Favorites Thai is a Thai restaurant in the Trinity-Bellwoods neighbourhood of Toronto's West End.
History
The restaurant was opened in 2019 by Jonathan Poon and Monte Won, who also owns Toronto restaurants Khao San Road and Paris Paris. They cited wanting to open a Thai restaurant which could introduce their Toronto customer base to "dishes that they didn’t necessarily know about." Access to the restaurant can only be found through entering via a coffee shop.
The business employs the American spelling of "Favorites" in its name. According to the owners, this choice was made for aesthetic reasons, as the restaurant's logo was more visually appealing without the inclusion of the letter "u."
Favorites has an open kitchen, using binchotan charcoal to grill its dishes. It also uses local ingredients to create its Thai-inspired salads and grilled dishes.
Recognition
The business was named a Bib Gourmand restaurant by the Michelin Guide at Toronto's 2022 Michelin Guide ceremony, and retained this recognition in 2023 and 2024. A Bib Gourmand recognition is awarded to restaurants who offer "exceptionally good food at moderate prices." Michelin cited the restaurant's use of "fresh herbs and fiery chilis" in its dishes, including highlighting its appetizers and curries. The restaurant's owners cited the Bib Gourmand award helping to increase business to their location, and wanting to continue pushing the restaurant's cuisine to eventually receive a Michelin star.
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