PAI is a Thai restaurant chain in Toronto that serves menu which focuses on authentic northern Thai cuisine with international influence. The chain is run by Thai-born chef Nuit Regular and her husband chef Jeff Regular who own multiple Thai restaurants in the city. The duo are considered as the pioneers who popularized Thai cuisines in Toronto. Following the success of their first eat-in downtown location, they opened PAI Uptown in late 2020 at Yonge St.

When you enter through the unassuming door on the street level, walk up the stairs to the second floor and you’ll find yourself inside the spacious PAI Uptown restaurant. You’ll then be greeted by the host who will lead you to the dining area where yellow lantern-like lamps that are hanging from the high ceiling, giving the restaurant a warm glow and a somewhat intimate atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with wooden floorings and furnitures with colorful walls and faux facade of buildings decoration surrounding the space. The setup makes you feel like you’re dining at a busy festive outdoor night market, especially with the live band playing on the stage at one corner of the room. The casual, laid-back and quirky vibe of the place makes it a great hang out spot to catch up with friends over some Thai food and a drink or two.

Greysuitcase Toronto Restaurant Series: PAI Uptown, 2335 Yonge St, Toronto, Canada.

Spring Rolls $14 | 8/10

Three deep-fried vegetarian wheat paper wraps filed with mushrooms, glass noodles, and carrots, served with a sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce.

Crispy thin wraps with generous fillings. The fillings were nicely seasoned as well and tasted pretty authentic. Really enjoyed this appetizer as the opening of our meal.

Shrimp Pad See Ew $25.5 | 7/10

Stir-fried hand-cut rice noodles with sweet soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, egg and shrimp.

The dish is nicely cooked but the flavor profile was a bit different from what I usually have back in Asia. I think the flavor is on the lighter side and not as bold for my personal preference. But the individual ingredients were fresh and it still tasted good. Plus the portion was pretty generous.

Chef Nuit Shrimp Pad Thai $25 | 7/10

Red-flame stir-fried rice noodles in a house-made tamarind-palm sugar sauce with shrimp, beansprouts, tofu egg chives, long leaf coriander, shredded cabbage, fresh lime, and house-roasted peanuts.

Same comments as the Pad See Ew for the Pad Thai as well. Nicely cooked dish with fresh ingredients, flavor twist and generous portion.

Chicken Gaeng Massaman $22.5

Chicken in peanut and tamarind curry with coconut milk potatoes and white onions and topped with deep-fried crispy shallots. Served with steamed jasmine nice.

This was actually my friend’s order and I didn’t get to try it. But it is his favorite menu to order every time he came to visit. Their curry is supposedly good according to my friends who frequent this place.

Overall, the food tasted good but you can definitely taste the international influence on these northern Thai cuisines. I’m by no means an expert on Thai food, but I’ve had my fair share of Thai food in Asia and the flavors are a bit different. And not necessarily in a bad way, it’s just different. But if you’re like my friend who’s missing a little taste of home, PAI Uptown can definitely satisfy your cravings.