MISS THING'S || The Most Vibrant Spot to Celebrate the Holidays in Toronto
The weather may be a chilly 2 degrees celsius, but it’s always warm and tropical with food and drinks a-flowing inside of Miss Thing’s in Toronto.
Colourful, vibrant drinks paired with similarly creative menu items, Miss Thing’s grabs all of your senses and sets you in the centre of Polynesian culture.
Hanging greenery, tropical painted walls and dark green leather booths instantly whisk you away to the tropics. Since the restaurant is usually bustling with multiple large parties, we recommend heading over to the bar to order one of their funky cocktails. We envy the job of the bartender as he gets to serve up these creative concoctions that are definitely Instagram-worthy.
Founder Nav and his wife had travelled Polynesia extensively, and when it came time to open up a restaurant, it was natural for Nav to embody the culinary experience he resonated with. He says there were restaurants serving what they referred to as Polynesian cuisine, but it was really just American Tiki, so he decided he would try his best to present an authentic experience. To him, Polynesian culture is so much more than tropical cocktails (though his bartender Robin definitely takes tropical cocktails to a whole new level with his creations!)
The restaurant had been a nightclub in its past life, and Nav took the location and transformed the storefront into Miss Thing’s, a popular hangout that stays open late into the night. On busy weekend nights, the restaurant is expanded and doubled in size with the wooden walls pulled back, revealing an expansive backroom with similar punchy lighting. Nav mentions that the space, when expanded, holds up to 350 guests - people have held company events there, and just last week they had hosted a wedding. Who wouldn’t want to have a Hawaiian themed wedding with having to go through the trouble of traveling?
The cozy leather booths make for an intimate dinner setting.
Nav definitely has the formula right, considering both the trendy, instagram-worthy decor and drool-worthy menu.
Each and every item would make you want to pull out your camera. Here, we have a feeling that ‘the camera eats first’.
We had just gotten settled into the circular booth at the front of the restaurant, sliding into the dark green leather seats, when the table started filling up with a delicious selection from the menu. The bartender prepared several of the restaurant’s signature cocktails and each one will make you feel like you are on vacation! Let’s take a closer peek at their full roster of innovative drinks. Each drink is designed to be experience. From the moment they set it down, your eyes take in the visual ‘wow’ factor, your nose captures the aroma and your hands feel the textures of the vessel before you finally drink it in.
Becky with the Good Hair. Malibu rum liqueur, limoncello, orange brandy, white wine, lavender, lemonade, coconut water.
Fuzzy Wawa. Daiquiri in a coconut with havana club 3 year rum, coconut lemongrass sake, kaffir lime syrup, coconut bitters.
Flower Power. Bombay east gin, lillet blanc, martini bianco, house falernum, lavender vanilla bitters, egg white.
Electric Banana. Havana club 7 rum, banana liqueur, pineapple, lemon juice, spiced bitters.
Disco Juice. Tito’s vodka, cucumber watermelon juice, lemonade.
Acceptable in the 80’s. el dorado 3 year rum, blue curacao, coconut syrup, lime and egg white.
Evidently the cocktail menu is extensive and creative, so if you are gathering a group of friends for drinks, everyone can try something different!
Following the drinks, small and large plates started to pour out from the kitchen until the entire table was covered in a delicious food spread. The Pineapple Fried Rice came with jack fruit and pork belly, rich in flavour, with the fried rice done right - where the rice has a drier texture that allows you to taste every bite.
The Short Rib Loco Moco is packed full of deliciousness for the hungry traveler; an ample dose of protein with crispy brussel sprouts and a sunny-side egg ensures you don’t go hungry on a cold winter day.
Short Rib Loco Moco.
Poke Bowl.
Then came the generously-portioned Poké bowl, with a medley of fresh greens and marinated tuna. Definitely the perfect choice for those who are hungry but want a healthy and nutritious option.
The Kalua Baos are a great sharing option, with fluffy baos enveloping the intensely-flavoured Kalua Pork. Along the same lines, their tuna tacos are great if you are stopping by before or after dinner to grab a few of their creative cocktails. Visitors to Miss Thing’s will all agree that the menu offers a ton of variety.
Kalua Baos packed with juicy . Slow-cooked kalua pork shoulder or pulled tofu, pinapple kimchi slaw.
Poke Wonton Tacos. Salmon, nori, maui sweet onions, beets, wasabi aioli, sesame soy sauce, crispy wontons.
Speaking of variety, you can even have a bowl of piping hot Chicken Katsu Saimin Noodle if you wish. For those who have visited Hawaii, you know that the area gets most of its visitors from Japan, and so the cuisine has definitely incorporated elements from the Japanese culture.
Katsu Saimin Noodle.
We would highly recommend making Miss Thing’s your stop for dinner when you stop by Toronto, if you are looking for a place with character, and a spot where you can snap a few memorable photos both with the food, decor, and great company you will share the food with!
At Miss Thing’s, the vibe is always “let the good times roll”!
Always a nice party at Miss Thing’s.
Visit
1279 Queen St W, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Open from 5PM until late
Photos by Florence Leung