This spot serves regional Thai cuisine that goes beyond the usual suspects

Toronto is no stranger to Thai food, with some of the best spots for pad Thai, massaman curry and mango sticky rice earning places among the city’s best restaurants and favourite dining destinations.

When I travelled to Thailand a decade ago, I was struck by how dramatically the food changed as I made my way from Bangkok, and its fresh, vibrant street food, to Chiang Mai in the north, where richer curries and deeply savoury dishes took over.

Back home, though, it’s still relatively rare to find Toronto restaurants that really get into the weeds of Thai cuisine, spotlighting the distinct flavours and traditions of individual regions. Isaan der Thai, on the other hand, delves deeply into Isaan cuisine inspired by chef Chatsuda “Ko” Drouin's childhood. 

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

Located in northeastern Thailand, bordering Laos and Cambodia, Isaan is known for its bold, spicy and sour flavours. Coconut milk, prevalent in Central Thai cooking, is less common here; instead, dishes lean on fresh herbs, chillies, lime and funky fermented seasonings.

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

After five years on Queen Street East, Isaan Der’s Riverside restaurant relocated to a bigger, brighter spot on Spadina Avenue this spring, bringing its northeastern Thai cooking to the heart of Chinatown.

I descend the stairs into the casual dining space, decorated with Thai flags and statues. Its laid-back energy is a foil to the bold, complex flavours we’re about to taste.

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

Chef Ko warmly welcomes us and has the team bring out some of the restaurant’s best plates. We start with laab, a spicy-sour dish of minced pork tossed with dried chilli, lime, fresh herbs and toasted rice powder — an after-school snack Ko remembers fondly. A whole sea bass follows, marinated with herbs and spices and cooked Thai-style.

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

The table lets out a chorus of oohs and aahs when the Yaang Platter hits the deck — essentially, Isaan's answer to protein maxxing: a wooden board piled with skewers of tender pork, tiger shrimp, chicken liver and squid, alongside khao jee (grilled sticky rice), with a sauce for dipping.

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

Perhaps the biggest surprise is khao piak, a comforting noodle soup that, at first glance, reminds me of pho. The Laotian dish features thick, slippery handmade noodles swimming in a rich pork-bone broth. It’s the kind of bowl I’d happily slurp until my spoon hit porcelain if I weren’t sharing with the table.

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

Isaan der Thai also makes some killer cocktails, many of which use imported coconuts. The Mangolicious is my favourite, a fruity margarita garnished with half a mango, scored and popped inside out.

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

Priyangsha Chittaranjan

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From fun drinks to rich, funky and flavourful curries, chef Ko and her team are committed to using only the best ingredients and most traditional Thai cooking techniques. Sure, you can get a great pad Thai here, but it’s the regional Isaan dishes that make this Chinatown spot worth seeking out.

Isaan der Thai has multiple locations, but their newest restaurant is at 327 Spadina Avenue.

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