We’re not hurtin’ for good Thai food in Toronto, but there’s a new spot coming soon on Ossington, and it sounds like a doozy. You may have noticed a few T.O. food people (including Paris Paris and Superpoint‘s Jonathan Poon and Jesse Fader, teasing what appears to be a terrazzo floor with a funkadelic ’70s orange colour scheme.
Looks like that floor belongs to Favorites (Canadian “u” omitted), a brand-new joint with a rogues’ gallery of partners on board.
In a release, the team touts Favorites as “the duo’s most ambitious undertaking to date — a flaming hot, smokey, char-grilled stack of Thai BBQ, all the salads, and more natural wine.” The latter comes courtesy of Paris Paris’ Krysta Oben, one-half of the wine duo Grape Witches.
Rounding out the team is part-owner Monte Wan, who’s also behind Khao San Road, and chef Haan Palcu-Chang (formerly of Soso Food Club) whom the trio tapped to head up the kitchen.
“This ain’t going to be your green, yellow, red curry and pad Thai joint. We’re going to be about homemade sausages, fermented meats, shrimp pastes, jungle curries, spice, funk, heat, bitterness, sourness and a menu of delicious natural wines to wash it all down with,” Palcu-Chang wrote on Instagram.
Even better still, for longtime Ossington locals: Favorites marks the triumphant return of coffee kingpin Sam James to the neighbourhood.
James, as you may recall, was booted from his original Coffee Bar location at Queen and Ossington in 2015 to make way for a Shinola store (a development he was extremely not pumped about) — but the Favorites team asked him to take over part of the storefront, meaning you’ll finally be able to snag Sam James Coffee on Ossington once more.
Opening day looks to be a couple weeks away until then, follow @myfavethai for updates.
food@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
