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Tha Phae Tavern
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Save for clamorous flocks of pigeons and the dusty side effect of speeding mopeds, Tha Phae Tavern looks every inch the part of the landmark that shares its name. Cheery and bustling, it’s edged in red brick and trimmed with colourful paper lanterns, with a crimson songthaew truck tucked against the back wall. Claw machines blip from the corner, while the heady scents of herb-perfumed bone broth and flame-grilled pork jowls tumble through the room. From chef Nuit and Jeff Regular, Toronto’s renowned Thai-food ambassadors, the bar is a lively first foray into nightlife with top-tier sips and snacks.
“The vision from the start was a feeling,” explains Jeff Regular. “We wanted it to feel fun and genuine and approachable and kind. … That brought me to my backpacking days, and that freedom and being on a budget and just having fun.”
Now a backpacker hub in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, the Tha Phae Gate was first built as part of a defensive wall surrounding the old city. Today, says Regular, “this particular gate is where all the backpackers meet up. … It creates this very unique atmosphere and environment. It’s expats and backpackers and locals all living together.”
Beyond traditional eats, the area around the gate is known for its sundry mix of options. “There’s lots of international food at Tha Phae,” affirms chef Nuit. “Pizza, pasta, burgers, deep-fried chicken. They have Korean, Japanese. Everything. You name it. That’s why it’s such a fun vibe.”
Though fans of the Regulars’ other local spots may expect staunchly traditional bites from the team, Tha Phae Tavern offers something more.
“For me and Nuit, whenever we open something we don’t want to just open something. It’s, ‘How can we show more of the culture?’ That’s very important to us, to show something and share something,” explains Regular.
“With Pai, we did the street food. With Chaiyo, we did market food. With Kiin, we did the Royal Thai cuisine. Here, more than just doing traditional food, it’s more of a cutout of something that is real and living in Thailand.”
So, while some dishes at Tha Phae Tavern are what chef Nuit calls, “hardcore Thai,” and are meant to “be that connection for people to the culture that they miss,” others are unique creations born of the marriage of myriad local Toronto influences. That being said, this being a Regular-owned destination, each and every one flaunts an immeasurable level of flavour.
Spicy, sour and pungent, Som Tum Pu Pla Ra (papaya salad with salted crab and fermented fish sauce), is a dish that Regular describes as “what Thai locals would eat when they’re drinking.”
On the other side of the spectrum, there are homey plates of Gai Tod Tha Phae (Tha Phae fried chicken). Marinated in an aromatic jumble of herbs and spices—from lemongrass and garlic to coriander root and white pepper—then coated in a blend of flours and pressure fried until desperately crisp and stained a rich mahogany brown, it’s the familiar comfort food given an irresistible chef Nuit upgrade.
Humming with subtle heat and an expert balance of warm spices and herbs, Sandwich Massaman Nuea Toon (braised massaman beef sandwich) is layered with cheese, pickled veg and a crowning drizzle of rich Thai curry sauce.
This being a bar, there are also drink-friendly snacks, like zippy Mamuang Bao Nam Pla Wan (green mango with Thai dipping sauce) and savoury Moo Krob Pad Prik Klua Kratiam (stir-fried crispy pork belly).
Naturally, given the surroundings, there are also drinks. Plenty of them. There is wine and beer, spirits and fresh juices along with rainbow-hued cocktails, icy slushies and mocktails made with the same care and attention as their boozy counterparts.
“Drinks are a big part of Tha Phae Tavern,” states Regular. Created by Jeff Kennes, the bar manager at Kiin, the cocktail list is approachable and riotously fun. With recipes that rely on a pantry’s worth of ingredients borrowed from chef Nuit’s kitchen, drinks here were designed to perfectly complement every bite.
On a list that skews tropical and fruity, the Fish Bowl is an elegant zero-proof option made with non-alcoholic white rum, pandan, lime, cream soda syrup, butterfly pea flower and soda.
The tri-coloured Siamese Swizzle, meanwhile, is another refreshing find that gives off serious vacation vibes. With lychee, lemon, coconut water and hibiscus grenadine, it’s a frosty, easy-drinking find with a hit of pea flower-infused white rum and St-Germain liqueur.
Tinted the fresh colour of a young tropical plant, Not Your Dad's Cream Soda relies on Tanqueray Gin, crème de pandan and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur for its bite, and Hale’s Blue Boy Cream Soda syrup, orange juice, Angostura bitters and saline for its juicy, balanced finish.
As evidenced by the claw machines, live entertainment and karaoke rooms, Tha Phae Tavern is a place that borrows not just the flavours, but the boisterous energy of the Tha Phae Gate.
“If we can have a place where people can hang out, meet up with friends, have a couple of drinks and snacks, that would be the place I would want to have,” explains chef Nuit. “It’s very Toronto,” she says, adding that the team hopes to invite bands, DJs, comedians and more to use the space. “We want it to be a community place where people can grow their careers, and enjoy time together.”
At Tha Phae Tavern, chef Nuit and Jeff Regular are serving up Thai-style adventure. Whether you accept by way of a lush, liquid take on mango sticky rice, succulent pork belly boa, or the obscure thrill of surrendering to karaoke’s lure, is entirely up to you.
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