moriarty to Khao San Road’s Sal Paradise, Sukhothai is a little less polished than its Club District companion, and located in a little more rough-and-tumble `hood, but this place is definitely no sidekick. Nuit Regular’s recipes now dished out by Jeff’s family, this place still delivers the goods - to your front door even, provided you don`t mind the occasionally long wait. More »
Mengrai Thai
Mengrai Thai is a cooking school, a catering outfit and an excellent restaurant, tucked away at Richmond & Ontario streets. The modern brick room offers Chef Sasi’s take on “haute Thai cuisine” which combines Thai flavours and western techniques. Beef tenderloin with pomegranate tamarind infusion? Red curry with lychee? Braised lamb with peach? Don’t call it fusion, just call it delicious. More »
Salad King
The dog days are over for this downtown stalwart forced relocated after a fire destroyed their original digs. Their much delayed relaunch had Ryerson students smilin’ like buddhas at the chance to once again gorge on favourites like golden curry and the house pad thai at OSAP-friendly prices. More »
Golden Thai
Golden Thai has been dishing out a solid selection of curries and stir-frying noodles longer than most other Thai restaurants in the city. In-laws coming from outta town will be impressed by the ambiance of this well-lit elegantly appointed space, as you regale them with travel stories from your month in Koh Samui. Better leave the full moon party pictures til dessert. More »
Thai To Go
Not exactly far east, this Cabbagetown outpost offer solid takes on snacks from the smiling kingdom. Thai To Go gives a 10% discount on pick up orders and ups it 3% if you bring your own containers. Don't expect to eat in though. The Thai here is strictly a take-out affair. More »
Thai Chef
Roncesvalles represents with Thai Chef. Large portions of Thai standards with fresh, bright flavours abound on the extensive menu and they even do 'cue too! I'd definitely cross town for a roasted duck curry or some spicy asparagus with shrimp if I didn`t have to pass both 1 and 2 on this best-of list to get here. More »
Baan Thai
No PC sauce, the memories of Thailand nonetheless come fast and furious in the Junction at Baan Thai. The som tum, and spicy green papaya salad on offer are reportedly some of the best versions had outside of Thailand though the pad thai somewhat disappoints though for such large portions at such reasonable prices, I can`t see how your meal would have anything but a happy ending. More »
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I must say, I don't understand the appeal of Salad King -- and I'm not even that particular about authentic Thai taste or anything. Their pad thai seriously tastes like a wet dog to me.
It's funny... in Thailand, the busiest places were almost universally the best. In Toronto, it sort of feels like the opposite. For example, ever since their makeover, I've left Salad King disappointed. Yet it's packed.
Salad King holds a special place in my heart... only because of a certain dish that isn't on the menu. It's called Thai Islamic Noodles, and I'm wondering if mentioning it here is a good idea, or a bad one! I've never seen this dish in any other restaurant, and cannot figure out what makes the sauce so damn good. Thank you Linda!
Another one to mention, that isn't on this list... Lee's Thai Spring Rolls in Parkdale. Best Pad Thai in the city, in my opinion.
My favourite? It's quite a haul from downtown (but near one of my clients) - Thai Bamboo over on Steeles west has some of the best Thai food I've had anywhere. Their tofu gaeng pa is to die for.
Also, it's my understanding that tamarind in some forms has a ketchup-like taste - so you may be eating tamarind at those "red" pad thai places.
One benefit of Salad King is the chili scale. My wife can eat liquid fire, so she loves it. :)
Thai Chef Cuisine is also pretty damn tasty. I recommend their tamarind beef -- crispy, saucy, tangy.
Now to work our way through the rest...
and they are the friendliest most genuine family i've ever met
I hope their business is working well!!
link
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081018.KATES18/TPStory/?query=Mengrai
We also out that it was chosen editor's Best Thai 2008 by NOW MAGAZINE
link:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/readerspoll/2008/story.cfm?content=165687
My friend (he's a sous chef at the chic Cactus Club Cafe, BC and worked with Rob Feenie) and I agreed that Mengrai Thai is as good as the famed Vij's in Vancouver. IMO, Mengrai serves the best Pad Thai in Canada, period. We travelled all over Thailand for 3 months, it's even better than those we tried there!, including the Oriental.
The food is not just stunning with more layers of flavours and texture, the presentations were very artistic especially when we went back to Mengrai again with a group of 6 to celebrate new year's eve. We ordered the impressive 5 course specials and it was the best Thai dinner we have ever had. I'm sure Jessica Alba, Kate Moss, Bill Gates were right when they discovered this restaurant earlier. The servers were helpful and took their time to help us get around some allergies and ordered one of us a gluten free meal. Even though they were busy and always full(we're lucky to get a late 9pm table), they "keep checking discreetly" to make sure everything was okay. They have a great small wine list and recommended us a great Kiwi Pinot Noir and a dry Riesling to pair with our food. Check out their crispy morning glory and lobster tom yum soup which reflected the skills of their international renowned Thai chef Sasi who was once rated top 5 chefs in Toronto by the Le Journal de Montreal. The only thing was I didn't get a chance to meet her (the place was busy) and have a photo with her as now I'm a big fan of her cooking finesse.
By the way, I missed my old long time favourite Young Thailand but it's not comparable to Mengrai Thai.
I also went to another top 10 restaurants, Nota Bene last week, it's worth many more visits. A lot more pricier than Mengrai though.
I was a litlle skeptical when eating at a Thai food place, it's always been a hit or miss for me. But when I had the pad thai here what an experience. This place is a real authentic place to get Thai food!! A definite must :) the ppl are very nice and friendly!! their casava cake is yummy as well. I will be back
1. Service: the family that runs the resto is very genuine and friendly. Always smiling, and they treat everyone who comes in like family. it's very clear that they work hard, and put a lot of effort into the food. they are proud of it, and they definitly should be!! the food is prepped by the Thai wife who does everything from scratch. Either her father-in-law, or her husband will take the orders, and deliver. Occasionally they have a family friend who comes to help out at the counter.
2. Authentic Thai food: When i traveled in thailand, this is exactly what we were eating. The same flavors, cooked in the same way. The curries are also remarkably delicious here. The best green and masaman curry i've had in Toronto! I find though that the oil settles on the top after a while, if you get it in the take out container. It's very flavorful, and a favorite amongst my circle of friends. They also do their fried menu items very well. Extremely light, and crispy, without being oily and greasy. Their fried fish is wonderful, very tender and soft, with a crispy exterior, the green mango salad that comes with it, is very fresh ($9). The spring rolls are also excellent. They are fried to perfection, and very tightly wrapped, with a nicely seasoned filling. Again, not greasy (2/around $3). The phad-thai is different from the other phad-thai's i've had in Toronto. The noodles are flatter and wider, like a ho-fun noodle. The sauce has a smokey flavor to it. There aren't any raw bean sprouts or coriander to mix into the noodles (which i've never seen done in thailand anyways). It's not like other offerings in Toronto, but it is authentic, i think it comes does to personal taste if you prefer this style or Western version of the dish. The first time i had it, i was immediately transported back to Thailand, so i am personally fond of their noodles here. Oh, and try their chili sauce, it's not like a Sirracha chili paste, it is made from dried chilies and fried garlic in hot chili oil. It's delicious, very smokey, it's made in house i think. We eat this with everything we get from Suhko Thai.
3.Good prices: Very affordable, esp for the amount of work that goes into food prep. i don't think there is anything more than $11 here.
Limitations: They don't have any Thai drink offerings (thai iced tea, fruit shakes, etc), only canned pop, water, and coconut juice; and they serve their food on paper plates. True, the decor is simple,and the place is tiny: there are only 3 tables with a side bar area that seats 4. The resto itself is nothing special, but what the resto lacks in ambiance the food def makes up for.
If you haven't try it, i would def recommend this place for take out or delivery. sit in is fine as well, if it's a group smaller than 3. during dinner they have started a buffet style take out, so there are no long waits. Get the phad thai, and try the masaman curry for your first time, but you can't really go wrong with anything on the menu. yum!! It's a small resto, run by a very hardworking family, that produces very delicious authentic Thai food.
Thank You for being around
Time for an update?
Thai express is also really good (considering it's a take out joint).
Thai express is also really good (considering it's a take out joint).
Kristi
http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&;ESTABLISHMENT_ID=10332114
Ugh, and I just ate there last night.
No Khmer Thai?!!?!?!
Khmer Thai is better than every single suggestion yet. blogTO should be ashamed. it simply does not get better. People who've tried it never go anywhere else. they return religiously.
Salad King? Are you joking?
And what's with all the vietnamese on this list? Do we not have enough thai and vietnamese and cambodian in toronto that we cannot distinguish between them? What a farce. This list looks like someone just googled popular spots. The whole point of having critics is to separate popular from good.
I'm still wondering how khmer didn't even make it on this list. what a joke.
Khmer Thai does sound pretty interesting, and i think i will check it out one day soon. I miss authentic khmer food almost as much as genuine thai. :(
this list is def a good starting point for me though. thx
They have the best pad thai in town..Love their Mango Salad :)
That aside, I've been to Sasi's once and it was pretty good there. Vicky's Fish and Chips/Sue's Thai is also pretty good. The consistency on their golden curries can be a bit of a downer from time to time but most of the time they do get it right. I've also tried Baan Thai once.. it was pretty alright though things have changed. I used to order from the place when it was Somporn Thai Cuisine. Prices are up and order queries are different, so I spent a long time having to order over the phone.
I also love Green Mango - despite how casual-metro the place may be. I have not been disappointed by them once yet.
In the end, everyone will be shilling their first "wow" Thai experience and will usually stick to "their" restaurant. Screw loyalty, just go around and try everything. You may be in for a surprise.
That aside, I've been to Sasi's once and it was pretty good there. Vicky's Fish and Chips/Sue's Thai is also pretty good. The consistency on their golden curries can be a bit of a downer from time to time but most of the time they do get it right. I've also tried Baan Thai once.. it was pretty alright though things have changed. I used to order from the place when it was Somporn Thai Cuisine. Prices are up and order queries are different, so I spent a long time having to order over the phone.
I also love Green Mango - despite how casual-metro the place may be. I have not been disappointed by them once yet. Also been to Spring Rolls - they're pretty ok.
In the end, everyone will be shilling their first "wow" Thai experience and will usually stick to "their" restaurant. Screw loyalty, just go around and try everything. You may be in for a surprise.
Another one I recommend would be Classic Thai Cuisine at Jane and Bloor. Every noodle dishes are great (I tried them all, I'm in love with their Phad See Ew) If you love Thai curry, you get to try their flavourful curry.
Sukhothai has about ten dishes... and does them extremely well. All dishes are made by the (award winning) chef herself.
Ask for the Sukhothai Pad Thai for the first time. But really, every dish is a winner.
(http://www.sukhothaifood.com/).
There are some restaurants you can debate about
They make many excellent Thai dishes.
http://www.galangalthaifusion.ca
Salad King is awful. This is one of the places that made me think that Thai food is disgusting. It's really not- it's just the garbage Thai food that is so prevalent in TO.
http://byphotography.com/
is there any plan for you to read the article? specifically the emphasized paragraph:
"Note: This list was previously published on May 15th, 2008. Comments below made up until February 9th, 2011 are in reference to the old list. We've purposely kept the archived comments here because we believe they (mostly) add value to this topic. If you don't want to have to wade through all of them, simply hit the "sort by newest first" link at the top of the thread."
Or will we be answering these questions every time blog.to updates its lists?
Author - BOOOOO- weak on the subject
The selections were voted on by our readers through a survey that was posted on the site and was merely assembled by the author. There was even an "other" option where you could write in a restaurant that wasn't on the list. You have noone but yourself to blame that your favourite place didn't make the list. Try participating next time instead of just sitting there and complaining after the fact.
VL closed last month. it was very good, i agree.
Visited Khao san road...its different, but good
If you're used to the sweeter pad thai it might not be for you!
62 Vaughan Rd Toronto, ON M6G 2N4
<3 I love it!
http://www.whattodotoronto.com/?seachtext=thai&;btnseachall=Go&view=seachall&rid=170
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/hungarythai
http://www.whattodotoronto.com/?seachtext=thai&;btnseachall=Go&view=seachall&rid=170
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/hungarythai
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1) Salad King is ridiculous... talk about shitty thai food (I would go so far to say that Thai Express in the Eaton Centre would be a better choice!). Nice modern decor, and a funky atmosphere... but seriously Blog TO? Frozen veggies in their fried rice? Tasteless noodle dishes? It's inclusions like this in your "best of" lists that make me second guess taking your suggestions to heart...
2) Thai Shan Inn is FABULOUS and not on this list (nor is it reviewed on this site). It is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant up by Dufferin and Eglington. They recently moved, and their new place is cleaner (and in a safer neighborhood) than the old place. My family has been going here for 25+ years (we make the trek from the east end). The food is extremely authentic, the menu is vast, and you won't be disappointed (I have made this recommendation to many friends, all of which are now regulars). Give it a try if you are in that 'hood!
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I've found a great Thai food restaurant this week call Wiang Kuk Thai Food.
When it comes to Thai food restaurants in Toronto I thought they were all the same until I found Wiang Kuk Thai Food. They've got the most delicious food and the courteous service in the business.
If you like Thai food then you've got to try Wiang Kuk Thai Food. And if you've never had Thai food before please make Wiang Kuk Thai Food the first Thai restaurant you visit. I promise you, you'll be coming back for more.
Vat
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I found this new place called Thai 5 cafe at East Beaver Creek and Hwy 7 in Richmond Hill. They have the best Tom Yum Soup I've ever had in Toronto and it also has Tom Yum Noodles so you can make a good meal out of it! It's a small take out place in the Shoppes of Parkway that gives you a good meal including a drink for less than $10. Go check out their soup!
"""Tried out Khao San Road last night and unfortunately my high hopes were quickly broken... """
Greek food's not one of my favourates.
Well Japanese, Have you ever tried Sushi Time on Queen? Fresh and delicious and also not too expensive as Nami. How about Sukhothai? Should you recommend it?
It's very useful informtion
My wife want to order their new dish -Steam Fish in Banana Leave, but was sold out that day, so she tried Pork Ka-Pao (another house specialty) and Papaya Salad, authentic and delicious as we had in Thailand before.
One suggestion, if you want to get best Thai test. Find a Thai friend. We know where we would go for food.
As a Thai cook here for years. I dare say theres no authentic place in this city due to ingredients cost. But still places out there have experienced chef who can really adapt what they ve got.
Though, i dont't count any chain restaurant as Thai. They are Chinese, Vietnamese and South Asian who came up with funny test.
Best of luck.
If you like to try,go to Thai 5 Cafe.
REALLY DELICIOUS!
I will never go to this restaurant again. And I will tell as many people as I know about this horrible experience.
Seriously, I've tried most of the places on the above list and they don't even COMPARE.
First, I thought Salad King was authentic Thai food - from seeing all the pictures when entered, but me and my boyfriend were VERY disappointed with the menus, staffs(thought they were Thais) and food. So we will never go there again.
This is my recommend restaurant "Thai Noodles" in Kensington market. Last year, my boyfriend and I went there almost EVERY Fridays! sometimes twice on weekend only. They have different kind of noodles and I always eat noodles when I go. and my boyfriend always gets Kao Soy Kai. He loves it soooooooooooo much!
Go try and forget about Salad King forever! ;)