Favorites Toronto: Thai BBQ Restaurant on Ossington

Favorites Toronto is a Thai restaurant located on Ossington Avenue.

The popular Thai restaurant is a collaboration between the Toronto restauranteurs behind Paris Paris, Khao San Road and Superpoint.

Favorites Toronto opened in July, 2019 and specializes in serving grilled barbecue dishes paired alongside exceptional wines.

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Favorites Toronto

The entrance to Favorites Toronto is hidden. You can access the Ossington restaurant through the Sam James Coffee entrance. You’ll be greeted by a hostess holding an iPad who will walk you through the coffee shops back corner, which leads to the restaurant’s dining room.

Once inside, guests are greeted by an open kitchen featuring grills fuelled by binchotan charcoal. The sweet smelling smoke perfumes the dining room, which features hanging plants, flecked tile, peach lighting, bead curtains, white walls and a tiny portrait of the King of Thailand.

Co-owner Jonathan Poon shares, “The building was previously used by our landlord as their office. We found it fitting that our landlord happen to be the largest importer and supplier of south East Asian produce in Toronto.”

The restaurant’s interior is designed by Poon himself. The aesthetic was inspired by a recent trip to Los Angeles with the intention of building a restaurant that looks nothing like Thailand. Poon adds, “As with our food, we are not wanting to be authentic. We just want to have fun.”

Favorites Toronto Thai restaurant fills with natural sunlight thanks to its right side wall, which is outfitted with plenty of window space. The bustling main dining room seats 50, while a private dining room can accomodate 12.

The dining room at Favorites Thai restaurant.

Favorites Toronto Bar

Unique to Favorites Toronto is its central ice bucket bar, which sits in front of the open kitchen and offers bar stool seating for up to five guests. On busy nights you’ll find servers clutching for dripping wine bottles as friends slice into spicy sausages.

What’s missing at Favourites is a Thai-inspired cocktail list. So no lychee adorned martinis or passionfruit and galangal muddled libations here. Guests instead are encouraged to wiggle their fingers through the Thai restaurant’s extensive wine list featuring bottles from Niagara on the Lake, Prince Edward County, Germany, France and Spain.

The ice bucket bar and open kitchen at Favorites Toronto.

Favorites Toronto Menu

Chef de cuisine Haan Palcu Chang has spent years studying the flavours of Thai cuisine. Having worked in some of the best restaurants in North America and Europe, including Vancouver’s award-winning Maenam, Chef Haan joined the Favorites Toronto team to bring its quirky Thai inspired menu to life.

Chef Haan describes his food philosophy, “honest cooking is best,” and adds, “We work with 100km foods to bring some of the best Ontario product to the Favorites menu. We don’t advertise it but it can be assumed that just like any good restaurant we take our sourcing seriously.”

“This ain’t your green, yellow, red curry and pad Thai joint. We’re going to be about homemade sausages, fermented meats, shrimp pastes, jungle curries, spice, funk, heat, bitterness, sourness and a menu of delicious natural wines to wash it all down with,” Chef Haan wrote on Instagram to tease Toronto foodies before opening.

So what are the best dishes to order off of the Favorites Toronto menu?

Chef Haan describes the Ossington restaurant’s most popular menu items, “our scallop curry really showcases our kitchen’s ability as curry paste is pounded in house and cooked in cracked coconut milk. Also the lamb chops, which are done on the charcoal grill with a tamarind dipping sauce. Our popular summer salad featured Ontario corn with salted duck egg yolk, tomatoes and peanuts.”

Betel Leaf "One Bite Wrap" with Shrimp & Tamarind is one of the Ossington restaurant's signature dishes. — Betel Leaf “One Bite Wrap” with Shrimp & Tamarind is one of the Ossington restaurant’s signature dishes.

Favorites Appetizers

If you’re on a romantic date night at Favorites Toronto we suggest ordering three appetizers and two entrees for the table.

Thai Oyster with Nan Jim & Chili Jam
Betel Leaf “One Bite Wrap” with Shrimp & Tamarind
Pineapple Snack with Pork & Palm Sugar
Chiang Mai Style Pork & Tomato Relish
Salad of Century Egg with Peanut & Ginger
Spicy Grilled Eggplant Salad with Soft Egg & Dried Shrimp
Coconut Braised Mushroom with Herbs & Toasted Rice

Coconut Braised Mushroom with Herbs & Toasted Rice is a delicious vegetarian option.

Favorites Thai Curries

You won’t find traditional Thai curries here. Forget about the typical Toronto Thai restaurant’s Masamam, Penang, Green, Yellow and Red coconut curries.

At Favorites Thai restaurant the menu includes creative takes on the curry concept. The curry menu rotates with the seasons and has included local beef, PEI scallops, Ontario trout and crispy tofu for visiting vegans.

Jungle Curry of Local Beef
Fragrant PEI Scallop Curry
Crispy Tofu & 3 Flavoured Sauce
Fried Ontario Trout with Apple, Peanut & Toasted Coconut

Thai Grill

Ossington’s best Thai restaurant is unique for its open kitchen BBQ concept. Meat lovers with a penchant for sexy smoke find happiness in plump sausages, lamb chops and turmeric scented squid.