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
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.
Lake Inez on Gerrard East is chef Robbie Hojilla's pan-Asian gastropub since 2016, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean dishes with an Ontario beer list.
Signature: Pan-Asian small plates, Ontario craft beer flight
Order: Three or four small plates and a flight from the rotating beer list.
Tip: Walk-ins easy at the bar Tuesday through Thursday. Weekends book on Resy. The Byzantine mosaic on the wall is original.
Bymark on Wellington in the TD Towers atrium is Mark McEwan's downtown chophouse since 2002, floor-to-ceiling wine cellar and the city's reference business.
Signature: Dry-aged steak, Bymark burger
Order: The dry-aged ribeye, or the Bymark burger with truffle and brie at lunch.
Tip: Lunch service the easiest reservation. Sunday closed; Saturday dinner only. The McEwan Group runs three other rooms in town.
Cafe Boulud at the Four Seasons Yorkville is Daniel Boulud's Toronto brasserie since 2012, Lyon classics plus contemporary plates from the wider group.
Signature: Lyonnais brasserie classics, Seasonal tasting
Order: The seasonal tasting menu or the duck a la presse from the brasserie list.
Tip: The dRink terrace bar above runs cocktails from 16:00 with hotel views. Lunch the easier reservation than dinner.
Salt Wine Bar at the north end of Ossington is chef Dave Kemp's Iberian-Canadian tapas room since 2009, Portuguese and Spanish wines by the glass.
Signature: Iberian tapas, Portuguese wine flight
Order: A round of tapas at the bar with a Portuguese white from the cellar.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The wine list runs deeper Portuguese than Spanish; ask for the natural-wine section.
Buca Yorkville in the Four Seasons hotel is the King Street Food Co.'s northern outpost since 2014, chef Rob Gentile's pasta and crudo plus a wine bar.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Roman-style pizzas, Seafood
Order: A handmade pasta and a wood-fired Roman-style pizza.
Tip: Sister to Buca King West. Reservations on OpenTable; the courtyard entry on Yorkville Avenue.
