Sabai Sabai: Authentic Thai Tapas

Anyone who’s been to Thailand will admit that most of the “Thai” food we get served on this side of the world bears no resemblance to the real deal. Finding authentic Thai in the city is like finding a needle in a haystack. As with other cuisines, there are many ways to make Thai food (every family has their own recipe and list of secret ingredients), but I’ve yet to find a chef in Toronto who can rival Chef Nuit Regular. To say she’s won over my heart through my stomach is an understatement. The sheer fact that I’ve followed her food from Sukhothai to Khao San Road and, most recently, to Sabai Sabai hopefully conveys just how much I love her cooking. In my opinion, she is the Queen of Thai in Toronto…

Last week, my photog and I had the honour of dining with Chef Nuit at Sabai Sabai. It was an experience I will never forget. And as we tasted her delectable tapas, she candidly shared stories that shed light on her culinary journey. One thing became clearly evident as the night unfolded: Chef Nuit has a deep connection with her food. She understands it, she respects it and she’s passionate about it. One by one, she proudly brought traditional Thai ingredients (like wild ginger, chayote, phak chi farang and holy basil) to our table to show us what they look, smell and taste like. Lucky for us, she expertly combines these ingredients to create mouthwatering tapas…

We started our meal off with the crispy fried taro roll ($9). Made with bean curd sheets, this vegan appetizer had a great crunch and really hit the spot on the brutally cold night.

Then we tasted a new menu item: eggplant stir fry with Thai basil ($9). This was my photog’s favourite dish. The eggplant was perfectly cooked and surprisingly light. We ate it with both jasmine and brown rice and thought the nutty flavour of the brown rice added a nice profile to the eggplant dish.

Next, I had the chicken satay. The meat was juicy and served with a fresh cucumber vinaigrette and a thick peanut sauce (you’re meant to dip the satay in both). It’s a great tapas to share with the table – well, not when you’re with a vegetarian like I was. That’s okay, more for me!

Then, one of my all-time favourites from Chef Nuit’s kitchen was gently placed on our table. Her khaoi soi ($8) holds a special place in my heart. The broth has a perfect consistency and a depth of flavour that only a master chef can create. This time I tried the vegetable khaoi soi (I usually opt for the chicken or the beef) so I could share it with my photog. We both really liked the dish, but I still prefer the meat versions.

Then we moved on to the fresh spring rolls ($6). The dish was bright, filled with crisp vegetables and served with a beautiful sauce. Chef Nuit makes all of her sauces from scratch and uses many imported ingredients from Thailand. You can truly taste the difference. This particular sauce was made with pineapple and had a nice sweetness and acidity that livened up the dish.

The squash fritters ($7) came out next. And they were so good that we had to share them with anyone in sight (there are perks to sitting near us at a resto)! The fritters were nice and light, but it was the sauce that really won me over: the flavours tantalized every taste bud in my mouth. The tamarind and freshly roasted peanuts (yup, they have a peanut roaster in the kitchen) added so much complexity to the sauce. It was absolute perfection.

And last, but certainly not least, Chef Nuit disappeared into the kitchen and came out carrying a new dish. Made with chayote, phak chi farang, shrimp, cherry tomatoes and a few other special ingredients, this dish was – in my opinion – Thailand in a bowl. It was fresh, had great texture and was expertly balanced. It really knocked it out of the park for me and will be available on their menu soon!

Sabai Sabai also has an awesome drinks list. I opted for the Beerlao during dinner (they’re the only restaurant in Toronto to offer the beer on their menu) and my photog had the Thai mojito (made with their own lemon grass and coconut sugar syrup). We sipped on our drinks as co-owners, Laotian-born Jason Jiang and Seng Luong, told us their stories. Interestingly, Chef Nuit won over their hearts at the original Sukhothai on Parliament. They later became friends and business partners with the opening of Sabai Sabai.

Sigh, I always leave Sabai Sabai with a giant smile on my face. The positive energy in the room is contagious. And although the restaurant looks modern, they’ve managed to create a very laid-back and quintessentially Thai ambiance (a true testament to the name, which means relaxed in Thai). Combined with the traditional Thai tapas – which give you glimpse of what a family feast in Chef Nuit’s native Chiang Mai would taste like – the experience took us back to one of the friendlies and most beautiful countries we’ve ever visited. This is the reason I continue to go back to Sabai Sabai. And I highly recommend that you check it out too! Here are a few tasty menu items to consider ordering:

• My favourite dishes: khao soi, the grilled beef salad and the squash fritters
• Chef Nuit’s favourite dish: green curry
• Jason’s favourite dish: masaman beef curry
• Seng’s favourite dish: holy basil stir-fried shrimp

Happy feasting!

Special thanks to Sabai Sabai for hosting us. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.