Mengrai Gourmet Thai

The curries were delicious and filled with flavour. Mengrai has a lot of curries that you wouldn’t find elsewhere — really interesting ingredients.
Unfortunately, the pad Thai was mediocre at best and I really hoped it would taste better because it would definitely bump up my view of this place. We had other appetizers such as the morning glory and crispy prawns, which I felt were nothing special, but still tasted good.

Went here for a corporate function… our Divisional President was a regular here, and boy did we get treated like royalty.
I had the Sasi golden flowers, Mango salad, dumplings, crispy king prawns, pad thai, sticy rice, morning glory, pumpkin soup, chicken satay, and some type of crispy beef…
It was absolute heaven.

Absolutely incredible!
Food was delicious. Tasted very authentic.
Service was very good. The owner came by our table and spent some time with us talking about the restaurant. We felt very welcomed. We were even offered a drink on the house. Bonus!!!
We got to experience a blessing ceremony that happens once a year, what an incredible experience!
We will defiantly be back!!!

What a pleasant experience for a group of first timers in Toronto AND trying Thai food for the first time! I picked this place out based off of its reviews and availability on Christmas weekend. The service was amazing! They were very helpful and attentive! The owner even came and introduced himself and the chef since he knew we were from out of town. We ordered the pineapple fried rice, the glass noodles, the pomegranate beef tenderloin, the pad Thai, the Sai Thai, and for appetizers we got the tempura spinach (was everyone’s favorite!) and the spring rolls. I highly recommend the tenderloin and the fried rice! The pad Thai was a bit underwhelming and needed some more veggies but everything else really made up for it! The rest of my party that was having Thai food for the first time was satisfied and pleased, so my mission was complete! :)

I’ve eaten here multiple times and the food, atmosphere and hosts are great! If its not too busy Alin (owner) will personally come and talk to you and ask you how you’re doing. Food is well priced and the portions are great!

Had the vegetarian spring rolls as an app — nothing special, they may have been frozen spring rolls.
The #54 red curry, original pad Thai, and green curry were all very bland and flavourless.
The mango cheesecake was decent, I would eat that again.
The service was hit or miss — they gave us two cheesecakes on the house due to birthdays, however they forgot a cappuccino one of us ordered.
I would not recommend nor would I come back. Pai or Khao San Road are a much better bet.

I had a curry with lychee, the red curry with shrimp, mango salad, chick satay with peanut sauce,
The manager/​waitress is a very nice guy. I was also greeted by the chef. Great customer service.
The food was one of the best I ever had, and it was great from start to finish. I make thai food sometimes at home so I can appreciate the flavors they put in.
I cant remember what exactly I had for dessert, I think one of them was crème brûlée and the other was cheese cake but I do remember that I enjoyed it a lot.
Highly recommend and I will be back for sure

I came here a while ago with my friend Stanley and again more recently with my friend Jennifer. Stanley and myself rarely agree or like the same restaurants but this one we agreed, mediocre at best. The service was good and it was steady busy. The food generally seemed to be overly sweet in taste. I’ve never noticed this with Thai food except this time when Jennifer mentioned it several times. I have been trained in Thai Cooking, I know the ingredients to be used, I can only assume for what ever reason this place adds sugar. The food itself for me was just ok, the desert was a disappointment and the price wasn’t high for good food but it wasn’t good, it was just ok. The room was very nice and makes for a nice experience. I like the space. This is one of those hidden spots that has ok food, great room, and good service. I’m not in a hurry to go back.

This might actually be the best Thai food place in the city, but take this with a grain of salt coming from someone who is really no expert when it comes to Thai food. All I know is that I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It’s in this kind of random part of town which is surrounded by virtually nothing else and to be honest the area feels kind of sketchy, especially if you are walking alone at night. The inside of the restaurant is pretty nice though, pretty cozy, definitely caters to an older crowd and is quieter and more intimate than Khao San Road or Pai — it just overall feels kind of fancier and classier, a good kind of date setting if you can overlook the overabundance of Buddha (?) statues in the small space (there was one RIGHT beside our table.)
I think a lot of the menu items here are really unique, as I haven’t seen them on any other menus. Of course, they also have the usual standard curry options and pad thai. To start, I ordered the divine crispy morning glory paired with golden pumpkin soup. The soup was okay, I think it was pretty light in terms of the flavour, but then again that’s just the way pumpkins taste. The morning glory was crispy as advertised, and I suppose while not quite in the realm of «divine» it was still pretty good. Basically it is like tempura spinach and comes with this sweet kind of like plum sauce on the side. I would get this again just because I really like tempura.
For my main, I had to try the #54 red chicken curry with lychee which is apparently their super famous, signature, award-​winning dish. Points for presentation because it comes served in a pineapple. Other than that… I mean, I liked it, it was quite flavourful, although I was expecting and would have preferred a strong lychee flavour. But it was still there, albeit subtle, so it was a bit different and interesting. I ordered a side of rice to go with my curry, and at one point during the meal they noticed that I had a lot of curry still left over, so gave me an extra bowl on the house.
Overall, I think the main thing I like about this place is the uniqueness of their dishes. For instance, there is some kind of flower appetizer which sounds very interesting and that I would want to try on a future visit. The staff here are pretty friendly and were chatting with us before we left, like asking us for our names and everything and getting all personal. It seems like they have a lot of regular customers here who they know on a personal level so that is pretty neat. I think for any Thai food lovers this place is worth checking out!

Definitively going back, very yummy. I’ve always been curious about this place as I walked by several times. We walked in, the place was empty but several people walked in for take out orders.
The waitress was very kind, attentive and helped us select items off their extensive menu.
The bananes fried dessert with ice-​cream was seriously amazing.

Food was excellent… the service expectation fee was ridiculously inappropriate. As I posted on Facebook (slightly edited to avoid tagged people in the group)…
«You know, I just cannot believe how far we’ve come when it comes to self-​entitlement expectations in regards to the service industry and tips. I was just out at a nearby Thai restaurant I had been to before, excellent food and myself and „others“ had two pricey entrees, and a couple carafes of wine and tipped 15%, but his two young nieces that were with us got a separate bill and had the audacity to only pay 10% tip on it… would you believe the manager came over to first ask nicely if there was anything wrong with the service or the food, experience.etc.
We assured him not at all it was excellent. So he said oh. it’s just that the tip was sub-​standard as people usually pay a minimum of 15 — 20% of tip… he then comes back and throws the receipt in front of the two girls and they said yes it’s our bill we did tip. we went on the pre-​tax amount and…».he buts in «well I’m not going to argue about it with you»…picks up the bill and leaves. They are around 20 and 16. Do you not think that was ridiculously inappropriate? I have always despised the way society has turned the so called gratuity into an expected new fee! Personally I think that kind of confrontation from a restaurant is outrageous.”

Good ambience however if you are looking for authentic Thai food, this is not the place for u.

Considering I don’t like Thai food,
I enjoyed my food (healthy cashew nut stir fry with beef). Others at my table did not enjoy there’s as much. The wait was HORRIBLE. It took long just to get menus and dessert menus. The mango sticky rice wasn’t good, but the mango cheesecake was. I wouldn’t come back here though, the wait and heat was too much to bare.

Excellent food, classic décor, and very personable service. Our first meal in Toronto was exceptional and I would truly recommend the exceptional Thai cuisine at this restaurant. Please enjoy the visually appealing photos that accompany my humble opinion about a great place to eat in this beautiful city of Toronto.
Cheers!

My family thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at this fabulous restaurant last night. The food was superb and the attention we received from the owner made us feel so special.

Short version: This is the best Thai restaurant in Toronto, better than Khao San Road, Pad Northern Thai Kitchen, or any other well-​known Thai place downtown.
One of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had. Everything from start to finish was magnificent. You must, must go here.
Long version:
My mum was in town and I was hoping to take her to Pad Northern Thai, but they were booked up on the evening we wanted to visit. We weren’t going to order takeout, or wait around for hours for a table at Khao San Road, so I searched for Thai restaurants in the east end on Unilocal and it led me here.
I saved the restaurant’s number on my phone that morning, to call and make a reservation later. Somehow, I must have dialled the number accidentally, because I received a call from the owner around 11.30am. Not only did he go out of his way to call me back and take my booking, but he kept me on the phone for over five minutes chatting (in a genuine, not a creepy way), telling me about the restaurant, where to find it and what dishes he would particularly recommend. He told me that Mengrai had received the official approval of the Thai government for its authenticity in cuisine, something no other restaurant in Canada has achieved. I was blown away by his friendliness and passion for his business!
After talking with the owner, my expectations were high. After locating the restaurant on the slightly deserted and sketchy corner of Richmond and Ontario, we were seated by a wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable server, whose name unfortunately escapes me. Welcoming and chatty but not in our faces, and knowledgeable and helpful about the menu without being pushy, he made our evening a delight.
At his recommendation, all three of us ordered the restaurant’s speciality — thai red curry served in a pineapple. The kitchen had no problem in adjusting the spicyness level to adjust my mum’s milder preferences, whilst my boyfriend and I stuck to the traditional spice level (⁶⁄₁₀ spicy as described by the server).
The presentation of the curry, atop a half-​cut pineapple, was stunning. The chicken itself was gorgeous. I’m not sure who Mengrai’s suppliers are, but it was top-​notch quality. The sauce for the curry was the perfect consistency and mind-​blowingly flavourful and aromatic. This was all rounded off by the juice from the pineapple slowly seeping into the curry, giving the dish an extra sweet and unique feel. Absolutely amazing; after one bite you will easily see how this dish has won so many awards.
I was too stuffed to order dessert, and I’m not usually a dessert and especially not a cheesecake person, but after sampling my mum’s cheesecake, I was tempted to order one of my own. It was so good, I still think about it. That’s quite an accolade from someone who usually recoils at the thought of cheesecake!
The meal wasn’t cheap, but this is truly one of those restaurants where its worth every cent. The layout and décor of the restaurant is also gorgeous. It’s intimate and romantic while still maintaining a casual, spacious feel.
I’m leaving Toronto for good soon and this meal will stay with me forever. I really encourage everyone to go here — especially those who are tired of the long lines and rushed service at the better-​known Thai restaurants downtown.

Mengrai Thai is a typical non-​offensive Thai restaurant
They have the Thai offerings that you would expect to see, such as Pad Thai and Curries, and they do them justice. But there are just too many high quality Thai restaurants now in the city thanks to the Khao San Road/​Sukho Thai people that it’s hard to stand out.
I opted to get the Red Curry Chicken Lunch special, because they are known for their Red Curry Chicken Lychee. It tasted good, and had a good amount of heat to it. Just nothing I haven’t had before, and it didn’t taste as bright and fresh as some Thai places I’ve been to now. If I had never had Thai food before I would have been blown away.
I would eat here again if it was convenient, but as of right now I won’t be rushing back. A solid lunch option in the area.

I made reservations for my husband and I to come here on Valentines day and was surprised I was able to get one so easily.
We reached there at 8.30 and were show to our table immediately by a smiling server. After seating us he came back within 5 mins to take our order (we placed our order all together, drinks, appetizers and main course). I think they did that since they wanted to be quick and had more reservations. We didn’t mind it, just a bit odd.
Drinks: Lycée Martini (a bit too sweet for my liking), Bloody Caesar (really good)
Appetizers: Shared a platter for two (nothing different, but all really well made)
Main Course: #54 Signature dish (Superb!), Tapalia in Tamarind Sauce (OK), Coconut Rice (Yummmm!)
We didn’t have deserts so… no comments.
The was one of the better thai places I have been to and would definitely go back to try more of their dishes.
But what put me off about the place was how dirty it felt. Its not a cheap place, very dish is around $ 20+ and your bill will surely come to $ 100, so I except the place to exude a level of cleanliness. The place where we were seated was downstairs and was mush less clean from the place upstairs. The seat cover was stained and the floor was covered with specks of dirt and there was a dirty cloth lying under my seat. I think the next time I would prefer to get a table on the main level.

Don’t allow reservations for large groups unless you can handle it. We arrived on time. Half of our party was seated and we had to sit somewhere else b/​c they still had people eating at the rest of our table.
No one came over to give us water, a drink, anything. When they finally put us together, half an hour late, it took another 15 minutes to get water and let them know what we PRE ordered to eat. An hour in and I still hadn’t even received my glass of wine let alone any food.
When the food finally came it was okay. Not great, and certainly not worth the wait. I liked how the appetizer came with 4 little bites. The mango salad was very spicy, I couldn’t eat it. I wish I had known b/​c I would have asked for no chilli. The summer roll was good, as was the dumpling. For my main I had the striped bass. It was okay, a bit over cooked and didn’t have enough vegetables. I tried a bit of my boyfriend’s pad thai and couldn’t believe how bland it was. I can’t believe they called this place «Gourmet». Just b/​c you put something on a fancy plate or serve a dish out of a pineapple does not make it gourmet.
I had another engagement I had to be at and thought 3 hours would have been enough time for us since it was a big party but I should have blocked off 6 it seems like. I left after 3 hours and people were still finishing their mains so I missed dessert. I think it’s safe to say I will never go back there again.
The only thing good I can say is that thank god they split our bills!

As always, Mengrai exceeds expectations.
Last night I arrived with a couple of girlfriends from out of town at 7:30pm with no reservation. In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the best idea, because it was packed on a Saturday night, but it was a last minute decision to go. We took a chance and it all worked out. The friendly staff did some shuffling and critical thinking to find us a table, and we only waited about 5 minutes.
We ordered the shellfish-​free version of their mango salad to start, and all 3 of us shared. The portions at Mengrai are generous, so «family style» eating is the way to go. For dinner we ordered coconut rice, #54 Curry (out-​of-​this-​world), chicken pad Thai, & a veggie red curry. Every dish was top notch (5 stars). They asked us how hot we wanted each dish on a scale of 1 to 10 and they nailed it for each one.
I have to give a call-​out to our waiter, Brendon. He was excellent. Asked if we had visited before, took time to fully explain the menu to the one in our crew who had not, made suggestions for must-​have items, was patient, accommodating, timely and had a good sense of humor. Another mention is that service is generally fast at Mengrai because they have a flurry of hands available to help with running food, sweeping tables and generally just getting things done efficiently. All of the staff are friendly and helpful.
Total for 3 people was ~$ 100 plus tip. Very reasonable considering we each had 1 alcoholic beverage, and brought home leftovers!