KINNAREE THAI – CLOSED

Kinnaree Thai in Scarborough has been around for a couple of years offering authentic Northern Thai cuisine. Recently, the restaurant ran a set dinner and I was invited to take part. The 8 course meal was rich in flavour and did not shy away from spice.

Disclaimer: All drinks and dishes were provided free of charge by the restaurant. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

That night’s menu consisted of:
3 Appetizers
Shrimp Chips & Peanut Sauce
Mango Salad
Crab Rang Goon
4 Entrees served /w steamed rice
Red Curry Chicken with Pineapples & Lychee
Spicy Chicken
Ginger Tofu Vegetarian Stir Fry
Beef Pad See Ew
& Dessert
Coconut soup and squash

Of the appetizers, my favourite dish was the two kinds of shrimp crackers, followed by the fresh mango salad. This was my first time having the darker cracker variation and they were really tasty, thinner, denser and had more shrimp flavour. Of course the great peanut sauce also contributed to me eating the entire basket. The mango salad was tart, sweet, and had nice amount of fish sauce and cilantro – a solid dish. I liked the filling of the crab rang goon, but the wrapper wasn’t crispy.

Between the four entrees, it was hard to pick a top item. The red curry wins by a hair over the spicy chicken. Both dishes used coconut milk and was full of spice. The red curry didn’t have much heat but was very seasoned, while the spicy chicken was hot. Not armageddon wing hot, but the room started to get warm. This is a great dish for those looking for an authentic Thai dish that doesn’t hold back with the chillies. Every bite was delicious and you get used to the burning. The Ginger Tofu stir fry was also a standard dish and a nice vegetarian option. The Beef Pad See Ew had great wok air and the noodles were chewy and didn’t clump together.

Asian desserts aren’t my favourite and I’m not a huge fan of coconut. Despite that and how full I was, I enjoyed the dessert at Kinnaree Thai. The coconut soup was lightly sweet and the squash was an interesting addition to the glutinous rice ball.

Overall, the food at Kinnaree Thai was satisfying, rustic and felt true to the cuisine. With lunch combos, take-out and delivery options, if you’re nearby with a craving for Thai food, Kinnaree Thai would be a good bet.