Favorites Thai

Uniquely Canadian-Thai

Toronto has no shortage of good Thai restaurants that stay true to traditional recipes. It’s about time that a stellar Canadian-Thai restaurant came along. Canadian-Thai is what I call food that is not quite Thai. It features local produce and Canadian flavour combinations.

The most un-Canadian thing about Favorites Thai is its name. It should be spelt “Favourites”. Other than that, expect to find uniquely Canadian interpretations of Thai cuisine here. No, I am not talking about pad thai with ketchup.

Exterior of Favorites Thai
Favorites Thai, co-located in Sam James Coffee Bar

The food

Like other modern Canadian restaurants, the menu changes seasonally. The winter menu featured rich curries with proteins associated with Canadian winters.

Take their trout curry for instance. Fish curries typically use tropical varieties of fish from the homelands of curry. I’ve never seen a trout curry before but it makes so much sense now. It was described on the menu as a Southern Thai yellow curry. It had a passing resemblance to gaeng lueang (sour yellow curry; แกงเหลือง) but was thicker, more bright yellow, and completely lacked its distinct sourness. Authentic? No. Delicious? Yes.

Southern yellow trout curry with rice from Favorites Thai
Southern yellow trout curry with jasmine rice

The flashy yellow colour was caused by the lavish use of turmeric and coconut milk. Large chunks of galangal were left in the curry, which helped develop flavour but was a pain to remove while eating. Finely-shredded kaffir line leaves added a touch of elegance and more fragrance. But it was also a pain to sift out. I wouldn’t have minded if there were only a few strands as a garnish but there were about one tablespoon’s worth. They could have used whole leaves when simmering the broth to infuse flavour, then removed them before serving.

Southern yellow trout curry from Favorites Thai
Southern yellow trout curry

Those were the only negatives of the dish. The flavour and visuals were spectacular. I was pleasantly surprised to find smoked trout. How Canadian. The slices of fish were toothsome. The smokiness layered on top of the already complex flavours without muddying them. It’s a genius fusion I’ve never seen before and something I will steal for my home cooking. As for spiciness, it was very mild. 8.5/10.

Smoked trout and kaffir lime leaf from Favorites Thai
Smoked trout and kaffir lime leaf

Another rich curry was the confit duck with pineapple. Pineapple curries are part of traditional Thai cuisine but are not common. Same goes for duck curries. I love duck confit so I was looking forward to see how Favorites would incorporate this French technique in their curry.

Aromatic curry of duck confit and pineapple from Favorites Thai
Aromatic curry of duck confit and pineapple

The curry was based on gaeng phet (Thai red curry; แกงเผ็ด). It had a thick layer of oil, presumably from duck fat. While the duck was pink in the centre, it was a little tough and didn’t have as much duck flavour as I had hoped. The spices from the curry dominated, which was surprising since duck has a strong taste. Perhaps searing the duck might add more flavour—yes, it will no longer be confit but this place isn’t a stickler for rules. Morsels of pineapple gave a hit of acid and faint sweetness. This was a moderately spicy curry. 8/10.

Duck confit from Favorites Thai
Duck confit

As with some restaurants during the pandemic, Favorites included a thank-you note in the takeout bag. It was sized like a postcard and beautifully designed. I was impressed by the production quality. It included information about a promotion and a cover photo of their signature dishes.

Thank you note from Favorites Thai BBQ
Thank you note with details about a promotion

The place

Favorites operates out of the same space as Sam James Coffee Bar on the Ossington strip. It’s nestled in the back and gets busy in the evening after the coffee bar closes. The dining area is long, narrow, and filled with natural light. Decor is Ossington chic.

Verdict

Liberally-interpreted Thai cuisine with inventive Canadian twists. Some fine-tuning may be necessary but is overall a fusion hit. 8/10.

Practical information

Name
Favorites Thai
Rating
8/10
Recommended dishes
Southern yellow trout curry
Prices
Southern yellow trout curry: $18.08 ($16.00 excluding tax)
Aromatic duck confit and pineapple curry: $24.86 ($22.00 excluding tax)
Address
141 Ossington Avenue
Hours
Tuesday to Wednesday 1700h – 2200h
Thursday to Saturday 1700h – 2230h
Sunday 1700h – 2200h
Date of visit
February 2021