Montreal’s Pick Thai is the latest Canadian restaurant to be awarded the Thai Select Certification!

The restaurant, which has received rave reviews from Montreal food critic Lesley Chesterman, is now being acknowledged by the Thai government itself for its dedication to serving authentic Thai dishes.

The Thai Select Certification is awarded by the Royal Thai government’s Ministry of Government to a select number of Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. To qualify for the certification, restaurants have to not only serve authentic Thai food, but also demonstrate high proficiency in using staple Thai ingredients like rice and chilis. Hospitality and a welcoming atmosphere are also taken into consideration in determining new award recipients.

In a country like Canada, where Thai restaurants are plentiful, only 89 have been awarded the Thai Select certificate, so receiving this stamp of approval is considered to be a huge honour.

Chef Vilay Douangpanya, executive chef and owner of Pick Thai says, “I feel honoured to receive this award. All I tried to do is to bring the best I could of Thai cooking, never cut corners and always treat my guests as my friends and family.”

Clearly her strategy worked, as Pick Thai now joins an exclusive list of Thai Select restaurants scattered across the country. On the West Coast, there’s popular Vancouver spot and winner of Vancouver Magazine’s 2016 Restaurant of the year, Maenam. In Calgary, Thai Sa-On has been a fan favourite for decades, thanks to owner Sam Chanhao’s charisma and love of fine wine. Moving east to Toronto, Pai specializes in Northern Thai food that is about as authentic as you can get short of travelling straight to the small town of Pai, Thailand.