This is my absolute favourite Thai restaurant in Ontario. I keep trying out other Thai-specific…read moreplaces, and I've yet to find one that matches up with Thum's Kitchen.
Once upon a time, this restaurant used to be a very small kiosk located alongside a rural road in the small village of Moose Creek. It was very popular as a take-out sort of venue, and the menu was far more limited back then.
Eventually, the family expanded and moved their business out to the city of Cornwall, taking over a large Bavarian-style building that has housed a litany of restaurants that never seemed to stick around for very long. Not so for Thum's, however.
This place is a cornerstone in Cornwall. It's very popular and if you plan on going on the weekends and evenings later on in the week, I suggest you call in and make a reservation just in case. The hours are a little strange, and there's been a few times I've driven down there on a whim only to find out it was closed (I'm one of those lazy persons who doesn't bother to learn businesses' hours of operations. I know, I know!)
This place is authentic. The decor is extensive with a lot of unique pieces from Thailand. Not your typical travel posters and framed prints. There are huge carved wood sculptures, 3D reliefs on the walls, etc. The tablecloths are culturally-inspired, the silverware is unique enough that I've had to restrain myself from pocketing an elephant-ended fork on more than one occasion. Lastly, the music is good, and the clothing worn by the servers is traditional Thai, as well. It's an entire production, to say the least, and it's lovely.
The menu is probably the most extensive I've witnessed as well. It's also peppered with little anecdotes and factoids about Thailand, including country facts, food and eating customs, and do's and don'ts of etiquette. The food itself is amazing, I've sampled and had several of their dishes over the years, but I am going to personally confess that I ended up going for my own personal sweet, sweet addiction- red curry. They make a mean Gang Dang. In fact, I haven't even found this specific dish anywhere else, nor have I had a dish with bamboo shoots in Ontario that wasn't from a can *except* at Thum's Kitchen. They use fresh, and it's an entirely different creature all together. Buttery yet crisp at the same time. Oh yeah, baby.
Bathrooms are downstairs and are suitable and serviceable enough. The only downside I can find about this place is that it doesn't seem to be wheelchair accessible. I may have missed a side or alternate entrance, though, so don't take my word for it on that-- call first and see because I may be wrong on that note.
