Sketchy Goodness

You've heard the expression 'don't judge a book by its cover,' well, when going to the Viet-Thai, don't judge a restaurant by its tacky decor, broken blenders, and crammed seating.  When you walk into this tiny restaurant on the corner of Clarence and Horton you can't help but notice the eclectic decor of fake plants, Disney characters, Christmas decorations, and even a singing bass (which, unfortunately, we couldn't get to serenade us).  But we knew going in that this was not going to be a fine-dining experience--we just didn't expect it to look like a front for a drug cartel or a human trafficking check point.  With the husband in the kitchen and the wife taking orders and serving drinks this is certainly a small-scale production.

Classy decor of Viet Thai

Like many Thai restaurants, the menu is a triple-laminated encyclopedia of food choices complete with pictures.  I wonder if in Thailand a Western restaurant puts pictures of french fries and meatloaf next to the description?  We started with a round of bubble teas and milk shakes not realizing that our host/waitress was also in charge of making drinks on the single working blender right next to our table.  Dinner conversation ended up being a screaming contest mixed with awkward sit-comesque moments when the blender would finally stop and someone was in the midst of shouting out something inappropriate (I can't say for sure, but it was probably Lee Kum Kee and his comments about the slippery washroom floor).  As for the food: come hungry.  With very reasonable prices it's hard not to resist ordering appetizers, a soup, and a main course but the portion sizes are very generous so be careful not to over-indulge.

The seating area to the left, human trafficking to the right.

And I say this with the wisdom of just one of the six diners who had to waddle out of the restaurant, no offense to Preggers.   Although the pad thai noodles were a little sticky, overall this was the best thai food I have had.  For die-hard Ben Thanh lovers you should give Viet-Thai a try.  Not all dinner-clubbers, however, were pleased with their food, namely the ones who ordered spicy dishes.  The "medium" spice was on the verge of being unpalatable.  One Reviewer and Lee Kum Kee were noticeably sweating and Sir Poop's All Hot, well, the name says it all.  My pad thai was mild and I added my own red sauce (whatever that stuff is) which worked out quite nicely.

Overall, the reviews are mixed.  While we have an ethical problem with drug cartels and human trafficking, the food was really good.   It would be nice to see this restaurant in a different location with improved decor and seating while still maintaining its quality but at least the sketchiness of the Viet-Thai made for fun dinner conversation, even if it was yelled.

Location: Viet-Thai (216 Horton St., London, ON)
Entree Cost: $7-$12
Number of Reviewers: 6
Value: $ $ $ 1/2
Overall: * * *