When I heard Linda Restaurant was moving closer up north, I was giddy like an adolescent schoolgirl. Having arguably the best Thai restaurant in Toronto relocate closer to me? Why Yes! What’s not to like about this move away from downtown? I sleuth for clues, rewarded with the evidence of a soft opening taking place last Saturday night.

I made sure my girlfriend and I had reservations that night. She’s heard me ramble forever describing the tasty and innovative Thai cuisine at Linda’s; levels above the generic canteen-esque food served at its popular sister restaurant Salad King. Having lived mostly under the King’s shadow, this relocation is a great opportunity for Linda to truly carve out its own identity on the Toronto food scene.

Stepping through those heavy front doors, old patrons are greeted with the familiar intimate color scheme re-interpreted with a smooth polish. However, I’m not convinced if the decor and the dining area setup is an improvement. Though the lighting and miscellaneous decorations were esthetically pleasing, I wasn’t a fan of the wall mural — it’s an overdone concept. The mural mistakingly paint Linda’s as a lounge, conflicting with a staff operating with no pretension that Linda is still a restaurant. At this moment, I can’t help but miss the brick walls and creaky wooden floors from the old Linda.

Whereas the former Linda was a getaway from the bustling Salad King crowd, the new Linda brought along Salad King’s lively atmosphere. It gets quite noisy very quickly when the crowd fills in. The table setup in the middle of the dining room seem cramped amongst the red partitions. Diners would have to nudge and excuse themselves with every significant movement. The dining area felt like a darker, classier, but smaller Congee Wong / Congee Queen. No longer does it seem conducive to an intimate dining experience. Whether this will turn away previous regulars remains to be seen.

Service delivered a more promising start to our Linda experience. The wait staff talked with seeming knowledge, were happy to provide suggestions, and answered questions quickly with a smile. Though our waitress seemed apprehensive about eating soft shell crabs, she was attentive and accommodating. We did encounter a long wait between our appetizers and entrees. I already anticipated this before we sat down, since I surveyed the dining area and saw many diners waiting with empty table tops. My girlfriend and I even joked that we finally experienced the “Hell’s Kitchen wait”. In their defense, it’s not fair to penalize a kitchen working its first night in a new environment. My acid test would be judging the food quality being pushed out.

I’m happy to report that the food standards were kept high, compliments to Chef Wing Li and his staff. Every dish were perfectly spiced and flavourful. Glaringly absent however was the famous Salad King chili system from the menu. Our waitress assured that it would still be honored upon request. I’m happy this gimmick has been dropped, but diners yearning for extreme spiciness will still have the option.

The Tom Yum Goong soup had plenty of shrimp, mushrooms and kaffir lime leaves. The soup did not taste particularly hot nor sour, but was fresh and mellow instead. I’m used to having a bit more sour kick in my Tom Yum Goong and this offering felt toned down for western palettes. But I still appreciated the respect the chef paid to the fresh ingredients.

The Soft Shell Crab Appetizer. The light batter was perfectly spiced. You could easily enjoy the crab on its own, but don’t miss the opportunity to try the spectacular dipping sauce! The dipping sauce is a testament to the efforts of the owners who travel the world to research and compare. Portions were small, especially considering the menu promoted it as “extra large” soft shell crabs. Though the crab was good, we didn’t feel like we got value with this dish.

The Curry Duck (Duck In Red Curry Sauce) is a big favourite among many devoted Linda foodies. Grilled smoke duck breast with vegtables in Thai Red Curry with Coconut Milk, Yummy! I’ve never had duck in Thailand, and will probably never get the opportunity. But I know what I like, and I like this! This is a well-executed and unique dish; you won’t find many Thai restaurants serving smoked duck. This dish plays to Linda’s strengths — embracing its French/European influence in plating and flavour combinations. But the dominant flavours remain authentically Thai, albeit a modern interpretation.

Baked Young Coconut with Fried Rice. Young coconut filled wih rice stir fried with shrimp paste, coconut water, white shrimp, scallop, topped with coconut milk and tamarind sauce. The coconut husk makes for a terrific presentation. The inclusion of shrimp paste made the fried rice fragrant, but not overwhelming. Generous shrimp / scallop portions. The tamarind sauce playfully contrasted the fried rice. I love playing with my food and scraping the coconut meat of its husks was simply fun.

Linda becomes an early restaurant entry at the outdoor mall “Shops On Don Mills”; which by the way is my early pick for the summer shopping hot spot. Judging from the full opening night, Linda should enjoy many more busy nights to come as they continue their soft opening, tweaking their kitchen and service. Hopefully some of the opportunities I mentioned pertaining to the dining area and the serving portions can be corrected by their Mid-May grand opening. I’ll definitely revisit Linda when the time is right.

RECOMMEND:

The Curry Duck, selections from the “Catch from the sea” menu section seemed interesting too!

SKIP:

The appetizers to leave more room for another entree? (except maybe the Meng Kum, I was envious of surrounding diners who ordered this app)