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| - If I lived downtown, this would probably be my go-to spot for Thai food. With awards going to the restaurant and to Head Chef Sasi, and celebrities dropping in for a delicious meal, it's no wonder that Mengrai Thai's food is top quality and authentic. My friend and I walked over to Mengrai Thai from the Christmas Market in the Distillery District, a 10-15-minute walk, on a weeknight and arrived around 8:30pm (closing time for Sun-Thur is 10pm; 11pm for Fri & Sat). We were seated quickly and it wasn't a busy night (we went on a Thursday). Service was quick and friendly though the server seemed tired and in a rush towards the end since it was the last hour before closing. The menu has a lot of options and looks busy but take your time with it (or ask the server for recommendations) and you'll be served a delicious meal no matter what you choose.
We ordered Sasi's Pad Thai ($15.00: shrimp paste, tiger shrimps, chicken, tofu, egg, garlic, tamarind, green onion, bean sprouts, and topped with crushed peanuts) - a seafood-based pad Thai that isn't as sweet as others but is very delicious. My friend and I enjoyed it a lot and agreed that it's one of the best we've ever had. We also ordered Sasi's Red Chicken curry with lychee ($18.50). It was served creatively in a freshly carved pineapple and had spices, pineapple and lychee bits, and kaffir lime leaves to flavour the dish. The curry is coconut-based so it's thicker and creamier than other curries from other cultures. We really enjoyed this one too - the lychees are a unique spin and addition to a curry dish. Steamed rice isn't included with the meals so you'll have to order it as a side ($2.50 for a bowl - it was enough for the both of us but if we didn't have the pad Thai and had ordered another entree that goes well with rice, we might have needed to order another side of steamed rice). If you pay in cash, you get a 15% discount!
If you're downtown and looking for great Thai food, you have to head over to Mengrai Thai. You won't be disappointed (and hey - maybe you'll spot someone famous though the chef and food are famous enough)!
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