Khao San Road

When I told people we were headed to Toronto & looking for good ethnic food, everyone said the same thing: “you must go to Khao San Road – it’s the best thai I’ve had outside of Thailand.” The real Khaosan Road is an actual street in Bangkok, Thailand – a stretch of neighborhood that is vibrant, lively, & a mainstay in the Thailand backpacker itinerary.

Toronto’s Khao San Road restaurant is located in the entertainment  district – you’ll know which one it is because they have the giant line outside. The doors open at 5:00pm. To get a seat, I recommend being in line outside the restaurant by 4:30pm. We stopped by on a Sunday, thinking an “off-day” would result in a smaller crowd. When we walked up at 4:45pm, there was already a crowd, but we got in with the first wave.

The restaurant is small, bustling & lively – just like the street in Thailand. We were handed menus in both Thai & English & picked out some less adventurous traditional dishes. Soon a parade of fresh spring rolls, spicy chicken pad thai & creamy panang curry were coming out of the kitchen. We wrapped things up with tapioca pudding – real tapioca, not the stuff your mom used to make on the stove.

By the time we left Khao San Road, the line stretched down the street in the cool Toronto evening air & the restaurant was packed & bustling.  We were stuffed full, but it was so good, we considered getting back in line.