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Real Thailand Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
350 Bloor St WToronto, ON M5S 1W9
Neighbourhood: The Annex
(416) 924-7444
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
29 reviews for Real Thailand Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I ordered the "Pad Woon Sen" and was pretty impressed and..."
(in 5 reviews)
"The food here is fantastic, and the prices are great."
(in 3 reviews)
"...from real thailand for some awesome for lunch specials."
(in 3 reviews)
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Natalie B.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2012
This is my go-to neighbourhood Thai place. Though Thai Basil gets some major points for their delicious Larb dish and and their cheap and filling lunch specials, I definitely think Real Thailand wins this neighborhood Thai rivalry.
I absolutely ADORE their fresh cold rolls. I have tried many different versions and variations all over the city and these are hands-down my fave. Whether via delivery or in person, I have ordered them too many times to keep track of at this point.They are simply chopped shitake mushrooms, tofu, egg, bean sprouts, carrot, lettuce mint leaves and corriander wrapped in soft rice papaer and cut in many pleasing bite-sizes pieces. Dipped in the accompanying sauce, the texture and flavour combo is something I'll probably never get tired of. In terms of main dishes, I keep it pretty basic and order dishes like Grilled beef, Pad Woon Sen, Pad Si Ew. -
Review from Tara E.
12/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Decent Thai food in "the hood".
Ordered the green mango salad, pad Thai and green chicken curry the first time I went. Food came quickly, and tasted good. That was enough for me to book a table for a casual birthday party.
I first have to say they are really good with people with allergies. Extra point for that. One person in my group was allergic to peanuts, another to ginger and coconut. (I know, Thai was a poor choice!) They were really respectful and provided dishes that did not trigger anyone.
This time I had the pad sen woo, which was really tasty. Downside, my friend ordered a dish, with a side of rice noodles, only to find the dish already had noodles in it! That should have been mentioned. Talk about noodle overload!
Everyone enjoyed their food, the prices aren't high, and if you want some wine it's not expensive.
Good neighbourhood Thai place when you don't feel like cooking. I'll be back. -
Review from omar k.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2011
i am surprised by the reviews of this place. i had the pad thai, and it was far too sweet and i think they simply used way too much ketchup in their recipe. that they use ketchup is surprising, and i may be wrong, but it sure tasted like my pad thai had been doused in ketchup. i have never had such bad pad thai. usually it's at least tolerable enough to finish -- this was not.
i should've been suspicious. any restaurant that prominently displays that they won some restaurant award for best thai food BACK IN 2001 should make me wonder what has happened since then. -
Review from Nikola D.
Toronto, ON
Good Thai food at average prices. A bit too spicy even for a Thai restaurant...
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Review from Peter C.
North York, ON
9/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Passed by this place a few times before and finally decided to try this place today.
Fairly big place, plenty of seats and doesn't seem that busy surprisingly.
I brought 4 out of town guests to this restaurant after hearing about all the great things about it.
I ordered the "Pad Woon Sen" and was pretty impressed and satisfied.
Great food all around, all my guests were happy with that they ordered, I remember everyone having their first bite and saying 'wow, its pretty good!'
Will definitely be back. A great selection of authentic Thai food! -
Review from Zoe R.
7/1/2011
We checked Real Thailand out tonight.
appetizer:
-Started out with spring rolls (2). They were okay.
-Hubby had tom yum gai (chicken) soup. He found it to be on the salty side.
mains:
-The Pad Woon Sen / Fried Thai Noodle Dish was ordered without egg, chicken or shrimp. The waiter suggested "with vegetables. then?" I happily agreed.
It also came with tofu, but I wasn't keen on the firm tofu and its deep-fried coating. I found this dish to be flavourful, a nice accompaniment to some plain rice.
-Also ordered was the fried eggplant dish. It was nice, and I was worried that it would be too spicy -- but if anything, it was mild. too mild? I almost requested some hot sauce or some fresh hot chili peppers.
-Chicken and veggie noodle dish. Feedback was that it had the right amount of heat.
We left feeling quite full. We decided against bringing anything home, so I pecked and pecked at what was still on the plates. I felt too full for dessert.
~~~
Service:
-we were seated immediately, and water was promptly served;
-this place was seriously well staffed tonight. there were always ppl around keeping an eye on refilling our water, we felt attended to;
-background music is Thai. All servers were communicating in Thai with each other. Nice Thai decor. You'll notice the photo of a regal king. I think the photo may be of King Chulalongkorn (1853-1910). http://en.wikipedia.or...
~~
Zoe's fave item(s): Pad Woon Sen / the glass noodle dish made with veggies instead of egg/chicken/shrimp. Skip its tofu, unless you're into the coated, deep-friend, and firm version. I'd order it again w/ a side of plain rice.
I would absolutely go again. Esp. when I next have a hankering for Thai food!Listed in: Best of's :)
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Review from Besma M.
Toronto, ON
1/13/2012
Some of the best Thai in Toronto! Great mango salad, rich flavorful curries.
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Review from RJ S.
Mississauga, ON
1/23/2011 2 photos
Best pad thai I have ever had!
While wondering the streets shopping on a hot summer day in the downtown Toronto, me and my friends were trying to find something to eat. Which of course you would think would be easy considering that downtown Toronto offers some of the most diverse food in the world.
After walking from Queen St to Yonge St to Bloor and finally Spadina we finally found a place we all agreed upon. I'm really glad that it took us that long to find it b/c this place was like a diamond in the rough.
On the outside there is a little patio section where you could eat but considering the heat outside we wanted the nice AC to enjoy our dinner. On the inside it was very well decorated with statues, pictures and all the things you would find in Thailand. I'm only guessing here b/c I haven't been to Thailand yet!
There was a large variety of items on the menu that was decently priced, but considering this was my first time here I already made up my mind to try the pad thai. I started off first with the calamari and they were very well done, not oily like some places and the sauce that they use to dip it in was delicious and made the calamari that much better. As for the pad thai, I absolutely made the right choice at that time, the pad thai was the best I've ever had! I added a little more spice than normal and it was superb!
Now the only reason I haven't given this place 5 stars yet is b/c I havent tried all of the food yet. I do plan on coming back most likely in the summer time to try the rest of the menu. So this is only a partial review!
Items to definitely get:
- seafood pad thai
- calamari -
Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
2/19/2011
Their menu is pretty diverse and their appetizers are my favourite that I've tried so far. Must-trys are the Green Mango Salad (sweet slices of green mango topped with fish sauce) and the Calamari (fried to crispy perfection without being overly oily). For the entrees, I tried 2 different curry dishes (lamb and duck) and 2 noodle dishes (pad thai and glass noodles). Wasn't a big fan of the curry, I found it to be overly sweet with too much coconut sauce so it overpowered the meaty flavour. But i think in general I'm more of a Malaysian Curry lover than Thai anyways. But what won me over were their Pad Thai and the Pad Woon Sen dishes. They were sooo yummy and flavourful - i loved it.
The waitstaff was super friendly but service was a bit on the slow side but I didn't mind too much since it was pretty packed.
Overall , it was good meal. -
Review from Amelia B.
Toronto, ON
4/12/2011
This place has turned into one my favourite places to eat on the go. My bf and I love it here!
Reasons why you should go:
1. Excellent portions.
2. Great service.
3. Cheap liquor and beer.
4. Lovely atmosphere.
Honestly, you will not be disappointed!Listed in: Restaurants
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Review from Thomas H.
10/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Real Thailand is excellent for the price point.
I've been going here for many years. The food is very consistent at dinner time, and you will always be full after a meal here. Yes, the lunch is a good deal, but the dinner options are definitely better.
Recommendations:
1) Kang Massaman Lamb (excellent thick dark curry)
2) Cashew Nut Chicken. Someone else said there were no cashews.. I've had this over 50 times and it has always come with lots of cashews
3) Pad Woon Sen (glass noodles)
4) Radnar Talay (seafood + rice noodles)
5) Grilled Beef
Also, order a Coconut rice with your meal
Note: I find that the pad thai is only mediocre and overrated by others. Don't judge them on the pad thai alone. Green curry chicken is just average. -
Review from Nate G.
Toronto, ON
5/4/2010
I eat here wayyyyyy too much.
They deliver as well, so it's rare we eat in the actual restaurant, but we're so close that they delivery is cheap and fast, and everything arrives hot.
Like HOT. Too hot to eat right away. Awesome.
The food here is fantastic, and the prices are great.
My favorites:
1)Chicken Panang - really creamy, and the peanut flavor is fantastic. The chicken is always good quality and tasty as shit.
2)Basil Chicken - spicy but not mouth-burning. Chicken is tasty, veggies are cooked perfectly, and fresh is all get out.
3)Chicken Fried Rice - normally I wouldn't add this but it's so good here I have to mention it. Basil-infused fried Thai rice at its best
4)Chicken Pad Thai - I don't like shrimp so I ask for their pad thai with JUST chicken, and they have never screwed that up. I think this is the best Pad Thai in the city, next to Queen Mother, tho I must admit I'm no expert.
Great place, friendly service, great delivery, awesome food, super cheap.
Go. -
Review from Linda M.
3/16/2011
My friend and I ended up at Real Thailand after our fiasco at Boulevard Café (see previous review). It was a Friday night and it was after 8, so we figured we wouldn't likely be able to get into any other semi-upscale places. At this point, we were both very hungry and just wanted some food in our bellies before heading over to Lee's Palace for the evening. When we got up to Bloor, this was the first place we saw. I wasn't super stoked about the idea of Thai food (I love Thai, but I had been anticipating South American cuisine all day), but went for it anyways. I was a quick convert when I saw the price point on their cocktails - 2 and 3 ounces for $5.50 and $6.50! That is a rare find in Toronto, or so has been my experience. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea, and was very happy with it (so happy I ordered another before the meal was through). And I didn't see the pre-made mix on the bar, but I can't say 100%.
The restaurant decor was pretty nice, nicer than the typical Thai restaurants I've been to in the past where it's just tables and chairs. There was some artwork and some attempts had clearly been made to enhance the atmosphere. The service was decent - not great, not bad.
As for our meals, I ordered the Pad Woon Sen (stir-fried glass noodle with chicken, shrimps, egg and onion for $8.95). I tend to go for Pad Si Ew, but decided to mix it up a bit. And I was glad I did, because it was really tasty! I don't think I've ever had glass noodles before...they're so tiny...that might have been the basis of their appeal for me. My friend ordered mixed vegetables and rice, and although she liked it found that there wasn't quite the variety she had hoped for.
Definitely not the best Thai food I've had (I did grow up in Richmond Hill after all), but very good value and great for a quick meal if you're in the area. -
Review from Z Y.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2011
Went in for dinner with friends from Ottawa expecting the place to be a standard Thai restaurant. By that, we expected the food to be flavourful, fresher than Thai Express, but nothing wow.
What was pleasantly surprising was the decor inside. It was a lot nicer than we expected, so we decided to pass on the outside patio and just sit in.
The menu is actually quite extensive so you can try a lot of things. We got the crab fried rice, a beef dish, and a lamb dish. The portions were fair (the pictures on the menu actually make the dishes seem smaller than they are). The sauces were a bit overwhelming, and the rice didn't really have a solid taste, though they did throw in a good amount of crab meat including a claw. Overall tasty food, but as expect, not wow. Service is solid and it's pretty cheap, but in the Annex, it wouldn't be harder to get a more satisfying meal for the same price.
As a point of reference for people from Ottawa, it's comparable to the Green Papaya restaurants in Ottawa, with nicer seating. -
Review from Renata R.
3/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
Great thai food for great prices! I loved the chicken soup, and I'm not even a fan of chicken. I can't wait to go there and try different things - but starting with the amazing chicken soup.
If you choose seafood, the prices may be a little higher, but they're still ok.
It has many options of teas (like green, jasmine, etc) but they charge 1.50 per jar.
Some dishes don't have steamed rice, and you may have to add your choice of rice (steamed, coconut) for 1.50 or something like that .
Me and my husband had a seafood dinner, with rice, soup and tea for $25, including tax and tip -
Review from Thulasi T.
Scarborough, ON
10/27/2011
A conveniently located, surprising tasty little find. We took-out, but every thing was fresh. The pad woon sen was quite yummy, and the prices very affordable (approx 9$ a dish) Will definitely come back!
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Review from Roma M.
6/23/2010
I've been coming here every now and then for a few years now, and the food is always authentic and very delicious.
Personally, I'd rather come for lunch since the prices are great, and the food is pretty much the same but dinner has also been exceptional if you can't work with the timings.
Rice is an extra $1.50 per bowl and that's a bit of a downer but I'm not big on rice, anyway. I'm usually okay with just half a bowl.
The service is just okay, so they lose half a star being a little less attentive, but they do an adequate job, and I couldn't care less about the service when this is the best Thai option in the Annex.
I heartily recommend the:
-Yum Mamuang (Green Mango Salad, $7.95). It comes with an assortment of ingredients, spices and grilled chicken. If you're a vegetarian you might want to let the servers know ahead of time, because I would have never expected Chicken in my Green Mango Salad, but I loved it.
-Kai Kraphao (Basil Chicken, $8.95). It's rich, a little coconut-y, and pretty spicy.
-Pad Makheur (Basil Eggplant, $8.95). I adore eggplant. I love it's juicy sweetness when cooked with spices, chilis and other vegetables, so it very easily wins me over everytime.
You *have* to try the lunch specials at least once, though. -
Review from Raynarth L.
North York, ON
6/17/2011
Food was good however service was horrible. Interior is bland and dark. Only plus is that the food is cheap and quick.
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Review from Angela L.
5/28/2010
Real Thailand is brightly lit with a large, two tiered open dining room. The service is super friendly and the menu large and affordable. The crispy fried tofu came with an even ratio of tasty fried taro slices and an appetizing dip of spicy fish sauce and julienned cucumber. The seafood soup was hearty, swimming with mussels, thick slices of fish, and squid rings in a flavourful broth.
During our visit, despite an unfortunate incident with a homeless person coming in and harassing the servers by breaking glasses and attacking them with a chair, the servers silently cleaned up the mess and maintained a friendly demeanor.
I have more than a handful of favourite Thai restaurants (and many more on my to try list), but despite not making it onto my top five, Real Thailand was none too shabby. -
Review from Jen K.
Toronto, ON
7/23/2010
Wasn't expecting too much when we decided to dine here, after my picky dinner companion vetoed every Korean place on the block. She was looking for a meal containing chicken, she said and wasn't all that impressed with the paucity of options at Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu. Real Thailand's menu, visibly adherent to the inside of the glass window, promised to deliver. So many different chicken dishes! Gotta love the bird....
Unfortunately, it was all terrible. Between her cashew chicken (sure didn't see any cashews in there..) and my chicken with broccoli and basil, we forced ourselves to down the plentiful portions of Real Thailand's "chicken-y goodness." Let's not forget the rice paper wraps which tasted like cardboard. Gotta say, the broccoli was legitimately delicious, but after our long and hard search for chicken, we vowed never to come back here again! -
Review from Aaron B.
2/17/2010
This is a pretty average Thai food restaurant, reasonable food and not too high prices. I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but if you're in the area and need to feed then this will fill your belly for about $12. The taste had the standard mass-produced taste and quality known across North America that is neither bad nor good. I managed to get in and out in record time (I eat fast and I ordered a simple dish), so that's a selling point for my schedule, but I fear for my stomach tomorrow morning.
Oddly, though the place is called "Real Thailand" the only Thai drinks they have are two kinds of beer. Lame. In L.A. my favorite Thai place has this Thai-style rice wine that I prefer even to the Japanese variety. Nothing here like that here...or any Thai soda. It's not real. It's just a nothing-special cookie-cutter Thai restaurant that serves a purpose...and that purpose is not to be real Thailand. -
Review from Julianna B.
Toronto, ON
12/9/2010
Honestly, I think I could eat their red curry forever. However, I think I need to do some more research before writing a lengthy review - maybe eight or nine trips. This week.
Listed in: Thai Thai Thai Love Love Love
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Review from Catherine M.
ON
11/30/2008
When I moved to Toronto I was more than a little disappointed in the smaller takeout thai experiences I was having. Why is the pad thai so pink, I'd ask? Oh, some places put ketchup in it, was the glib reply. What? Really? Maybe I was a bit of a thai food snob, but I decided to just hold out for something better than to complain about the less than stellar options available.
Eventually someone convinced me to go to Real Thailand for their incredibly cheap lunch specials, most of which run between $5-$7 each. For that kind of price I knew that I could afford to have a bad experience, so I went ahead and ordered the pad thai. Your lunch comes with the choice of soup or mango salad, then the meal itself which comes with a spring roll. The first trip hit the ball right out of the park, and thus I was converted.
If you're fussy about soup you may have to try and sweet talk your way into something better, the soup seems to be lemongrass chicken more than the far superior hot and sour soup. If you go earlier the service will be a bit faster, but generally speaking you'll be eating in very short order, and with soup or salad to keep you busy it's no big sacrifice to have to wait a few more minutes. Ice cream at the end is just another couple of dollars with options like coconut and mango ice cream. I also recommend the red pork curry and the spicy tofu, although bear in mind that nearly anything with the word "spicy" in the title isn't going to really be spicy at all, I haven't tried yet but it might be worth a try to see if you can get it extra hot or something. -
Review from Holly O.
8/20/2010
I got take-out because this restaurant was only blocks from my hotel. The prices were very affordable. The staff were very gracious & efficient. All of the food was delicious. I definitely recommend it if you are in the area and looking for genuine Thai cuisine. Good for dressy or casual.
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Review from Noel D.
6/1/2009 1 Check-in Here
I love this place! I used to live in the Annex and would get takeout there pretty much every-other day. The food is delicious and the staff could not be any friendlier. Now that I live out of the area I am still able to get delivery and even that is amazing, and there's only a 20 dollar minimum. It's quick, accurate and friendly. Definitely the best Thai food in the city.
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Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
10/17/2008
If you live in the Annex, this I where you should be ordering your Thai delivery from, it's the absolute best. They have tons of veggie selections, healthy options, great soups and starters and the prices are great. Plus, they deliver so quickly, sometimes I wonder how they make it that fast, and you don't have to order tons and tons of food to get it delivered in the first place.
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Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
12/15/2008
i used to work in the area and one of my fav things was "working lunches"
we'd order from real thailand for some awesome for lunch specials. they offer them to take-out or dine-in. the portions are large and each meal comes with an assortment of items.
food takes a while to prepare though, so i suggest ordering well in advance or be prepared to wait. -
Review from andrew w.
7/26/2010
great food. staff was very pleasant. outdoor seating and people watching was great.
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Review from A K.
Toronto, ON
7/14/2009
This restaurant has amazing deals for lunch time. I have ordered Vegetarian Pad Thai Combo which came with a side of soup or mango salad + 2 spring rolls, which was $5. The food was good for the price, but the pad thai tasted like it was made with ketchup and had no peanuts on top, which I have come to expect. The mango salad was quite good but toward the end of it I felt this weird aftertaste forming in my mouth. Spring rolls are quite good, nice balance of flavors. The restaurant is quite spacious with traditional style decor, and has a decent lunch time crowd. Amazing deal, but the pad thai was not good enough for me to come back again.
