Chili Festival | Bangkok Garden

The hubs and I were invited to sample the new Chili Festival menu at one of our favourite Thai restaurants in Toronto and we decided it was time to officially have a date night. We’ve attended events without the Little Monkey but have always taken her with us to restaurants. However, this time around, we enjoyed not having to clean up after a messy toddler! Besides, she’s dined at Bangkok Garden many a time so I don’t feel as bad (that said I really do need to add an eating out with baby post for Bangkok Garden!).

We love spicy food and that’s no secret. Being Sri Lankan, we’re known for our spicy dishes and it was definitely a sign when I realized on our very first date that the hubs was a fan of spicy food (despite his “white” Cape Breton roots). Needless to say when Chef William hosted us for a spicy affair, we were there with bells on! Bangkok Garden is one of those hidden gems that many are unaware of. Nestled on Elm Street (one of the best foodie streets in Toronto) it’s hard to imagine that a luxurious setting and tranquil upscale environment awaits you on the inside. The spot is quite huge  (yet intimate at the same time) and wooden decor greets you on arrival. Elmwood Spa (another one of my faves in the city) must exude a special element of relaxation on its neighbour because I always feel calm once I enter Bangkok Garden. It’s a spot I hang out with the girlfriends and it’s a spot that both my moms absolutely love. Clearly a good balance, no matter what the occasion. However I must admit that having done date night there, it’s definitely a fair contender for a fancy date night without hurting the bank.

All May long the Chili Festival is on and after the superb meal we had last night, I highly urge all my chili lovers to get out and test their special menu out! There’s a good balance of dishes for the mild at heart and for those of us with a healthy appetite for spice. Here’s some pictures to show you the dishes on feature…from drinks to desserts, everything had a spicy touch!

APPETIZERS

We started off with THE BEST Calamari I’ve ever had. The Dry Red Chili Calamari, made from Banana squid from Thailand was sprinkled with roasted dry chili which made it amazingly spicy (be warned, you need a healthy spice tolerance for this one!). We also sampled the Naughty Little Peppers which was a lively combination of steamed banana peppers stuffed with spicy pork (I found this one fairly mild on its own). Clearly two appetizers weren’t enough so we also had the Salmon and Lemongrass Spears which had minced salmon and shrimp in a ginger, lime leaf and coriander mix. A highlight for the two of us were the lightly pickled cucumber slices that accompanied the appetizers. Cucumbers definitely help calm the spicy fires and it too had a bit of a zing to it.  The hubs paired the appys with a Red Eye To Bangkok ( I really was wishing I was on a red eye to Bangkok but being here was pretty much the next best thing). Get this, it has vodka, Steamwhistle, Tomato juice AND Sriracha. This drink gets spicier has you get into it. I did see him nursing it for the entire meal – definitely a new found go to drink for him!

SALADS

Now normally I would not get appys and a salad but I just couldn’t say no to Chef William. And boy am I glad I didn’t. Both, the Chicken Larb Lettuce Wraps  and the Thai Fruit Salad, are inspired by the salads served on street corners in Thailand. They were both refreshing, tangy and with the slightest of spicy punches. The lettuce wraps were fun and got us digging in, I love eating with my hands! It was so refreshing to have a fruit salad in the middle of the roster and definitely not something I would have chosen on my own. I will be doing this more often at my own dinner parties!

ENTREES

By the time the mains rolled in we were getting quite full but the food smelled amazing and my mouth was watering. I blame it on the pregnancy! We noshed on the combination of Spicy Clam Stir-Fry which had fresh veggies with prik poa sauce. I really enjoyed the Weeping Tiger (Gotta love that name! Apparently in Thailand they use a fatty cut on a grill which means a lots of fatty drips and sparks flying) and the sticky rice that accompanied it. Anything on a banana leaf wins my approval!  I also wish I had a bottle of sauce that accompanied the Weeping Tiger! So delicious! The flat iron steak was well marinated and it was grilled in a way that both the hubs and I enjoyed it – I had my well done pieces and he has his medium rare ones. Win-Win! We also had the Spicy Laksa was another favourite of mine. I always enjoy a good Laksa and this one was certainly delicious! The parsnip chips were a very nice flair and complemented the rice noodles in an aromatic broth of red curry paste and coconut milk. All  three dishes were a lovely balance of spiciness for us and the hubs paired it all with a Dragon Tail which was a honey hot pepper vodka, passionfruit and mango combination.

DESSERT

Oh how I waited for dessert. Ever since Bangkok Garden teased us on Twitter with the Chocolate Mousse combination a couple weeks ago, I was waiting in anticipation for this dish. It sure did not disappoint. The best part Chef William informed me was that this dish is dairy free as it’s made from coconut milk. I think all mousse needs to be made with coconut milk moving forward. It lent a creamy thick texture that’s hard to come by on regular mousse dishes. Not going to lie, after all the spicy mains, the chocolate was welcomed; though I could have used an extra dash of Sriracha. The Chili Pandanus Rice with mango ice cream was also really good. I wasn’t aware of the Pandamus flavour until Chef William mentioned it, but apparently it’s a leaf and is used to flavour many sweet dishes. A true touch of decadence to end the evening!

This Chili Festival menu definitely wins on taste and creativity. The service was fantastic as always and we left looking forward to our next visit. On our short stroll home we passed the wall the hubs proposed near which was a lovely end to our first official date night.

This Mother’s Day there’s a special brunch for the moms in your life so be sure to Tweet at Bangkok Garden letting them know why you love your mom and you could win lunch! My mom in law often asks to visit Bangkok Garden when she visits from Nova Scotia and my mom can be found frequenting the amazing lunch buffet during the weekdays so needless to say… I’m sure your mom would love to dine here for Mother’s Day!