Where Toronto September October 2017 | Page 8

Where / What / hoW Kitchen Q&A Nuit regular the chef of pai northern thai Kitchen shows off the diversity of thailand’s cuisine at her new restaurant, Kiin Why open another restaurant after Pai’s success? Food Thin-CrusT Craze Devour some of the best neapolitan pizzas outside of italy Queen Margherita A strict Vera Pizza Napoletana adherence is why these tradi- tional pies are a reliable favourite. Perfectly blistered crusts are topped with hearty certified San Marzano tomato sauce and fired in a Naples-made oven. 1402 Queen St. E.; 785 Annette St.; 772 Dundas St. W., qmpizza.com Terroni Terroni’s extensive list of ’zas embraces all the hallmarks of the southern Italian tradition. Your margherita or quattro stagioni arrives at the table as a whole pie, leaving you to decide the size of your slices. 720 Queen St. W.; 1095 Yonge St.; 57 Adelaide St. E., terroni.com Pizzeria Libretto One of the first restaurants on Toronto’s thin-slice scene now includes five always-packed locations (and a takeout-only spot) across the city. Toppings 8 where such as Ontario prosciutto and duck confit are must-tries. 221 Ossington Ave.; 550 Danforth Ave.; 155 University Ave.; 545 King St. W., pizzerialibretto.com Via Mercanti Romolo Salvati’s mini pizza empire adds a creative flair to its authentic flavours. For example, its signature Via Mercanti is a two-pizza-layered masterpiece— a ricotta, mushroom and spicy soppressata-covered pizza hides under a full margherita pie. 188 Augusta Ave.; 87 Elm St.; other locations, pizzeriaviamercanti.ca Lambretta Pizzeria The signature dish at this family- friendly joint is the prosciutto- laden Lambretta pizza, with a crispy crust that cradles fior de latte, arugla and cherry tomatoes. Or, if meat-free is more your style, try the marinara, vegeteriana or funghi. 89 Roncesvalles Ave., lambrettapizzeria.ca September/OctOber 2017 What’s your favourite dish to make at Kiin? Right now it’s wing bean salad. It’s a dish that I make with tom yum paste: a chilli paste that I make from scratch. I went back to Thailand to eat lots of wing bean salads, to learn, and then I came back and made this dish. What’s an ingredient unique to Kiin? We use buffalo Thai basil. My mom used to cook with it when she made food like Kua Hang Gai for me and the neighbours. I tried to get the basil in Toronto, but no one sold it here, so I had to search for a supplier and order it in from Thailand. Kiin is located at 326 Adelaide St. W., kiintoronto.com. terroni I wanted to introduce styles of Thai food that people in Toronto had yet to try, and to offer a variety of foods from across Thailand. There are southern dishes, dishes from the northeast, royal Thai cuisine and many others.