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.
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.”
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.
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.
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