"It's a venture into the unexplored territories of flavour and design."
Riley Park–Little Mountain—(July 25, 2024) From co-founders/siblings Vincent and Amélie Thuy Nguyễn, the same "older brother and sister" duo behind the award-winning, authentic Vietnamese restaurant slyly named after themselves, Anh and Chi (since 2016), comes their hotly anticipated, recently opened next door culinary side project, the cheekily named Good Thief—a name purposely evoking a modern day Robin Hood.
Chiefly inspired by the concept of nhậu, the Vietnamese cultural tradition of gathering, casually eating, and drinking together in conversation on the street in the moment, most everything about the new restaurant venture screams of Southeast Asian flair and detail. Led behind the kitchen by Chef de Cuisine Jonathan Lee (previously Blue Water Cafe) and Sous Chef Brent Thornton (previously St. Lawrence) comes a menu of globally-influenced, experimental shareable small plates (aka "món nhậu").
Beverage Director Ben Kingstone has taken his experiences bartending at some of Toronto's finest bars to craft a creatively intriguing cocktail program full of Vietnamese influences from a drink called "phở dặc biệt" that tastes just like a cold, refreshing glass of boozy house special phở to a nước mắm (fish sauce) infused cocktail (see below) that packs quite a punch down your gullet.
Old Secret (toasted sesame oil rye, barrel-aged amaro, bitter berry glucose, and chili fish sauce) + Lặp đi Lặp Lại (fino sherry, dry vermouth, shiso mountain honey liqueur, mango cordial, and sparkling sake)
At their launch dinner after opening two weeks ago, invited guests and media were treated to an array of tapas-style communal dishes featuring everything from crispy pommes frites to balut (quail egg), fresh oysters, organic beets, frog legs, and lemongrass zucchini to a truly delectable fall-off-the-bone oxtail served in a phở demi-glace.
halibut (with dill and turmeric soubise, Hakurei turnip, and fennel)
As Anh and Chi's so-called "Rebellious Vietnamese" sibling next door, the mischievous Good Thief seems to live up to its sister restaurant's rather impressive usual standard of culinary heritage and fusion of authentic flavours. It's aiming to be the next late night cocktail hotspot for a good time and a long time in a sleek but chic forty-seat interior that pays homage to the bars of 1970s Vietnam. The Nguyễns continue their family's dining legacy that started as refugees way back when their their late father opened and ran Phở Hoang for many years.
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