What’s on the menu at Le Lert, a new Thai fusion restaurant from the team behind Michelin-recognized Koh Lipe

A collaboration with Daan Go Cake Lab and Plearn Cafe

By Helen Jacob| Photography by Ryan Nangreaves

| July 11, 2024

What's on the menu at Le Lert, a new Thai fusion restaurant from the team behind Michelin-recognized Koh Lipe

Name: Le Lert Previously: Cora’s Contact: 27 Carlton St., lelert.ca, @lelertto
Neighbourhood: Yonge and College Chef: Executive chef Chatchalit Chuayruk Owners: Kugendran Perampalam (Savor, Aamara) and Phanom (Patrick) Suksaen (Eat BKK, Koh Lipe) Accessibility: Fully accessible

The best Thai dishes are the perfect balance between salty, sweet, spicy and sour. At Le Lert, a new Thai fusion spot from the team behind Savor and Koh Lipe, executive chef Chatchalit Chuayruk is taking this approach with pasta, burgers and steaks (think beef pot pie flavoured with lemongrass or tender pork belly on mashed potatoes and gravy). Restaurateur Phanom (Patrick) Suksaen has also brought on Daan Go Cake Lab’s Christopher Siu, who is known for his imaginative desserts, which will be available after the official grand opening on September 9.

The space is tucked behind Plearn, headed by expert barista Wassawan Chansopa, which means diners also have access to the café’s trendy Thai drinks. Brunch starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 3 p.m. Dinner runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. from Friday to Sunday. The team also plans to stay open late with a snack menu down the line.

Executive chef Chatchalit Chuayruk with his signature dishes

The food

Chuayruk is originally from Thailand and has spent over a decade in the restaurant industry. He was trained in Western fare but tends to cook with an Asian sensibility. Thai ingredients like tamarind, fish sauce and galangal (a relative of ginger) give dishes like steak and pasta extra layers of flavour. The expansive brunch menu contains over 15 dishes, including a cream miso seaweed pasta and pork belly avocado toast.

The Le Lert burger comes in a pool of creamy truffle sauce for dipping. Sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun is just a simple patty and cheese. With no condiments, the flavour of the beef really comes through, and the brioche bun is great for soaking up the truffle flavour. $25 — The Le Lert burger comes in a pool of creamy truffle sauce for dipping. Sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun is a simple patty and cheese. With no condiments, the flavour of the beef really comes through, and the brioche is great for soaking up the truffle cream. $25

The larb tartare has become a crowd favourite. It’s tossed in an Asian-style sauce with dried chili, lime leaf, crispy garlic and fish sauce, and topped off with an egg yolk. It does pack quite the punch, but also a lot of flavour. $17 — The larb tartare has become a crowd favourite. It’s tossed with dried chili, lime leaf, crispy garlic and fish sauce and topped with an egg yolk. $17

The golden mountain is inspired by a popular Thai dish, but with a twist. Here we have a heaping pile of crispy rice noodles tossed in a slightly sweet dressing with caramelized yuzu. Sitting under all that crunch is fried tofu coated in a tamarind sauce. $13 — The Golden Mountain is inspired by a popular Thai dish. A heaping pile of crispy rice noodles is tossed in a slightly sweet dressing with caramelized yuzu. Sitting under all that crunch is fried tofu coated in a tamarind sauce. $13

The Rawaeng curry is a rare version of green curry with turmeric and Thai eggplant. It comes with your choice of chicken or beef (pictured here). $22

The Tom Yum Paella has all the flavours of the traditional soup: lemongrass, galangal (a relative of ginger), lime leaf and fresh chili. It comes with mussels, scallops, and shrimp on top of well-seasoned arborio rice. All the chili is sprinkled on top so guests with a lower spice tolerance have the option of picking it out. $27 — The tom yum paella has all the flavours of the traditional soup: lemongrass, galangal, lime leaf and fresh chili. It comes with mussels, scallops and shrimp on top of well-seasoned arborio rice. The chilies are sprinkled on top so guests with a lower spice tolerance have the option of eating around them. $27

The chef’s signature mango paradise is an elevated mango sticky rice made to resemble the beach. On the bottom is thickened coconut milk coloured with butterfly pea, followed by a mound of coconut sticky rice that’s covered in spheres of mango topped with coconut, berries and edible flower petals. The texture of the buttery crumble adds that extra something you never knew you needed. $17 — The chef’s signature mango paradise is an elevated mango sticky rice made to resemble the beach. On the bottom is thickened coconut milk coloured with butterfly pea, followed by a mound of coconut sticky rice that’s covered in spheres of mango topped with coconut, berries and edible flower petals. $17

The drinks

Bar manager Irene Tharjean (Savor) has created an Insta-worthy drink for every colour of the rainbow. Centred around Thai flavours like lemongrass, coconut and lime, the drinks lean toward the sweeter side. Plus, Plearn Cafe’s full menu is available until 9 p.m., and it’s just as creative.

For a subtle start to brunch, enjoy the Toron-Ta-Ro from Plearn, a taro and purple yam infused latte with torched marshmallows on top. $6.95 — For a subtle start to brunch, enjoy the Toron-Ta-Ro from Plearn, a taro-and-purple-yam-infused latte with torched marshmallows on top. $6.95

This four-of-a kind mimosa is a blend of yuzu, calamansi, clementine, blood orange and prosecco. $18. — This mimosa is a blend of yuzu, calamansi, clementine, blood orange and prosecco. $18

The fiery marmalade is Malibu rum, pineapple juice, rose water, mixed citrus and coconut water in an apothecary bottle which is then poured into a glass surrounded by a rose garden. $24 — The Fiery Marmalade is Malibu rum, pineapple juice, rose water, mixed citrus and coconut water in an apothecary bottle, which is then poured into a glass surrounded by a rose garden. $24

Azure (on the far right) is as blue as Railay beach in Thailand, and a coconut lover’s dream. It’s made with Cachaça rum, coconut rum, Blue Curaçao, coconut cream, coconut water and lime juice. $19 — Azure (on the far right) is as blue as Thailand’s Railay Beach and a coconut lover’s dream. It’s made with cachaça (a Brazilian relative of rum), coconut rum, blue curaçao, coconut cream, coconut water and lime juice. $19

The brightly hued vermillion is white rum, peach liquor and soda water. It’s flavoured with rosemary syrup and dragon fruit juice, which give it its colour, and presented on a smoky pedestal. The bright pop of pink dragonfruit has a much deeper flavour than the more commonly found white version. $25 — The Vermillion is white rum, peach liqueur and soda water with rosemary syrup and dragon fruit juice, which gives it its vibrant colour. The bright pop of pink dragon fruit has a much deeper flavour than the more commonly found white version. $25

The space

Le Lert is situated at the back of Plearn’s storefront, speakeasy style. Dressed up in vivid floral arrangements and the glow of colour-changing LEDs, the space is filled with references to Thailand. Turquoise velvet banquettes sit along an AI-generated mural that blends modern prints with the shapes of traditional building silhouettes and temples. The mosaic art on the pillars was handmade by Aoe Girard with small ceramic pieces, similar to Bangkok’s Wat Arun, a landmark Buddhist temple encrusted with colourful porcelain shards.