When I think of Hawaii I’m instantly transported to breath taking sunsets, the warm sweet breeze, swaying palm trees and a vibe of just pure unadulterated relaxation.  Paradise indeed.  Nice to know that our little city has its own taste of the tropical island in the way of Miss Thing’s Bar on Queen West West (Parkdale).  Miss Thing’s is a pan-Asian Polynesian inspired restaurant that took over the spot previously occupied by Wrongbar.  Its owned by Nav Sangha who came up with the idea while travelling and supported by Chef Jasper Wu (of Bent) and Paul Hadian (of Momofuku).  Upon walking in you can see that they have taken some great strides in revamping the space and fueling it with touches from the islands.  Their logo is a pineapple signifying the international sign of hospitality which we got a firsthand taste of.

When me and BC walked in the first thing I said was “I want all of this décor in my future house!” I think he thought I was a little crazy.  It truly is beautiful inside with obvious care taken in the little details to bring the relaxed island vibe to life.   The walls are a dark turquoise with hand painted florals in white, pink and gold and there are large leather tufted banquets along the walls paired with floral printed seats at the tables.  We actually got seated at what is probably the best table in the house which is a half boon booth at the far end of the resto.  The other detail you can help but notice when you look up is the light fixtures which are made up of gold gramophones – super cute.

As always I did some pre-research on the spot and there were a few dishes that seem to be Miss Thing’s go-to/specialty items.  So on the chopping block for this night was:

• Tommy’s Coladas
• Hoki Poke
• Shrimp Bao’s
• Pineapple Fried Rice
• Loco Moco

There was only two of us and this was the perfect amount of food if you’re into the sharesies game like I am.  The first thing to come out was our Tommy’s Colada which is a play on the famous Tommy’s margarita and a pina coloada.  Its made of Tromba blanco, lime, habanero, pineapple and coconut.  I have to say the best part of this drink is its presentation since it comes in an ACTUAL coconut.  You can’t even get that on vacation these days!  The drink itself was okay, I probably would have preferred a more classic pina colada to be honest.

The first dish that came out was the Hoki Poke made up of  ahi tuna, avocado, lime, sesame soy dressing on bibb lettuce leaf.  Imagine a kind of ceviche style dish that’s a little bit creamier because of the avocado.  The interesting part was that it didn’t come out on a lettuce leaf but on taro crisps which I actually preferred.  It was a great dish to start with – little bit tart a little bit sweet with fresh tuna flavor. No complaints here especially because the servings were pretty generous.

Next up were the Shirmp Bao’s. The menu on their website currently features pork buns so I’m guessing the actual menu has changed since then.  Either way these were also okay, I’ve had better baos especially when they come with big mac toppings.  These particular ones had battered deep fried shrimp (very juice and tender) with a coleslaw topping on soft steamed buns.

The last two dishes were by far the best and also what Miss Thing’s is most famous for based on the reviews I have read.  I was most looking forward to the Pineapple fried rice because let’s just be honest, I’m a sucker for unique and kitchy presentation – it comes in a freakin’ pineapple!  We also got the option with pork belly because how do you say no to pork belly.  Was it the most amazing fried rice I’ve had? No because there really isn’t any amazing fried rice out there but was it the most unique, yes.  It’s made up of brown rice, pineapple, red pepper, egg, basil sprouts, sriracha mayo and of course the braised pork belly topped with battered and deep fried jackfruit.  A super interesting blend of flavors and textures.  What I loved was that it didn’t taste overtly fried and had a really nice spicy/sweet kick.  AND IT CAME IN A PINEAPPLE!

Finally the loco moco which by the time I got to I was already so full but couldn’t say no to.  It’s a traditional Hawaiian comfort food dish made up of flank steak, house made A1 sauce, served alongside coconut rice, butter poached leeks and sautéed oyster mushrooms TOPPED with a sunny side up egg.  Yah, ridiculous.  Could have used a little more flavouring in my humble opinion but it’s the kind of dish that once this winter hits I will start to crave.

Service was awesome, our waiter was super friendly, informative in terms of knowing the dishes and recommending his faves.  The food came out at a really good pace so we were never kept waiting. Our entire meal came to $100 without tax and tip, also not bad.

This could definitely become a spot that ends up on a regular rotation for me even if it’s just to stop in for a few drinks.  Its too sweet and unique of a spot not go back to time and time again.  They only opened about 5-6 months ago but based on how packed it was on a Wednesday night there is no doubt they will have a solid future ahead of them

Aloha!

Discover Miss Thing’s
Web:  http://www.missthings.com/
Instagram:  @missthingsbar
Twitter:  @missthingsbar
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/missthingsbar