Le Lert is covertly tucked away behind Plearn Cafe, giving it the aura of an enchanted speakeasy with untold treasures to bestow.

Ornate and colourful, with dishes that capture the imagination as they sate, Le Lert brings something entirely new to its Yonge & College location.

With 14 restaurants to his name (including Koh Lipe, Savor and Som Tum Jinda), Phanom (Patrick) Suksaen is no stranger to Toronto's restaurant scene. Still, he assures, Le Lert, which opened in June 2024, is a totally new concept.

"Le Lert means elegant, the best, excellence," he rhapsodizes, explaining that the restaurant's menu features a "Western twist on Thai food." 

What that translates to on the plate, are dishes like paella, tartare, eggs Benedict and burgers, all boasting Thai cuisine's hallmark balance of salty, sweet, sour and spice.

Created in partnership with Plearn Cafe and Daan Go Cake Lab, Le Lert is also home to a catalogue of imaginative drinks and whimsical desserts, by chef Christopher Siu.

As for the restaurant? Not as ornate as Savor, yet undeniably more so than EAT BKK or Koh Lipe, it seems to mark the next step in Suksaen's commitment to bright, detailed rooms filled with an abundance of nods to Thailand – from colourful foliage and lighting to traditional murals and mosaics.

Beyond the bold room, Suksaen's affinity for arresting visuals informs every plate and every cocktail stirred up by bar manager Irene Tharjean and her crew.

At brunch and dinner, the cocktail menu "represents the colours of the rainbow," says Tharjean. An homage to the neighbourhood, the kaleidoscopic list also honours LGBTQ members of the restaurant's staff.

Naturally tinted with butterfly pea tea gin, the fruit-forward Indigo ($20) contains lemon and berry juice, guava syrup and elderflower liqueur.

Served on a smoke-swamped pedestal, the rum-spiked Vermilion ($25) is a bright and light dragon-fruit fix.

Marmalade ($24), meanwhile, is a beachy blend of Malibu Rum, pineapple juice and coconut water with a hit of florals from rosewater syrup and the basket of actual flowers that surround it.

At brunch, which is served daily, the best option might be the 4 of a Kind Mimosa ($18), made with calamansi, yuzu, clementine and blood orange juices.

Then again, since Plearn's entire menu of specialty coffees and drinks — including the mild and yammy, marshmallow-topped ToronTaro ($6.95) — is also available, you might need a little while placing your order.

You'll want time with the food menu, as well, thanks to executive chef Chat Chalit's engaging options.

A chef who brings international experience to his role at Le Lert, Chalit adeptly turns scads of ingredients, including garlic, Thai pepper and cilantro root, dubbed "the three kings of Thai cuisine," into a slew of innovative dishes.

Though Suksaen assures that food at Le Lert isn't off-the-scales fiery, a smouldering level of spice permeates most of Chalit's cooking.

It's found in Larb Tartare ($17) and Striploin Fried Rice ($21), where house-made nam jim jaew ups the heat but also the bold punch of flavour each dish delivers.

Instead of packing heat, the chef's signature burger is a truffle bomb; its pool of truffle-scented cream scenting the dish, and the entire room.

Despite its quality beef, coat of cheddar and brioche bun, this one is truly for truffle fiends unafraid to get a little dirty as they mop every morsel of burger through its fragrant sauce.

A dish meant to call to mind idyllic tropical beaches, Mango Paradise ($17) is mango sticky rice on vacation.

With iris-hued reduced coconut milk, cookie crumbles, intensely juicy, sweet mango and a coconut-scented rice mountain, it's a dish most diners would welcome at any time of day.

When dinnertime rolls around, Le Lert reveals its sexy side. Sure, the lights grow dim, and the music gets louder, but the menu is where the restaurant really sizzles.

Coated in tamarind and yuzu sauce, pan-fried tofu is tossed with crispy noodles, edible flowers and oodles of herbs in chef's vegan Golden Mountain ($13). Stop yourself from picking out all the tofu and devouring it first.

Should you also refrain from inhaling Melt in Your Mouth ($24) without offering your seatmates a taste? That very much depends on how much you like them.

Tender and succulent, seasoned with soy, lime leaf, Thai chilies, garlic, and more, this pork belly completely steals the show from its sides (though the chef's whipped mash is quite good) and every other dish on the table.

Easily shared, Tom Yum Paella ($27) starts with a fumet sauce, arborio rice and a boatload of fresh seafood, then borrows star attributes from one of Thailand's favourite bowls. With hints of sour and spice, every al dente bite sings.

Craving one last glimpse into Le Lert's vast bag of tricks before you leave? Then Le Lert Land ($20) is the perfect ending. A vanilla panna cotta garnished with pandan sauce, berries, a cloud of cotton candy and dry ice plumes, it tidily embodies the restaurant's culinary and aesthetic ethos.

Le Lert is located at 27 Carlton Street.