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| - Tucked away in the corner of one of the strip plaza's skirting Vaughan Mills is Truly Thai Cuisine. They have the end unit with a fenced in outdoor patio within the walkway of the plaza. Party shaded by the walkway tunnel, partly exposed, it's the perfect patio, sun if you want it, shade if you don't. Plenty of free parking is also available out front.
We arrived before the restaurant was open, so we went to the Starbucks in the same plaza to kill time. When we returned, we were the first inside and we were almost rejected for a table (in an empty restaurant!) because they had bookings for lunch... so my tip is: make a reservation!
Inside, the place is small with seating for about 30. If you call ahead and make a reservation, they can accommodate large groups by moving the tables around. The decor consists of golds, deep wine reds, and greens. Pictures depicting Thai culture and dimmer lighting add to soften the tones and create the ambiance. Booths line one side and tables the other. The patio only had about 5 tables of four out, but can easily accommodate twice as many tables.
The menu is quite extensive and covers the full gambit of Thai cuisine, rice, noodles, curries, seafood, stir fry's, vegetarian, appetizers (small plates), soups, salads, and desserts. The menu had all my favourites! But what really caught my eye was the item not on the menu. On the table there was a card advertising a plate that showed a picture of rice in a bamboo steamer with chicken and mango salad that I just had to get! Of course, I also had to try the staples, on the card was also a Pad Thai, Fried Rice, two Curry's, and Salad. For dessert, Deep Fried Banana, Fried Ice Cream, and Ice Cream Mango and Sticky Rice (Also not on menu, but table card).
Pineapple Fried Rice. Made the way I know it, with eggs, shrimp, chicken, onions, pineapple, peas, and carrots. Topped with cashews and garnished with tomato, lime, orange, cucumber, and cilantro. The rice was Thai Jasmine and the dish was slightly wet as it should be. The flavours didn't POP out at me like I expected them to. 3,5 stars.
Pad Thai. Better than most places, the noodles were not overly wet. Shrimp, chicken, tofu are the proteins. We order the Thai Style (with tamarind) which gave it an extra zing; subtle, but noticeable and enhanced the dish. There was a greater ratio of bean sprouts to noodle than most other places, but IMO it improved the dish. I'm generally not a fan of Pad Thai, but if I had to eat it, I'd come here for it. 4 stars.
BBQ Beef. Probably the weakest of the dishes we ordered. Despite the use of starch, the beef was still not as tender as I expected it to be. The Thai spices were on the milder side (not sure if it's to cater to the locals or not), and the sauce was what saved the dish IMO. 2,5 stars.
Peanut (Red) curry. This dish comes with steamed rice. The curry carried a nice peanut flavour with little heat. The lime leaves added a nice fresh burst of flavour. Great for kids. 4,5 stars.
Green curry. The classic Thai Curry. They threw in the kitchen sink here. A symphony of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour! It's quite salty but that's how it should be. The spice creeps up on you, and there's a fair amount of it! The coconut milk wasn't as noticeable, but I knew it was there from the sweetness. Bamboo shoots flavour were also prominent. 4,5 stars.
Som Tum Gai Yang Khao Neuw (on table card, not menu). This dish was absolutely FANTASTIC! Sticky Rice, Chicken, and Papaya Salad. The chicken was well seasoned, and grilled. The fish sauce was well balanced and not overbearing with fishiness. Thai dipping sauce was the same one that came with the beef. Papaya salad was your classic and it was spot on. 5 stars.
Desserts will be curt due to space constraint.
Deep fried Banana. Ordered with coconut ice cream and condensed milk. The combination is explosive and absolutely delicious! Firing all cylinders on the tongue. Salty, deep fried, sweet. 4 stars.
Fried ice cream. We got the last of the coconut ice cream with the deep fried banana, so we opted for the mango ice cream. The batter was the same as fried Banana. 4 stars. The mango ice cream was your typical fare found anywhere. 3 stars. I think this would have been much better with the Coconut ice cream.
Ice cream, mango & sticky rice. On their own the mango ice cream and sticky rice was not so good; however, the coconut milk with the rice was enough to tow the line for the dish. The real pieces of mango is a nice touch. 3 stars.
The place is a true Mom and Pop. The staff of two did everything from cooking to serving. They were very pleasant and accommodating. Is the food authentic? IMO, yes! They live up to their name 100% and are "Truly Thai".
4 stars overall, but so far they're as good as it gets for the area, and for that, I'm giving them an honorary 5 stars!
If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!
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