This Toronto Thai Kitchen Ruined me for All Other Restaurants

This restaurant in the 6ix ruined me

When I first moved to Toronto two years ago, I did what everyone does when they are hungry in an unfamiliar city.

Step One: Tell your boyfriend "let's just walk until we find something that looks interesting"

Step Two: Tell him you can't decide because you don't know any of the restaurants

Step Three: Keep placing the responsibility on the other person to pick a place to eat, all the while getting more hungry and moody

Step Four: Narrow it down to the type of food you are craving (for me it is always Thai)

Step Five: Go to Google maps and search 'Thai near me'

Step Six: Go to the closest restaurant in your google search before your boyfriend gets into his most dangerous stage of hanger

Step Seven: Experience a small wave of doubt while you wait for a table, contemplating to yourself if you should have ordered a pizza to your apartment while you take an uber home

Step Eight: Stick it out (cause you came this far) and hope for the best

Step Nine: Take that long-awaited bite

Step Ten: Either vow to never return or add it to your list of go-to restaurants in the new big city you now live in

And when we stepped into PAI Northern Thai Restaurant our entire lives changed (not to be dramatic, but you'd understand if you've been)

I am extremely grateful we stumbled across PAI within our first few weeks of living in Toronto. If we discovered it later, I think I would curse the time we spent in Toronto not knowing about this piece of heaven and rule those years as a waste of time.

As I said, I always want Thai food. I could drink coconut curry like juice. I could bathe in spicy shrimp soup. I could fall asleep in a ball pit full of pad thai.

IknowIknowIknowIknow... gross. But it is the epitome of food in my opinion.

So if you are a Thai fanatic like me, let me tell you about my favorite restaurant in Toronto.

Tell me About it

A love story

On most days when you arrive at the cream colored PAI sign , there is often a line out of the door. This underground restuarant often has a line up the stairs, out the front door and down the street.

That is how good their food is.

Although a passerby could think the entrance looks like a hole in the wall, their unbelievable reputation for amazing food is known by most Torontonians, making it an undefeated favorite to many.

And while you wait patiently on the stairs, with the sound of lively spirited guests and the smell of coconut curry in the air, on the wall is a gallery of pictures of Jeff and Nuit and the story of how PAI came to be.

And it all started with love.

Underneath each timeline photo is a piece of the story of PAI. Jeff met Nuit on an elephant. How Disney is that? While Jeff was backpacking through Thailand, he met Nuit on an elephant ride and he became anamoured with her.

She was a hard working nurse and an unbelievable cook at home. After they soon fell in love, they opened a small restaurant called "Curry Shack" in the Thai city, PAI, where Nuit would finish a long day at the hospital and still come and cook dinner for the customers. They got married a few years after and moved to Toronto and opened PAI after raving reviews and local buzz for their autehntic Thia food in Canada.

After waiting to sometimes even get inside the door of PAI, once you are in, even if you've read their story dozens of times, like me, it still warms your heart and makes you appreciate the place even more.

What started as a humble beginning for the pair soon became the talk of the town, with food critiques and papers leaving raving reviews. Chef Nuit is now one of the most acclaimed chefs in Canada in the expertise of Thai cooking. They have opened two other restaurants in Toronto - Sabai Sabai on Bloor and Young and Kiin which is only a five-minute walk west on Adelaide from PAI.

Atmosphere

Locationlocationlocation

For those who are new to Toronto, or simply just tourists, this restaurant is only a ten-minute walk from the CN Tower. Located at 18 Duncan Street, after a long day waiting in line to go up the glass elevator to the tower, you can drag your tired legs to be rejuvinated at PAI. After your plates are licked clean and your sake bill is through the roof, a quick romantic city stroll to St Andrew station with a glowing skyline makes for a perfect evening.

Ambiance

The spirit of PAI is always lively and the energy is always joyful. You walk down the stairs to brick walls, wood beams, colorful hanging bunting banners and amber hanging lights. PAI is a perfect mix of youthful, yet loud romance and energetic night out vibes. You can have an intimate two seater hightop, share a long table with other guest, or enjoy a few drinks at the extensive bar. With the friendly staff, and warm atmosphere, it truly makes it feel like a second home.

Food

PAI has a large menu, with not one thing lacking from excitement. From a large selection of cocktails to original desserts by Chef Nuit to mouthatering starters, to the real deal mains, everyone is able to find something they enjoy, even for the novice Thai foodie.

Although I have tried so many things on the menu and excited to try more, these are a few of my favorites I reccomend for first time PAI customers.

Sake Bomb

On Wednesdays, they serve sake bombs for only five dollars. This is not only delicious, but always fun. A shot glass of sake gets balanced on chop sticks over a half glass of Sapporo beer. The server yells loudly "When I say Sake you say Bomb. Sake." Then you yell back, "Bomb." "Sake." "Bomb." "SAKE BOMB." And then the entire restuarant cheers as you bang the table. The chop sticks falls down, dropping the shot of sake into the Sapporo for you to chug. The first time we ordered a sake bomb we didn't realize the performance to it and were confused when the server started yelling. After we just stared at him in confusion, he explained the process and we immediately fell in love with the energy of Wednesday nights at PAI and now is an essential for a fun date night.

Gaeng Kiaw Wan - Green Curry

Served in a real coconut with a bowl of rice, this green curry is not too spicy and always delicious. This is a go to favorite and an easy try for new Thai eaters. It is creamy and well balanced with bamboo shoots, peppers and thai basil. It can be served with tofu and vegetables, or you can upgrade for shrimp, chicken or beef. My favorite protein to pair with this green curry is shrimp. The coconut makes it so unique and the curry is beyond delicious.

Khao Soi

Home made noodles drenched in creamy golden curry, this savoury dish is heaven in a bowl. My preferred portein pairing is braised beef. It is fall-apart-in-your-mouth tender and the noodles are fresh and have the perfect amount of chew. This selection is under Chef Nuit's favorites in the menu and it never dissapoints.

More

Wall of Chefs

Chef Nuit has risen to be one of the highest acclaimed Thai cook in Canada, placing her as guest Chefs on Food Network shows such as Hall of Chefs. She has been featured on many blogs, food critic and rating videos and continueously honored and praised for her talent and growing business with her husband Jeff.

Kiin by Chef Nuit

For those like me who love to cook and try to recreate your favorite dishes from restaurants, you are in luck. Chef Nuit has made a cook book of her facorite Thai dishes. Although I will never be able to cook like her, this is a great tool to learn more about Thai cooking while also learning more about her and her family and stories they share from Thailand. You can pick up a copy on their restaurant website paitoronto.com or Indigo, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books a Million.

How to support during COVID

Food Market

Chef Nuit and Jeff Regular have converted their store into a Thai grocery market during COVID. With Toronto being locked down for almost a year, this was a way for them to continue to share their love of Thai food while also creating an accessible outlet for those inspired to cook and try something new.

Take Out

Although inside and patio seating has been shut down for almost a year in Toronto, you can still order take out from their menu. Remember to always tip (and generously) and order on nights you would have gone out to eat. Keeping local businesses alive during these trying times is a small thing we can do by ordering take out and tipping well. You can order through Ubereats, Skip the Dishes and other local food delivery services.

Order a Cook Book

For those not in Toronto, you can always purchase Chef Nuit's cook book, Kiin, to support their business and try a taste of the recipes that are so beloved to locals in Toronto. You can find a copy at Indigo, Amazon and more. I only ordered my copy today and can't wait to get it in the mail in a few days.

PAI has made my COVID days more survivable and my Toronto night outs so memerable

If you are a local, support them in any way possible by their market or ordering food. And for those who can't, order their cook book or follow them on social media. And when travel is allowed, if you are ever in Canada's Big Smoke, you must make a visit to PAI and try their unforgettable Thai cuisine.

It is definietely worth the line up up the stairs and down the street.

As I said before

This Thai Kitchen has ruined me for all other restaurants

Stay Sexy and Eat Local,

Flora