Eat the Strip

Pookie's Thai

2280 Carling Ave unit 7, Ottawa, ON K2B 7G1

October 1, 2023 11:10 PM

By: Ameya Charnalia

You can’t have a serious conversation about Ottawa’s best Thai food without Pookie’s Thai being in the mix.

Owner Pookie McGowan is legendary for her hospitality in the business. Her restaurant has been serving bold flavours from northeastern Thailand since opening around 15 years ago. Scan its Google reviews and you’ll see glowing reviews by regulars of the charming little restaurant.

Sitting in the corner unit of an unassuming strip mall on Carling Avenue, neighbouring a European delicatessen and a sushi shop, Pookie’s Thai takes its inspiration from Pookie’s ancestral Isan province, bordering neighbouring Laos. We’re told the flavours here are more bold, spicy and featuring less coconut milk than other parts of Thailand.

At the time of writing, the restaurant is only operating for takeout, so we decided to order a fragrant pad ped and a spicy seafood pad kee mao for a recent Wednesday dinner.

(For those who worry about heat, Pookie’s offers a spice scale of one to five. Although we recommend those who can handle their heat order three and up as Isan food is well complemented by generous portions of Thai chillies)

The pad ped came with a good portion of chicken and vegetables. We instantly loved the eggplant, served soft and bursting with flavour of the red curry paste.

Pad ped, left, is a stir fry with red curry paste, long beans, bamboo-shoots, eggplant and Thai basil
Pad ped, left, is a stir fry with red curry paste, long beans, bamboo-shoots, eggplant and Thai basil

The pad kee mao, also known as drunken noodles, because they are said to be a great hangover cure, was also excellent. I was second guessing choosing seafood instead of pork, but my concerns were unfounded. The shrimp was a nice addition to the crunch of the broccoli, beans and bell peppers. Having chosen four out of five on the heat scale, Pookie’s cooks had been generous with the Thai chillies.

Drunken noodles are typically served with broad rice noodles, but Pookie's variety used a thin substitute which retained the aromatic fragrance and bold flavours of the much-loved dish
Drunken noodles are typically served with broad rice noodles, but Pookie's variety used a thin substitute which retained the aromatic fragrance and bold flavours of the much-loved dish

Pookie’s Thai may close in November as Pookie heads to Thailand to spend some time with family. They’re set to return with a food truck in Stitsville next summer, but you may want to go get your fix of excellent Isan-inspired cooking this month before the restaurant closes for an undetermined period of time.

Especially if you’re looking for a hangover cure.