Sukhothai: A Taste of Thailand on Wellington

It all started on an elephant, hence the logo. Chef Nuit Regular and her husband Jeff are celebrated for bringing the distinct flavour of Northern Thai cuisine and hospitality to Toronto with their restaurants Sukhothai, Pai Northern Thai Kitchen and most recently Kiin, which celebrates Royal Thai cuisine. The popularity of their restaurants all began with the opening of the humble Curry Shack in the small town of Pai, in Northern Thailand. Having learned to cook in her mother’s kitchen, Chef Nuit left her career as a nurse in Thailand to share her passion and life experiences through family recipes, street market dishes, and creative collaborations. With a focus on classic Northern Thai cooking, Sukhothai's Green Curry with bamboo shoots, kaffir lime leaves, basil leaves, green peppers and coconut milk served with steamed Jasmine sticky rice, is so close to the sensational curries we enjoyed in Bangkok, the flavours take us right back to Thailand. Sukhothai's menu includes sensational spring rolls, creamy coconut soups, rice, curries and noodles dishes, which are served with varying degrees of spiciness: mild, hot, spicy hot and Thai hot — just be sure to order a tall frosty Singha beer which pairs well with the hot curries and keeps you cool, as you experience the most deliciously authentic Thai cuisine in the city.

Sukhothai menu of excellent Thai dishes from Pad Thai to Tom Kha Gai and Mango Sticky Rice

Crispy Shrimp Rolls

Gaeng Garee Yellow Curry with chicken and potatoes

Pad Kee Mao Noodles with red and green peppers, Thai basil, mushrooms, egg and shrimp

www.sukhothaifood.ca

Thai Pad Kee Mao Or “Drunken Noodles”
Serves 4-6
Recipe courtesy of chef Nuit Regular

1/3 of a 1-pound package of long rice noodles, such as stick vermicelli
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
1/2 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
3 white mushrooms, sliced
8 stalks asparagus, cut in half lengthwise, then into 2″ pieces
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Thai bird’s-eye chili, finely sliced - optional


Place the rice noodles in large bowl and cover with room temperature water. Soak until soft, at least 1 hour. In separate bowl, stir the sugar with water until dissolved. Mix in the soy sauce and oyster sauce, then set aside. In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not crispy, about 1 minute. Drain the noodles and add to the pan. Add the sauce, peppers, carrots, mushrooms and asparagus and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. Add the Thai basil leaves and cook another minute. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with black pepper, mix well and serve on a decorative platter and garnish with extra basil. For extra spice, top with Thai bird’s-eye chili.