You can get Thai food all over Toronto, but in a neighbourhood of increasingly sophisticated dining options, Just Thai has established a prominent outpost for on-the-cheap eaters prowling Church Street.

True, at this time of year you're unlikely to take advantage of the restaurant's primary draw - the patio overlooking Church Street - but the inexpensive fare still makes a visit to the little eatery worthwhile. Thai standbys are all present and accounted for, and most acquit themselves just fine.

On the first of many visits, we stumble into Just Thai extremely hungry, so we waste little time getting down to business. We order appetizers right away while pondering over the rest of the menu.

Our appetizer-sized orders of chicken and lamb satays ($5.95) arrive hot off the griddle and tender, strung on the usual hazardous skewers. Thick 'Just Thai' sauce (peanut sauce) is the standard item. We’re surprised at the light barbecued flavour, and the mammoth sized portions. Another appetizer, Thai Chicken Wings ($6.95), proves less interesting - a platter of spicy hot wings arrive, each wing dangerously spicier than the last. Hot! Losing any original flavour that may have been there prior to the addition of the hot sauce.

We had to order the dish dubbed Island Chicken ($10.95). A dense chicken dish, a tad sweet, thanks to a mix of pineapple, mango and bell pepper, with just enough zing to keep it from cloying. The pork strips (the dish is available with the usual variety of meats) are tender if not numerous, but bits of red and green bell pepper help fill them out, as does the cumin-and-coriander spicing.

Lemongrass Chicken ($5.75), a dish of lightly fried chicken with onions, greens and cucumber, has a touch more Thai sauce than expected, but it stopped short of overwhelming.

Crispy shrimp with Lychee ($12.95) at Just Thai is more moist than in many other places but still has that characteristic sweet chili-marinated shrimp kicked up a bit with the addition of lychees and mint.

For an interesting beverage, ask for Thai iced tea, (not on the menu) which arrives in a tall, curvy glass. Sweetened condensed milk over ice into the golden tea below. Very sweet. You won't need dessert.

- Brad Jamieson, Martiniboys.com


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