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THAI RECCOMENDATIONS


BBhasin

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I personally really like two Thai restaurants up in North York. Both are on Yonge. The first is Thai Mango on the east side of Yonge, just north of Empress, and the other is Thai Bistro (5306 Yonge St.), which is one block south of Church on Yonge. I would recommend both highly, but the latter especially. The cooking is almost entirely done by one Thai woman and the food is excellent. Portions are generous, but not huge. Prices are very reasonable. The Toronto Star gave Thai Bistro a good write up awhile ago.

Downtown, I used to like this Thai restaurant that is around George Brown College, can't remember where exactly. I don't think it was Young Thailand.

Other okay choices, include: Satay on the Road (Avenue Road location and Bayview Location), and Real Thailand on Bloor Street West (Real Thailand).

Edited by Librarian_chef (log)
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If you're downtown, then really only one choice - Linda's (easily the best Thai in the city) or, for those on a budget, Salad King. Same ownership, same location (nominally 335 Yonge St, but the actual entrance is round the corner on Gould).

You enter through Salad King (a student communal dining 'cheaper' version) then go upstairs to Linda's which resembles a bistro. Order from the 'special' dishes (the regular are also available downstairs), for example duck breast in red curry sauce, soft-shell crab, seafood in parchment - they even serve foie gras upstairs.

Reservations essential upstairs (not taken downstairs - same phone #), but Linda's is only open from around 5:00 to 9 (or 9:30 depending on day).

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I used to really like Young Thailand, and I love Wendee's cookbook, but a friend of mine went awhile ago and said it went downhill a bit. I hope that was just a rare event, and not the norm. I haven't been in years though, so I couldn't say.

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how about Young Thailand or Golden Thai both on Church near Adelaide?

Both have gone seriously downhill - especially Young Thailand. Of the Young Thailand chain the only one that I still go to is the one on Yonge betwen Davisville and Eglinton. And that is rarely (but it has parking nearby). If you're downtown I strongly recommend Linda's (see my post above).

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If you're downtown, then really only one choice - Linda's (easily the best Thai in the city) or, for those on a budget, Salad King. Same ownership, same location (nominally 335 Yonge St, but the actual entrance is round the corner on Gould).

You enter through Salad King (a student communal dining 'cheaper' version) then go upstairs to Linda's which resembles a bistro. Order from the 'special' dishes (the regular are also available downstairs), for example duck breast in red curry sauce, soft-shell crab, seafood in parchment - they even serve foie gras upstairs.

Reservations essential upstairs (not taken downstairs - same phone #), but Linda's is only open from around 5:00 to 9 (or 9:30 depending on day).

given the responses - this needs reiterating.

it really is a notch above everything out else right now.

for takeout salad king is great

also flip toss thai on harbord at bathurst though the ambience really is (as i think NOW put it) comparable to the cafeteria at nearby central tech.

"There never was an apple, according to Adam, that wasn't worth the trouble you got into for eating it"

-Neil Gaiman

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My favorite Thai right now is a Thai-Laotian restaurant called Ban Vanipha, 638 Dundas West, near Denison (east of Bathurst).

I love the dish Nuar Yang sp?, its a sliced up grilled pepper steak (flank probably) with this excellent lime/pepper sauce. The steak isn't butter tender but the dipping sauce is great. I order mine light on the pepper.

I've tried many things on the menu and also usually order the cold or hot spring rolls or soups. The one thing I'm not that crazy about is that some of the dishes have the meat practically minced. I think this is a feature of Laotian cuisine but if you don't want to order these dishes you may need to quiz the waiters.

The service is friendly enough but is a bit formal in attitude (which my dining partner loves).

Siri

PS Ban Vanipha is somehow related to Vanipha Lanna which used to be on Eglinton (maybe still is), when I was up there more frequently, I loved that restaurant also.

Edited by siriuslea (log)
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PS Ban Vanipha is somehow related to Vanipha Lanna which used to be on Eglinton (maybe still is), when I was up there more frequently, I loved that restaurant also.

it's now on st clair a bit west of christie, still great and a much larger space than when they were eglinton. It's also largely laotian - I want to say this is different somehow from thai food, but as all lao restaurants in this city seem to be run by the same family it could well just be their take on it.

"There never was an apple, according to Adam, that wasn't worth the trouble you got into for eating it"

-Neil Gaiman

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Ban Lanipha seems more 'homely' than Vanipha Lanna. Lots of kids and babies (who are usually well behaved). The big problem at Ban Lanipha is that they seem to operate on Lao time. VERY slow service and dishes come out randomly. I find it expensive for what you get, and most dishes are Thai with the occasional Khmer style dish. Spicing is very mild.

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