Where else in the city can you sup upon an appetizer platter, two mains, dessert AND a bottle of cheap Niagara Gewurtztraminer for 2 for under $100 including tax and tip? I will tell you: nowhere but at Vanipha Lanna.
I'l preface this review by stating the you won't be impressed by the outside. It looks like the remnants of an old strip mall, and the neighbourhood (St. Clair West, just before Dufferin) can get a little dicey. But what's inside is worth the trip.
The decor is authentic, and busy, boasting a water fountain and several thousand plants. Being that so many Thai places are shifting to the North American friendly minimalist decor trend, I sincerely appreciate that VL keeps it real. And the food is seriously good.
The appetizer platter features the standby spring roll, but mixes things up with the likes of Gong Pun Oy, which is best described as a spiced shrimp cake coated in coconut and wrapped around a sugar cane stick.
For a main we try the Duck Stir Fry, which is a mildly spiced blend of shredded duck, baby cobs of corn and traditional standby Thai vegetables. The flavour balance is the perfect harmony of sweet, salty hot and sour.
Pad Thai is better than any I've eaten on the Bloor strip. The noodles are gently fried and devoid of gloopy cornstarch based sauces.
A dessert of Smooth Mango Rice pudding is like a sweet sticky cloud and the perfect end to a delicious meal.
Vanipha Lanna is the Thai that we've forgotten about with many of the baubled, watered down offerings that crop up in more gentrified areas
863 St. Clair Ave. W. (at Winona Dr.)
416-654-8068
Closed Sunday and Monday
http://www.vanipha.ca/
Value: Excellent
Price: $80 for Three courses (including 2 mains), dessert and a bottle of wine.
Jenny Likes It: ***Seconds, Please
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