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Name: Pai
Neighbourhood: King West
Contact Info: 18 Duncan St., 416-901-4724, paitoronto.com , @PaiToronto
Previously: A Golden Griddle
Owners: Sukhothai and Sabai Sabai owners Jeff and Nuit Regular, with Janet Zuccarini (who also owns Gusto 101)
Executive Chef: Nuit Regular
The Food: Thai food experts Nuit and Jeff Regular are slowly introducing Torontonians to Thailand’s full panoply of regional cuisines. They serve central-Thai food at Sukhothai, northeastern Isan cuisine at Sabai Sabai and now, at Pai, traditional dishes from the country’s far-northern tip, which is known for its particularly fragrant and spicy food. Options include a gingery gaeng hunglay curry with oxtail, a pork-and-offal salad, and a DIY papaya salad with salted crab. (The plates are served family-style, and eating with your hands is strongly encouraged.) A simpler menu of bite-sized snacks (e.g. pork rinds, mussels) is available at Bebop, the casual, all-day snack bar.
The Drinks: During the day, Pai operates as a laid-back café, serving coffee-based drinks made with beans from Thai coffee company Doi Chaang. Evening options include Thai-inspired cocktails, draught beer and bai wun (sometimes called “jelly beer”), which is basically a beer slushie.
The Place: “Pai” is the name of a backpacker’s oasis in northern Thailand where Nuit Regular lived and cooked for a decade. The restaurant was designed to capture the look and feel of the town. There are intricately carved teak panels (from a 20-year old house in Chang Mai), artwork and prints from the region, and an open kitchen that looks a bit like a market stall. The hippie, easy-going atmosphere carries over to Bebop, where guests can shoot hoops while waiting for their drinks and snacks.
282894 <strong>Pai’</strong>s 24-seat patio flanks the restaurant’s Duncan Street entrance (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-01-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-01/ pai-toronto-restaurant-01 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282895 The space was designed to evoke the look and feel of Pai, a popular backpackers’ town in northern Thailand where owners <strong>Nuit</strong> and <strong>Jeff Regular</strong> met and fell in love (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-02-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-02.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-02/ pai-toronto-restaurant-02 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282896 The “Bamboo Bar” is a cushioned seating area that accommodates six to eight guests (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-03-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-03/ pai-toronto-restaurant-03 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282897 Nuit Regular wanted her open kitchen to resemble a market stall, complete with aged tin roof panels and fresh produce displays (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-04-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-04.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-04/ pai-toronto-restaurant-04 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282899 <strong>Bebop,</strong> the little bar attached to Pai, is a tribute to a northern Thai music bar by the same name. The space is open all day and is outfitted with bright patterned banquettes, high-top tables and a mini basketball hoop (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-06-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-06/ pai-toronto-restaurant-06 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282903 We have it on good authority that customers who make a basket (under <strong>Jeff Regular’</strong>s supervision) will win a free dessert. As huge basketball fans, the Regulars are hoping the Raptors might drop by (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-10-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-10/ pai-toronto-restaurant-10 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282901 Pai’s 20-seat private room has a big-screen TV and a window that opens up into the restaurant’s main dining room, giving guests direct access to the bar (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-08-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-08/ pai-toronto-restaurant-08 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282905 <em>Hoi meng puu nung</em> is one of the bar snacks served at <strong>Bebop,</strong> the all-day snack bar. It consists of steamed mussels with Thai basil and a dipping sauce made with lime, coriander and fish sauce ($6) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-12-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-12/ pai-toronto-restaurant-12 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282904 <em>Tom yum kung mor fai</em> is a savoury, spicy and sour shrimp broth flavoured with galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime. It’s served in a Thai-style hot pot with prawns and black tiger shrimp ($15) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-11-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-11.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-11/ pai-toronto-restaurant-11 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282906 The <em>pad Thai woon sen</em> is made with thin glass noodles instead of flat rice noodles ($16) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-13-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-13.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-13/ pai-toronto-restaurant-13 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282907 <em>Hung lay hang wua</em> is a sweet-and-sour masala curry with ginger, tamarind and roasted peanuts. It’s made with a choice of pork belly or oxtail (as pictured), and served with rice ($15) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-14-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-14.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-14/ pai-toronto-restaurant-14 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282910 <em>Tum tad</em> is a green papaya salad with garlic, red chili and a sweet, citrusy dressing. It’s served with a choice of shrimp or salted crab, plus rice noodles, veggies, pork rinds and shrimp chips ($12) (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-17-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-17.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-17.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-17/ pai-toronto-restaurant-17 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282911 The unique spices chef Nuit employs in her cooking include two types of Szechuan-style peppercorns, Thai peppercorn, Siamese cardamom, Thai fennel seeds and birds-eye chilies (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-18-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-18.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-18.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-18/ pai-toronto-restaurant-18 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282913 Pai is really a love story between the Regulars—they met, fell in love and began their restaurant careers there (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-20-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-20.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-20.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-20/ pai-toronto-restaurant-20 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
282914 Pai owners Jeff and Nuit Regular (Image: Renée Suen) Introducing: Pai https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-21-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-21.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/pai-toronto-restaurant-21.jpg 1000 600 [] https://torontolife.com/food/pai-toronto-restaurants/slide/pai-toronto-restaurant-21/ pai-toronto-restaurant-21 0 0
(Image: Renée Suen)
what an awesome place! Great food, great service, great spot! Congrats Nuit & Jeff!!!
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