Sunday, March 21, 2010

Odine Japanese - Thai Fusion in Ajax,Ontario



It was by chance that I noticed Odine in Ajax, Ontario, Canada, Ontario.
I was returning from the Home Depot and was about to take a right turn on Kingston Road when I noticed a new restaurant on the other side of the road.
And a closer look revealed it was Japanese-Thai fusion cuisine, which made me even more curious, as I have never seen this combination.
And so far I have been there twice.
A huge smiling Buddha welcomes you at the entrance. Further inside is the restaurant, and it is decorated simply, which adds a richness to the ambience.

For lunch, Odine has a Lunch Menu as well as the regular Menu.
The first time I went for the Lunch Menu; I chose Special Thai Curry, which comes with soup and rice.
I chose beef, and it came on a gold-brown curry.




 The second time, I was tempted to order the Teriyaki, but decided to go for Thai.
Ajax is a fast growing city, and though it lacks the depth in the ethno-cultural restaurant scene that nearby cities such as Scarborough or Markham have, the situation is improving.


And Thai cuisine, even though some might think it is about just about mixing coconut milk/cream with peppers, is not that simple. Thai curry is unique partially because of its blend of Indian and Chinese food cultures.
So, I decided to go for the Green Curry, and chose seafood.
Incidentally, Green Curry is one of the few dishes with a three chilli sign, the highest in terms of spiciness/hotness.
To wash down the curry, I ordered green tea. It was pleasantly hot, with the aroma of the roasted rice, which is one of my favourite varieties of green tea.
The curry was creamy green and dense – it had shrimps, mussels and squid. Of course, it also had the ubiquitous sweet peppers, onions, zucchini and, of course, coriander leaves. One notable feature was that the zucchini was not mushy; it had been added to the curry at the right moment so that it retained a semi-crunchiness.
The curry was not really Thai spicy, but most of those who are not used to spicy foods like me will find it spicy enough. It was delicious and had a tinge of lime in it.
The staff is also very friendly.
All in all, it is worth a try.
Odine on Urbanspoon

1 comment: