Toronto’s Chiang Mai Perfects Thai Classics and Bold Brunch Experiments

There’s something telling about a restaurant that can pull off both a traditional Crying Tiger steak and a Lobster Khao Soi Benedict without either dish feeling like a compromise. Since opening its first location in Etobicoke back in 2018, Chiang Mai has built a reputation for doing exactly that, balancing authentic Thai techniques with the kind of creative fusion that actually makes sense.

What started as a single spot has grown into five locations across Toronto and the GTA, each with its own vibe but all serving the same commitment to fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods. The restaurant takes its name from the historical mountain town in Northern Thailand, and that connection to authenticity runs through everything on the menu. You’ll find staples like pad thai and khao soi alongside dishes that take more risks, and the kitchen manages to make both feel equally essential.

The brunch menu at select locations has become a draw in its own right. It’s not just Thai classics served earlier in the day. There’s Gai Yang with sticky rice and jim-jaew sauce, sure, but there’s also Thai Milk Tea French Toast and that Lobster Khao Soi Benny that keeps showing up in customer reviews. The brioche gets soaked in Thai tea, the hollandaise gets spiked with khao soi spices, and somehow it all works without feeling gimmicky. Regular brunch staples like blueberry pancakes and classic French toast hold their own next to these fusion experiments, which says something about the kitchen’s range.

The approach to ingredients matters here. Chiang Mai sources premium, seasonal items grown locally when possible, which makes a difference when you’re trying to recreate flavors that depend on freshness. Customer testimonials consistently mention the quality of the Thai Basil Fried Rice and Crispy Fish, dishes that live or die based on how good the ingredients are on any given day.

Beyond the food, the restaurant’s involved in the community through charitable work, fundraising events, and school supply donations. It’s the kind of thing that could read as PR fluff, but it fits with a restaurant that’s clearly thinking beyond just filling tables. They offer catering with 24 hours’ notice for everything from corporate functions to weddings.

What makes Chiang Mai work isn’t just that it serves good Thai food in a city with plenty of options. Word around city has some calling it the best Thai restaurant in Toronto, and that reputation comes from understanding when to stick to tradition and when to experiment, treating those two approaches as complementary rather than contradictory. You can get a proper tom yum goong or a Wagyu Khao Soi Dumpling, and both dishes come from the same understanding of what Thai cooking can be when you don’t cut corners.

The restaurant’s growth from one location to five in less than a decade reflects what happens when authenticity and innovation coexist without one undermining the other. You can follow their latest menu updates and location news on their website, Instagram and Facebook, but the real story is what’s happening in those five kitchens across the city, where the balance between tradition and creativity gets figured out one plate at a time.