All aboard the Bato Thai

Cute sarongs, shrimps galore and magical fish in the Village

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

I've always wondered why gay people are so skinny. If I was gay, I would probably spend a lot of time in the Village and consequently become rather pleasantly plump. You see, there are tons of interesting restaurants in the Village, almost all of them extremely affordable and a great many of them quite delightful.

One such eatery, Bato Thai, has slowly developed quite a reputation as one of the better restos in the area, not only for their authentic and delicious Thai fare, but for the smart and nautical decor and the ever-so-good-looking serving boys in their cute little wrap-around sarongs.

Spaciously arranged so you can schmooze without getting your tush pinched, all the tables at Bato Thai are good tables, although many prefer a station by the window where they can soak in the eye-candy out on the street. As the beautiful people strutted their stuff along Ste-Catherine E., me and mine were seated in a cozy little corner at the back, where we could watch the food coming out of the kitchen.

After wafting down a big bowl of tom yam khoung ($7), which for all you landlubbers is hot and sour shrimp soup with lemongrass, me and my date were ready for more grub. Once I tasted the broth, which had the perfect tang that defines the term "hot and sour," I attacked the solids that lurked beneath the surface of my soup, hoping to find more than two or three teeny, tiny little shrimp. I guess they call them shrimp for a reason, because they were small, but lucky for me, shrimp swim in schools. Large schools.

I like a place that actually gives you more than three shrimp in a dish, I really do. I ordered my main course from the fish page, mainly because it did not specify what kind of fish I would get.

This sort of vagueness usually means that the restaurant I am eating in buys whatever is fresh and good (and on sale) on a regular basis. This also means that the restaurant I am eating in does not purchase cartloads of frozen fish to ensure that they will never run out of the fish listed on the menu.

That being said, my fish, whose identity remains a mystery to me, arrived at my table fresh. It was pla pad kuing, sautéed with fresh ginger, for $11. My magical mystery fish did not arrive whole, as I had anticipated, but in pieces, with a baked-on chewy crust on the outside and sweet, tender, juicy flesh on the inside. It was mixed with a medley of veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, carrots etc. The ginger took care of the rest.

Kudos to the jumbo, and I mean jumbo, imperial roll ($2) and to the kang ped neuai, green curry beef with coconut milk and basil leaves ($9). I definitely plan to eat at Bato Thai again. :

comments?. . . foodspanky@hotmail.com

Bato Thai

Address: 1310 Ste-Catherine E.

Phone: 524-6705

Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm and 5-10pm

Best Features: spacious nautical-themed decor, simple Thai-themed menu, the waiters wear skirts

Alcohol: yes

Vegetarian friendly: yes

Credit cards: yes

Wheelchair access: street level

Price: $7-25 per person for dinner before drinks, tax and tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH