Top 5 Thai Restaurants in Oakville
Published September 30, 2017 at 2:30 pm
When I go to Thailand I’m planning to buy a handful of forgiving dresses (because let’s face it: pants are leg prison) so I can eat and eat and eat until a legit food coma sets in but until then, Thai in Oakville will have to suffice. I often fantasize about landing in Bangkok and sampling bites from one street vendor after another — some sweet, some savoury, and some so spicy I’ll laugh and cry at the same time. (And pleeease don’t start with the lecture on street food in foreign lands — when I travel, I eat with the locals. This includes all the crazy good meals I’ve had served on a banana leaf in south India and fresh, organic juices outside of the train stations in Bombay. Go big or go home!). In the meantime, here are the top 5 Thai restos in Oakville (excluding AYCE).
This tiny takeout shop at Rebecca St. plaza in the Lakeshore Woods area offers a fusion of Thai and Vietnamese recipes, including soup, stir fry, curry, and jasmine rice. Service is swift and the Honey Lemongrass Short Ribs are worth waiting for. They’re served with rice vermicelli noodles doused in a sweet vinaigrette. They’re tangy, meaty, and filling. Yum!
Green curry with chicken was my favourite dish at this Upper Middle Shopping Centre joint. It was creamy, perfectly spiced (medium on the hotness scale, which would cause most people to reach for milk but I’m East Indian so it was mild) and had a generous serving of green peas for extra protein. The Fresh Rolls were just that — rice wrappers filled with veggies plus a tangy peanut dipping sauce which I nearly licked from the plate. The menu is vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free friendly. Decor is modern decor and the seats, while limited, are comfy, meaning I could sit here for a few hours and keep eating.
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The name was familiar and it’s because I’ve been in this Third Line plaza many times. Start with the Taro Fries — they’re downright amazing, served with a homemade sweet and sour sauce (but I really loved them plain). The Bamboo Legend Pad Thai is their best-seller and for good reason. There’s chicken, mixed vegetables, rice noodles, and of course, peanuts. It’s a good thing I don’t work at the new Oakville Hospital because this would be my de facto takeout spot for dinner. Service is excellent.
It’s been a few years since I’ve eaten at this mainstay at the Oakville Entertainment Centrum. And this place still hits the spot! Their Pad Thai is downright delicious, served with chicken, shrimp , tofu, beansprout, red onion, green onions, and egg. Make sure you try the glass noodle version. Their mango salad is the best in town and you’ll feel at peace as you take in the lovely decor. Their location, near Demetres, is a winner when it comes to date night.
If the wide, wooden door and velvet curtains at the entrance don’t get you excited, you will be as soon as you’re seated. Bahn Thai’s modern, sexy vibe is punctuated by hot pink lighting, please-sit-super-close-to-me-so-our-knees-touch seating, and a dimly lit interior featuring circular booths, and benches with triangular pillows for lumbar support. It feels like a mini-vacation of sorts right in Towne Square. But you’re here for the food … the Fried Tofu and Taro were 50 per cent amazing — the taro was incredible but the tofu was a tad underwhelming. So I ate twice as much taro, dipping it in a honey-based sauce topped with peanuts. So, so good. If the name rings a bell, it’s because this long-running Burlington favourite on Fairview has been pleasing diners for 17 years (it’s been a decade in downtown Oakville). Popular appetizers include Thai Spring Rolls, Mango Salad, and Golden Squid (calamari). But if you really want to make the chef happy, order one of the Red Snapper dishes (such as Spicy Fish), which are doused in an outstanding red curry. For dessert, the sticky rice with mango is a no-brainer — it’s downright sinful.
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