Toronto Free Press Restaurant Guide

Bangkok Gardens

Home of Thai Cuisine

On our arrival, we were warmly greeted and shown to our seats beside the gently flowing river. The decor is unique to the Bangkok Gardens. Many items were custom designed and imported from Thailand. Lushly decorated in teak, the two-storey restaurant is a tropical paradise in the heart of Toronto.

Vath, our waiter, who has been at Bangkok Gardens since 1984, took the time to explain Thai cooking and helped us make our selections. He told us that Thai cooking is based on the principal of balancing the five tastes--sweet, sour, hot, salty and bitter. I thought they were hot, hotter, very hot, really hot and hottest.

Our appetizers were an appetizer assortment for two and Vath recommended some Thai Calamari as well. The appetizers consisted of Curry puffs, Thai spring rolls, Chicken and Beef Satay and our favourite Naughty Little Peppers. On a side note, the menu is annotated with little blue pepper images beside the dishes. One pepper means mildly spicy with little or no sting. As the menu notes five indicates "Can you take it? This level is for addicts, masochists and Thai nationals. Order beer and tissues with these dishes. Management accepts no responsibility for side effects.