Pii Nong Thai

Taking over a massive 10,000-square-foot footprint at Yonge and Lawrence, Pii Nong Thai operates more like a cultural complex than your standard neighbourhood spot. Co-owners Thomas Ha and chef Pii Nong—who cut her teeth at her family’s Bangkok street food stall—have split the space into a 120-seat dining room, an on-site massage parlour, and a market stocked with imported goods. The interior leans into Southeast Asian aesthetics, using timber finishes and multicoloured tables shipped directly from Thailand to ground the sprawling, high-energy floor plan.

Expect a focus on southern-style Thai cooking, specifically seafood towers and raw bar plates. The pad gra pow and crispy ginger beef are the go-tos, though you’ll likely see the teddy bear–shaped frozen Thai milk tea on every other table. It gets loud and crowded, so book a table well ahead of time even if you’re just heading out on a Tuesday. If you show up early, use the wait time to browse the market for condiments or snacks, as the place is usually packed enough that you’ll want a buffer before your reservation.