Pi-Tom’s Thai Cuisine
6 Alexander Street
416-966-1813
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and fruit shakes: $50

There is rarely a block in Toronto that does not contain a Thai restaurant , making it a gamble to find a gem among the duds that serve up ketchup drenched Pad Thai and bland curry. So with a hankering for spicy soup and spring rolls several months back, I stumbled into Pi-Tom’s, hoping for the best – luckily, I made a good bet.

For starters, my husband and I usually order the Thai cold rolls ($6.95) which are stuffed to the maximum with shredded chicken and vegetables, but he had a light appetite this night, and instead opted for a strawberry fruit shake ($3). The beverage had actual fresh fruit strawberry taste with a hint of tartness. I went for the vegetarian Tom Yum soup ($4.95), which was high on the lemongrass flavour, but low on the spiciness. It fell a bit below my expectations in the spice factor, as I expected a higher heat level. However, it was filled to the brim with a complement of crisp vegetables and was quite tangy, making up for the subtle spiciness. For a group of four or more, Pi-Tom’s appetizer platter is a deal ($12.95) that includes a buffet of fried items like calamari and tofu, the previously mentioned Thai cold rolls and satay chicken skewers.

For the mains, we ordered the Cashew chicken ($10.95, side order of rice included), which contained an assortment of vegetables sautéed with a generous amount of chicken in a garlicky, sweet chili sauce. All of these flavours were very complimentary to each other, resulting in a balanced taste experience. We decided to deviate from the tried and true gold standard Pad Thai ($10.95) that Pi-Tom’s offers, instead opting for Pad See Iew ($10.95), a rice noodle dish with Chinese broccoli and a choice of meat (we picked pork). It was not the most exciting noodle dish on their menu, as it was stir fried mainly with soya sauce. Yet it was still quite satisfying, due to its mild flavour contrasting and mixing well with the cashew chicken entrée.

A sweet and sour Mango Mousse ($4.95) capped off the night, making it a light and satisfying ending to the meal. Also noteworthy is that they offer a very affordable $25 prix fixe five course menu. This Thai joint is worthy of repeat visits with its combination of flavourful food and attentive service.