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Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris

By Renée Suen| Photography by Renée Suen
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What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris

Name: Favorites Thai BBQ Contact: 141 Ossington Ave., myfavethai.com, @myfavethai
Neighbourhood: Trinity-Bellwoods Previously: Canada Herb Owner: Jesse Fader and Jonathan Poon (Superpoint, Superpoint Express and Paris Paris) with Monte Wan (Khao San Road, Nana, Bang Sue Bar and Bangkok Buri) Chef: Haan Palcu-Chang (Paris’ Le Mary Celeste; Copenhagen’s Michelin-starred Kiin Kiin; Vancouver’s Maenam) Accessibility: One step from the Ossington entrance; the restaurant can also be accessed by its exit in the alleyway. Washrooms are down a flight of stairs.

The food

Spicy, funky, bitter and sour dishes made using local ingredients. Palcu-Chang’s dishes are less traditional in composition but make use of traditional flavours (mango salad, for example, may be made with apple, green peaches or even kohlrabi). Besides house-made shrimp pastes and jungle curries, there’s binchotan char-grilled barbecue, fermented meats, and betel leaf–wrapped snacks. “I just really love and care about this cuisine, and I feel like it deserves a lot more respect than it’s gotten,” says Palcu-Chang. “This has been 10 years in the making for me. There are just so many things I’ve wanted to share with the people of Toronto.”

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Pineapple is topped with pork and palm sugar. $10 for three pieces.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
The som tam is Ontario corn tossed with salted duck egg, prawns, green beans, peanuts and a lot of chilies. $14.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
The Salad of Century Egg is topped with a mountain of peanuts, ginger and fresh scallions and herbs. $14.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
The P.E.I. scallop curry sounds is made using a house-made paste that takes two-hours to make (it’s fried for an hour to caramelize and reduce before being cooked with cracked coconut cream). $22.

 

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What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Items from the grill come with an assortment of fresh herbs, cabbage and accompanying garnishes. This platter includes a house-made red curry duck sausage ($14), northern Thai pork sausage ($12), and lamb chops with a punchy tamarind dip ($15).

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Palcu-Chang.

 

The drinks

There are a few beers on offer, but the focus is on beverage manager Krysta Oben’s (Paris Paris) changing list of wines that are largely natural and made by small producers.

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Some of the bottles available on the current drink menu.

 

The space

Occupying the rear part of the building, the 40-seat restaurant is tucked behind Sam James Coffee Bar, which operates out of the Ossington storefront until 6 p.m., after which the space doubles as a holding area for waiting restaurant guests. There are plans to transform the cafe into a bar during the evenings.

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Here’s the main dining area.

 

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What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
There are a few stools at the wine service station.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
And a semi-private dining area separated by a beaded curtain.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Here’s the kitchen.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
Grilling with binchotan.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
The main entrance is on Ossington, through the Sam James storefront.

 

What’s on the menu at Favorites, a new Thai BBQ spot from the owners of Khao San Road and Paris Paris
And here’s where you exit.

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