Patrick Suksaen is a big fan of brunch. And of Thai food. So, with his latest restaurant, he decided to combine the two – a natural cultural marriage, he says – and open Le Lert, a new all-day eatery right in the heart of the city. Located at 27 Carlton Street, walking distance from Toronto Metropolitan University, Mattamy Athletic Center (the home of PWHL Toronto), concert venues, the Art Gallery of Ontario and more, Suskaen wanted to make sure that Le Lert had something for everyone. 

“We serve coffee from Plearn Specialty Coffee and baked goods from Daan Go Cake Lab – winner of  Masterchef Canada season 7,” Le Lert’s owner explains. “And walk through to the Le Lert dining room, which feels like a speakeasy concept.” In that dining room space, the restaurant serves up different meals perfect for every time of day. Brunch, in particular, is served daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. “The way of authentic Thai brunch is more rices, curries et cetera, which is found in many Thai restaurants,” Suksaen says. “It is new to Toronto but it is well known in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. But we want to serve this version as more comfort food and still have Thai taste.”

 

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Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and includes favourites like the Le Lert burger and the larb tartare, which is a Thai beef tartare and egg yolk dish made with roasted rice, onion, fired garlic, lime leaves and jeaw sauce. It becomes a snack bar from 10 p.m. to its closing at 1 a.m., serving up more treats like sweet potato fries, grilled corn with coconut butter, and Chef Chatchalit Chuayruk’s signature mango coconut sticky rice. Twenty years of experience in the United States and Australia helped Chef Chat perfect the sweet dish. 

Inside Le Lert, local Thai artist Aoe Girard used small, broken ceramic dishes as artwork, drawing inspiration from the broken antique dishes that grace the walls of Arun’s Temple. The result is a modern, colourful eatery that’s brimming with unique decorations and murals, highlighted by backlighting and neon lights. 

If it feels like everything inside the restaurant is done expertly and with thought and intention, that’s because it is: Suskaen is the owner and a driving force behind many successful Thai spots like EAT BKK, Koh Lipe, Savor, Som Tum Jinda, Wang Lang and Maya Bay. 

Le Lert is now officially open to the public daily.