Name: Same Same
Contact: 303 King St. W., samesameyyz.com, @samesamethaito Chef: Warakorn Suriyawong
Owners: Phanom Suksaen, Jesse Warfield
Previously: District
Accessibility: Fully accessible
Eight years ago, Warakorn “Tempo” Suriyawong moved to Vancouver from Thailand to pursue a culinary career. Once there, he was hired as executive chef at the Song, an elevated Thai restaurant and wine bar that earned Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2022 (and every year since). While working at Song, Suriyawong met Phanom “Patrick” Suksaen (now the owner of Toronto restaurants Le Lert, Savor, Koh Lipe, Larb Muang and Aamara), and the two became fast friends. Three months ago, Suksaen decided to take their friendship to the next level, inviting Suriyawong to head up his latest project.
Suriyawong agreed, and in the time it took for season three of The White Lotus to play out, the new restaurant was fully formed. At Same Same, Suriyawong’s MO is to explore Thai cuisine through a locavore’s lens as much as possible. “I came to Toronto to explore the food scene with Patrick before I officially moved here, and we identified a gap in the Thai scene,” he says. “Local ingredients and sustainability are both very important to me, and I just didn’t see either of those aspects reflected in Thai food here.”
The Food
Explosive Thai flavours find their way into elegant plates in atypical (not actually same same) ways. For instance, buttery pan-seared and roasted BC sablefish bathes with earthy shiitake mushrooms in a sweet-and-sour ginger-tamarind broth, which hints at the flavours of tom yum. Instead of mignonette and Tabasco, West Coast oysters are dotted with house-made chili jam, anointed with nam jim (cilantro, garlic, fish sauce, lime, palm sugar), and garnished with fried shallots and fresh local pea tips.
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This twee amuse bouche is a cylinder of Asian pair infused with fresh squeezed orange juice and filled with a sweet-and-sour pineapple gel. It’s covered with a thin slice of kumquat, dolloped with caramelized radish preserve, and garnished with tiny threads of Thai chilies and (also caramelized) micro cilantro
Chilled BC oysters are used for their creamier, less saline profile, which lends itself nicely to Suriyawong’s punchy dressing of garlic, fish sauce, chilies, lime juice and palm sugar. The bivalves are accompanied by a tangy chili jam and garnished with crispy fried shallots and pea tip tendrils. $14
This vibrant citrus salad is a blend of cara cara oranges, kumquats, navel oranges and tangerines. The citrus medley is brightened with lemongrass and lime juice; tossed in Suriyawong’s signature chili paste and a house jam of local rhubarb, palm sugar and tamarind sauce; and plated on a bed of fried shallots, toasted peanuts and toasted coconut. It’s garnished with a sprinkling of coconut chips, microgreens, and makrut lime two ways (zest, leaf). $24
Suriyawong incorporates elements of satay in his take on shrimp toast, traditionally a Cantonese dish. He covers house-made brioche in a northern Thai curry shrimp paste, coats it with egg, sprinkles it with puffed young rice and drops it in the deep fryer. The toast is garnished with a mildly bitter pennywort leaf and served with peanut sauce and cucumber relish for dipping. $24
The Lake Huron pickerel crudo comes from a partnership with hyper-local fishmonger Affinity Fish. The cured, lightly torched fish (which will change seasonally) is sliced thinly and served in a chilled thom kloang–inspired sauce, a blend of roasted shallots, lemongrass, galanga and cilantro in a house dashi. The fish is finished with holy basil chili oil, pickled lotus stems, cara cara orange slices, toasted rice and fish sauce–y stir-fried tomatoes. $39
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The pad Thai is a heaping plate of noodles stir-fried with rendered pork fat, house tamarind sauce, garlic oil and Thai chilies. It’s served with pork crackling, black tiger prawns imported from Thailand, firm tofu, green mango, fresh banana blossom, pennywort leaf and chives. $29
BC sable fish is pan-seared and oven-roasted before it finds its way into a delicate fish broth infused with tamarind, ginger and shiitake mushroom. It’s garnished with a flurry of ginger, scallion, cilantro and Thai chilies. $44
For his caviar dish, Suriyawong spoons out Canadian farmed caviar from its tin and fills half of it with a paste made of fresh crab meat, young coconut, coconut milk, finger mint, lemongrass, Thai coriander and green mango. He then puts the caviar back in and garnishes it with gold leaf, edible flowers and cilantro leaf. The luxe spread is served with house blini inspired by coconut pancakes. $60
For the butterfly pea flower sorbet, the flowers are boiled down with lychee, mixed with makrut lime juice and honey, then frozen. The palate-cleansing dessert is served with lychee segments and crispy palm sugar honeycomb. $14
The Drinks
The beverage menu comprises old-world wines as well as a grab bag of biodynamic standouts from Canadian producers, plus Thai-inspired cocktails including a dirty martini made with pickled lotus stem. Speaking of lotus flowers, fans of The White Lotus will find a few of the drink names familiar, like the Gaitok, a sweet rum-based drink with a secret spicy side.
The Gaitok is a tropical cocktail built from a blend of coconut water, lime juice, pineapple juice and coconut rum that’s been infused with a variety of Thai spices. $17
The Mook is a balanced blend of hibiscus-infused vodka and lychee juice. The bright crimson beverage is garnished with a hibiscus meringue that’s equal parts sweet and astringent. $19
The Sritala is a gently nutty, sweet-tart concoction built from pandan-infused gin, lemongrass syrup, bright yuzu purée, coconut water and lime juice. $16
For the bar’s take on a dirty martini, pickled lotus stem brine takes the place of olive juice. $16
The Space
Three distinct spaces—a front dining room, a lounge and a rooftop patio—incorporate subtle elements of Thai culture. In the monochromatic space, grey-washed bamboo rods climb the walls behind curvy banquettes, and colourless paper parasols dangle from the ceiling of the lounge.
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Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
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