New Thai restaurant in Leslieville
I was beginning to think I had hallucinated the sign for a new Thai restaurant on Queen street at Leslie, but today when I went by, there it was, a large overhead sign proclaiming The Friendly Thai. It's where the Salvage Shop used to be, between Tomi Kro and Gio's. Don't know what to expect or when it's opening,but I think I'll wait for Vorpal to try it, I have very little experience with Thai food. I do enjoy it, I just don't know what the really good stuff tastes like. Anyway, I think it will open quite soon from the looks of things. I'm hoping for something great!!!
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Give it up, Vorpal: the name, even if you don't have time for your review... I will be so grateful.
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vorpal
Nov 3, 2007 06:41 PM
If it's affiliated with the other Friendly Thai locations, and I assume that it is, I won't bother. The other ones I've been to serve mediocre Thai food (okay flavours, but very cheap, tough, fatty cuts of meat) at cheap prices, and "pseudo"-Malaysian food. The service has been consistently awful, with me - even when the restaurants are near empty - having to chase down the wait staff (who stand at the back chatting and ignoring the patrons) for a water refill.
I would say worth one try for takeout, but don't hold high expectations.
I've finally found a Thai restaurant in Toronto that struck me as fantastic (based on two visits), thanks to another CHer who recommended it to me. I keep meaning to post a review here and I hope to get to it soon, but suddenly my schedule became quite busy and I haven't been able to fully collect my thoughts on it just yet.
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re: vorpal
Food Tourist
Nov 3, 2007 06:56 PM
Ok, now I'm waiting in suspense! Hurry up and post!
Any thoughts on Young Thailand at Dundas and Keele?
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re: Food Tourist
vorpal
Nov 4, 2007 05:44 AM
I'm a huge fan of Young Thailand; in fact, their old Church Street location was the restaurant that, a decade ago, served as my introduction to Thai food and made me fall in love with it. Up until visiting this new restaurant that I'l soon review, I would have said that Young Thailand was easily my favourite Thai restaurant in Toronto and one of the very few worth visiting.
I've only been to their new location twice, but both times I was very pleased with the food. The restaurant is nice enough in terms of ambience - nothing particularly special, but fine. Service was quite good. Definitely recommended.
Unfortunately, Young Thailand has had a bad habit of letting quality slide over the years, and I haven't been in a few months (it's just a bit too far for me to go to regularly), so I'm hoping that this hasn't happened. I think that the owner, Wandee Young, is aware of this problem and has said that she's dedicated to avoid letting the new location fall into that trap.
If you go, please do let us know what you thought! I definitely recommend their special appetizer platter and their pad see eew, although I've never had a dish there I didn't like. They do, unfortunately, use ketchup in their pad thai, but I suspect that this is catering to the desires of your average Torontonian, who's grown to expect this.
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re: Googs
Leslieville
Nov 4, 2007 01:34 PM
I too lost my Thai virginity at Jarvis and Gerrard!! I remember being amazed at the flavors that I was experiencing but I don't think I have ever quite reached that level again. I'm glad to hear that my first experience was authentic. By the way Vorpal ,this is a very unChowhound thing you are doing, teasing us with the promise of a great new restaurant, but then being too busy to tell us more. Don't think you can get away with this for very long. We live in your neighbourhood and we can track you down. BE WARNED!!!
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