Sukhothai
134 Robertson Road, Nepean, Ontario
Type: Thai
Rating: 8 out of 10

Another strip mall gem, the only problem I can attribute to Sukhothai is that so many people seem to know about it. The restaurant is packed regardless of day of the week or whether you're there for lunch or dinner. Being a relatively small space there isn't much room to mill about if you're waiting for a take-out order.

After many visits and take-out orders I've sampled most of the menu. Some appetizers are better than others. The satay is wonderful but I wasn't enamoured with the fish cakes. The soups are good but not spectacular, especially if you're looking for something spicy.

Things really start to look up with the meat, curry, and noodle entrees. The Pad Thai may be the best I've had anywhere in the city. Dishes here are savoury above all else -- everything is light and tasty without the oily residue found at some other Thai spots. One thing I did notice is that the kitchen has a predilection toward abundant use of purple cabbage. If you're not fond of this purple vegetable, you may want to steer toward the curries or go elsewhere.

Curry dishes with coconut milk are particularly tasty and even more so when combined with the excellent sticky rice. Dishes labelled 'hot' are actually 'medium' heat at most, though the kitchen will try to honour specific requests to spice things up. If heat if your thing, you may want to try Phnom Penh.

Sukhothai has a small but reasonably-priced lunch menu. At least once a month Sukhothai fever hits and I'm compelled to call in and pick up lunch (about 10 minutes from my office which works out nicely). Take-out portion sizes are a bit small for the dinner menu as compared to most other Thai restaurants, but portions for the lunch menu are just fine.

Particular favourites are (in no specific order):

  • Satay
  • Pad Thai
  • Tom Kha Gai (hot and sour chicken soup)
  • Gang Garee Gai (curry chicken with potatoes)
  • Nuea Sukhothai (curry beef)
  • Gai Pad Med Ma Muang (chicken with cashews and dried chilis)

Price is average with most entree dishes priced at about $11.00. A full meal for two with soup, appetizer, and a couple of entrees will result in a $60 or $70 tab.