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| - Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Cleanliness: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 4/5
Price: $$
Getting In
We didn't get to make a reservation beforehand though it is highly, highly recommended that you do so. Our visit to Pai was kind of a spur of the moment thing, as we were originally planning to go for a nice brunch (it was Saturday) at another place before we changed our minds last minute. We decided to try our luck and just entered the restaurant without calling prior to our arrival.
Thankfully, we were able to grab two seats by the bar without much wait. Other than the bar, the majority of the tables were full and we would've had to wait for awhile otherwise.
Ordering
The bartender who also took care of us was really friendly and helpful. As it was our first time here, we had trouble making decisions on the menu - well my hubby did (I was set on Pad Thai, as it's my go to order whenever it's my first visit at a new Thai restaurant). After receiving a couple of recommendations from the bartender, hubby decided to try their Thai fried rice on the lunch menu. I also opted for their coconut water as it's a must order for me in Thai restaurants.
Pad Thai
In my opinion, I have pretty high standards for Pad Thai; I always order it when I can and because I always order it, I tend to compare restaurants and their versions all the time. At Pai, the dish was delicious but it was not as spicy as I would've liked it to be. It also didn't have enough of the fish sauce taste, which is the original sauce used to cook Pad Thai. The dish was more brown in colour than red, perhaps they used more oyster sauce than chili and fish sauce? Overall, the noodles were cooked well and the dish had a wide variety of vegetables and meat, but to me, the original fish sauce was lacking. And I'm right - the menu online says that the pad thai is cooked using the restaurant's house made tamarind sauce and oyster sauce.
Worth ordering? Yes, but it doesn't seem that authentic to me.
Thai Fried Rice
The sauce on the side is fish sauce! Named nam plik nam pla, it is made with fish sauce, garlic, chili and lime. In our opinion, it was a great complement to the fried rice. The fried egg on top was very crispy and well done while keeping the egg yolk still tender, and overall, the fried rice wasn't too overly flavoured. I quite liked that the rice wasn't fried together with the chicken and vegetables so that you could choose how savoury each bite could be. The dish was a little greasy but it's fried rice after all so you can't complain.
Verdict
Overall, our short lunch at Pai was pretty good. Service was great, and I thought that the price of the dishes were well priced as well. Its casual vibe is a hit for most Torontonians, and it really feels like you're in Thailand during your meal as its interior décor is pretty authentic feeling. It's a great restaurant to come with friends and family, colleagues, after work, or even just by yourself for a quick meal at the bar. Can't make it? Try ordering online through their website!
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