Sukothai Thai Restaurant in Toronto

Toronto thanks Sukothai for opening its doors at 274 Parliament Street. El Toro is full of mediocre Thai joints which have been Canadian’ized to a point where they barely resemble the foods they claim to be (Pad Thai made with ketchup and void of Tamarind? Good God!) To say the least I never eat Thai food in Toronto. I studied at a Thai cooking school in Chang Mai and whenever I get a craving I just whip up whatever I fancy.

The story of Sukothai is so cute, it makes you want to pinch a babies cheeks. “It all started on an elephant-hence the logo. That’s where the owner met the girl of his dreams. He was backpacking through the jungles of Northern Thailand and met his future wife Nuit who was working at the time as a nurse at the local hospital, and boy could she cook!” A few years later they opened up a cozy little restaurant in Pai, Thailand, called the Curry shack. The spot became a hit with travelers as well as the Thai locals. They returned to Canada in 2008, and with the much needed help from their friends and family they were able to open Sukothai.

Today Sukothai is considered the most authentic Thai restaurant in Toronto. The food is made by Thai’s for people who want to have a true Thai experience (there are no chicken balls or ketchup infused noodles here, thanks be to God). There is nothing that makes me happier than authentic cuisine especially when executed by such a hard working and passionate group of cooks!

We enjoyed:

Shrimp Chips

Light and flavourful shrimp chips served with a tangy tamarind dip.

Spring Rolls

Crispy vegetarian rolls with glass noodles, mushrooms, carrots and beansprouts. Served with our home-made, sweet and sour, garlic sauce.

Pad Thai

Authentic stir-fried rice noodles in a light tamarind-based sauce with tofu and shrimp, eggs, chives, tofu, shallots, and beansprouts.

Gaeng Phed

Red Curry with squash, kaffir lime leaves, basil leaves, red and green pepers and coconut milk. With chicken and served with rice.

Gaeng Masaman

Masaman curry with peanuts, potatoes, onions, shallots, coconut milk and tamarind sauce. With beef and served with rice.

Shrimp chips are not my go to favourite appetizer but their tamarind sauce made in house was stellar. Spring rolls were tightly wrapped like little gifts packed with aromatic mushrooms and other fresh vegetables. I had to order the Pad Thai to really judge to see if this restaurant was up to snuff. Sukothai’s Pad Thai is by far the most authentic dish I have had in Toronto. I closed my eyes and sucked on the tails of a few shrimp whilst shovelling the sweet glistening noodles into my mouth. I felt like I was right back in Thailand on some stall on the side of the street. As Meaghan and I walked to the restaurant we discussed our favourite curries. Meaghan is a huge fan of Masaman curries made with peanuts and coconut milk. I became obsessed with pumpkin based curries when I ate at a famous little restaurant in Siam Reap Cambodia. Both curries were stellar. The lime leaves were so fresh and aromatic . We quietly (read moaned) ate our curries spooned over fluffy rice. Sukothai is spectacular! Do not order Thai food at any other spot in the city its a waste of your time, money and dignity.

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