Three Cheers for Good Thai

If there’s one thing that’s difficult to find in Toronto, it’s a good Thai restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage, since pad thai can be found in food courts everywhere. The unfortunate fact is that most of these Thai restaurants happen to suck. So it was a pleasant surprise when I was treated to dinner by my godparents at Mengrai Gourmet Thai (82 Ontario St.), an upscale restaurant that feels both authentic and adventurous with its cuisine.

Mengrai is hidden near Richmond St. East in downtown Toronto and the space is lovely — coloured chandeliers and exposed brick adorn the three separate rooms. This is one of my godparents’ favourite restaurants, and they’ve become friends with the owners and chef; a huge bonus for me since this means means terrific service and the chance to try a couple off-the-menu dishes.

Chef Sasi hails from the Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand and Fodors rates her cooking “the best Thai food outside of Chiang Mai.” I’m not sure why her Clear Broth isn’t on the menu (or why it’s named so modestly) since the bowl is filled with so many delicious goodies — clear noodles, assorted vegetables, minced chicken and more. It’s all submerged in a fragrant light broth that’s so delicious I could eat a bowl every day.

Along with this soup, we tried three different appetizers. The Chef Platter Appetizer for One ($8.95) which featured taro yam rolls, shrimp triangle wrappers and crisp dumplings. Owner Allan Lim brought out a platter of what he called Seductive Shrimp Wraps (off menu), which were tiny shrimp wrapped in a crispy sheet with a sweet dipping sauce. Then we had the signature Sasi Golden Flowers with Piccalilli ($9.95 for four). These are hand-crafted pastry shells filled with a “medley of sauces and scissored herbs” plus minced chicken, vegetables or shrimp. It was clear from this first course that a lot of love and attention to detail is put into each dish.

My favourite thing on the menu was the Royal Style Lemongrass Coconut Soup with Chicken ($17.50). This is served in a fresh coconut and the flavour is rich with lemongrass, lime, basil and tamarind. The soup’s texture is silky smooth and it contains unexpected items like grape tomatoes and actual pieces of fresh coconut. You can also customize the soup with only vegetables, or add tiger shrimps, scallops or lobster (ranging from $17.50 to $28).

Sasi’s Pad Thai Noodle ($13.95) is different from what’s normally served in North America because it’s missing the usual ketchup and sweetness. This authentic version may take some getting used to because sun-dried shrimp and fish sauce are the predominant flavours. If you prefer it the sweet way, they also have House and Street Style Pad Thai.

Next we tried Sasi’s Red Chicken Curry with Lychee ($18.50). Rather than using a ceramic bowl, this was beautifully served  in a fresh pineapple. We found this to be a little too mild for our tastes, and I hear their regular curries are more flavourful and spicy.

From the interior design to the dishes, Mengrai takes great care in presentation. It’s definitely more upscale in ambiance and price than other Thai restaurants, but their many loyal customers (like my godparents) prove they’re definitely doing something right.

Mengrai Gourmet Thai / 82 Ontario St., Toronto
416 840 2759 / Hours: Tues.-Fri. 11:45am-2:30pm, Tues.-Thurs. & Sun. 5-10pm, Fri. & Sat. 5-11pm