It was past 1:30PM when I headed to Sabai Sabai, a Thai restaurant not too far from the AGO. The place was quiet, I had just skipped the lunch hour rush. I was offered to pick any place at the restaurant but I chose to stay at the bar. Somehow, I am used to travel on my own and I usually pick the bar seats. When I was about to sit, I heard someone calling my name. I was being rescued from the loneliness of that empty bar. It was a fellow foodie friend who had the same very idea than I. Take the day off and have lunch at Sabai Sabai.
Sabai Sabai had an european vibe. It could be transplanted to many cities I have been to. Very lax, modern, but with a subtle vintage touch. Our waiter was very young and friendly. My friend was having a Mojito... wait... a Thai-Restaurant-Mojito? Anyway... I asked for a cocktail advice and ended up ordering a midnight monsoon. The mixture of thai basil, lime, and ginger was refreshing. Perfect for that warm afternoon in Toronto.
I had the house made panang curry with rice. They had Basa fish and shrimp as protein options, and I was advised to get the fish. The origins of panang curry are not very clear to me as some say it comes from Malaysia and some say it comes from Laos, even though the best panang curries I had were at Cambodian restaurants. Go figure it!
I checked the level of spiciness of the dish with our waiter and he explained to me that it was on the mild side. It was somewhat expected as panang curry is one of the mildest Thai curries out there, so I had to ask for more heat in my dish. The cook got my description very well and gave me SPICY (just below Thai Spicy). The fish was great!
Chef Nuit is certainly doing an excellent job. It was a great lunch! I hope her dinners are as good. It feels good to write a good review!
