Basil Thai Kitchen

Pleasantly surprised. :)

When choosing a new restaurant to try, I usually pop open my Zomato app and meticulously select a resto based on reviews, ratings, popularity, and pictures of the food.

Tonight, I didn't really care and just chose the closest restaurant with a rating of over 3.5 and happened to stumble on BTK.

When we got in, the fist thing I noticed was the uneven air conditioning. It's kind of nostalgic of Asia and their non-centralized air systems. The second thing I noticed was the desk in the back corner. There was an older Asian gentleman sitting behind the desk writing things down as another gentleman sat in front of him on a seat on the other side of the desk. I remember giggling and joking that it was a 2 in 1 service - restaurant and tax filing. I thought it was really cute.

In terms of the decor, it was pretty bland. Nothing too exciting. Just a regular grungy, homey, beat down Thai spot.

I ordered the Pad Wood Sen and the beef rolls.

The beef rolls were thinly sliced beef marinated in a very garlicky, oniony, savoury sauce - deep fried in batter. The better was slightly sweet and was definitely double fried. As I mentioned in previous reviews, I'm a fan of double frying lol. They served it with a sweet and sour tangy sauce and a hot sauce. I enjoyed them a lot.

The Pad Wood Sen, a total gamble for me, was what surprised me the most. All I knew was that it was a glass noodle dish. I was contemplating between that, a regular pad Thai, or the Goreng Malaysian noodles. I asked the server what he would recommend and I swear to God, his exact words were "Well if you ask me... Because I'm Asian... I would go with the glass noodle". When it arrived, it looked blah but smelled really nice. I wish I took a picture but the smell was so irresistible that I completely forgot to take a picture for this review. It was very good. Surprisingly good. Especially because the dish itself looked very unappealing. But the flavours were so good and so unique.

After our meal, I saw another couple who saw how quickly we devoured the noodles, order the exact same thing and rip into it with the same fervor that we had.

I can't speak for the rest of their dishes. But based on what I had ordered, I would go back and I would recommend this place.

Although, watching other people's orders arrive (curry and rice dishes), their dishes looked very bland. But if this restaurant has taught me anything, you should never judge a dish by its looks!

While the sambal chicken nukes your palate, the gago gado noodles wait in the wing with eggplant to vanquish your remains...

Toronto's best value. My husband and I have been eating in this restaurant since they started, when they took over from Jean's. They improved the menu and made it even better than their previous owners. Service is always good and food excellent.
We consider them the best value in town. We've never been disappointed and always go back. Forget about decor and other unnecessary stuff. If you want great food with great prices, then that's the place!

GREAT pad thai. My husband and I eat at Basil Thai Kitchen on a regular basis. The atmosphere is nothing special, but the food and the service are always great. A great choice for a laid back dinner with friends.

I recommend the pad thai -- not too ketchupy like a lot of other places!

Great service, amazing food and great food. Super fresh ingrediants. Try the roti paratas'