Pai Northern Thai Kitchen is a thai restaurant in King West, Toronto.
Pai on Duncan is chef Nuit Regular's northern Thai kitchen since 2014, the khao soi from Chiang Mai that set Toronto's modern Thai standard.
Signature dishes: Khao soi, Pad see ew
Must order: The khao soi, northern Thai egg noodles in coconut curry with crispy noodles on top.
Tip: No reservations; expect 45 minutes at 19:00. Lunch 11:30 and 14:30 the easier window; uptown sister at 2335 Yonge.
Address: 18 Duncan Street, Toronto, ON M5H 3G8
Khao San Road on Charlotte Street has run Bangkok-style street food downtown since 2011, the boat noodles and crispy pad see ew the city standard.
Signature: Boat noodles, Pad see ew
Order: The boat noodles with beef and the pad see ew with extra char.
Tip: Reservations the only way in for dinner; lunch walks in. Closed Sunday lunch.
Khao San Road on Charlotte Street has run Bangkok-style street food downtown since 2011, the boat noodles and crispy pad see ew the city standard.
Signature: Boat noodles, Pad see ew
Order: The boat noodles with beef and the pad see ew with extra char.
Tip: Reservations the only way in for dinner; lunch walks in. Closed Sunday lunch.
Mother's Dumplings on Spadina has run northern Chinese comfort food in Chinatown since 2005, Shenyang-born Zhen Feng pressing dumplings by hand.
Signature: Pork and chive dumplings, Green onion pancake
Order: The pan-fried pork and chive dumplings and a green onion pancake.
Tip: Walk-in only; frozen dumpling fridge by the door for takeaway. Cash and card accepted, but cash moves the line faster.
Rol San on Spadina has run Cantonese dim sum since 1994, founded by Paul and Paulie Li, reopened at 388 Spadina in 2024 after redevelopment.
Signature: Dim sum, BBQ pork rice
Order: The har gow, siu mai and BBQ pork buns from the order-sheet menu.
Tip: No carts; tick boxes on the paper menu. Late-night kitchen until 02:00 weeknights and 05:00 weekends serves the city's late-shift staff.
Pearl Harbourfront on Queens Quay runs Cantonese dim sum overlooking Lake Ontario from the Queen's Quay Terminal, the city's waterfront dim sum room.
Signature: Dim sum, Peking duck
Order: The shrimp dumplings, BBQ pork buns and a half Peking duck.
Tip: Lunch dim sum runs 11:00-16:00; the window tables fill first. Tower views and the wharf below justify the slight premium over Spadina.
Lai Wah Heen reopened on the second floor of the DoubleTree Hilton in July 2025 after a two-year hiatus, chefs Heyden Sin and Huang Zhenqing.
Signature: Refined dim sum tasting, Cartless dim sum
Order: The dim sum tasting; the kitchen still presses every dumpling to order.
Tip: Reservation-only since the 2025 reopen. The NYT once called it the best dim sum in North America under founder Canson Tsang.
Pho Hung on Spadina is the Chinatown Vietnamese counter the Nguyen family opened in 1985, with a 30-year broth recipe and the famous fried chicken wings.
Signature: Pho tai, Bun bo Hue, Fried chicken wings
Order: The pho tai with brisket, plus a half order of fried chicken wings on the side.
Tip: Cash discount under $20. Three locations in Toronto; Spadina is the original and busiest.
