Mattawa’s Le Voyageur Inn has been awarded the title of Best Thai Food in Northeaster Ontario, 2022. The award was presented by Lux Life Magazine’s Restaurant and Bar Awards, which has been finding the best eats in Ontario and throughout the country for the past seven years.
“This annual awards programme showcases those who stand out within the hospitality industry,” Lux Life outlined on its website. Restaurants and bars are nominated for the award, “and the entrants are judged purely on their merit and capabilities.”
“We wouldn’t have won the best Thai restaurant in Northeastern Ontario without our wonderful staff,” highlighted Sudawan Butt, who owns Le Voyageur Inn with her husband Qaisar Butt. “They are hard working, dedicated, and loyal.”
Located at 351 Main Street in downtown Mattawa, Le Voyageur Inn has been owned and operated by Sudawan and her husband for around 20 years. It’s an independent hotel—built in 1881—with a restaurant that serves Canadian, Indian, and Thai food.
“We cook to order,” Sudawan said, “everything is made fresh.” This attention to freshness and quality is paramount in the kitchen. “With every order, we start from scratch, and the customer can feel the difference.”
Cooking to order also allows the kitchen to control the heat of the dishes hitting the tables. “A lot of people think Thai and Indian food is really spicy,” Sudawan said, “but that’s not true. Many of our dishes are not spicy at all, but can be made so if requested.”
“We can go from zero to ten,” on the spice-metre, she explained.
The award has helped attract new customers to the restaurant and keep cooks Paphawadee and Chiyaphon busy in the kitchen, sharing the best Thai food with the people. “It’s making us very proud,” Sudawan said, and she’s grateful Mattawa residents and visitors alike continue to enjoy their food.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
