The Best Restaurant in Victoria for Thai

Each year diners in Victoria are asked to pick the Best Restaurant in Victoria in various categories. And when it comes to Thai Food they resoundingly answered Baan Thai, Of Course!

This is the 18th Year for the Black Press ‘Best of the City’ consumer awards with Baan Thai Restaurants voted the best Thai restaurants in the city! With their diverse menu, healthy cooking methods, spectrum of different types of spices and expertly trained Thai chefs, if you are looking to eat Thai food in Victoria, Baan Thai is the place to go.

In the past Victoria had very few Thai restaurants, so Victoria Dining Guide publisher, Matthew Takoski decided to purchase Baan Thai when the previous owner fell ill. Takoski saw this as a way of preserving one of the few Thai restaurants available to diners in Victoria. Today the success of Baan Thai has spawned a few competitors while Baan Thai itself has grown and now boasts three locations - the flagship restaurant is still on Blanshard Street, while the second location is thriving at Fort and Foul Bay in Oak Bay and a third locale at the Broadmead Village Shopping Centre is celebrating it’s first successful year serving Royal Oak customers.

Takoski has a true passion for Thai food, which has made his restaurants what many consider the best restaurants in Victoria. He had spent a great deal of time in Thailand, developing an affinity for both the food and the people as the cuisine itself was becoming an overreaching culinary trend. In his words, his choice to purchase the restaurant was "A five minute decision." Taiwanese cuisine features an amazing 800 national dishes, boasting a food culture so intense and so resonant in the heart of Thai people that their culture is difficult to rival.

Baan Thai prides themselves on being consistently good and having an excellent staff who know their jobs from top to bottom and enjoy serving Thai cuisine to the public. This is an absolutely necessary aspect of a successful restaurant, let alone three restaurants. Takoski cannot be in three places at once, so his ability to operate three extremely successful businesses speaks to both his business and management acumen.

Baan Thai serves many different types of food, with varying meats, vegetables, and spices. They want their customers to be aware that, despite any stereotypes you may have heard, not all Thai cuisine is extremely spicy! There are some foods with peppers that may make you feel like your mouth is on fire, but, largely, the cuisine is flavorful and spiced just right rather than being bogged down with unnecessary heat which would prevent a diner from completely enjoying the complex flavor of the Thai cuisine. Baan Thai now also offers Gluten Free and vegetarian dishes to accommodate all palates and diets. All that having been said, next time you're in Victoria, stop by Baan Thai for an amazing meal.