For Chef Nuit Regular, the mastermind behind the wildly popular Thai spot PAI, and now the new Tha Phae Tavern, cooking wasn’t always her passion. Growing up in Pai, a city in northern Thailand, Chef Nuit’s first experience in the kitchen was helping her mother cook.

“My mom, she loved to make curry paste from scratch,” says Chef Nuit. “She’d pick up all the vegetables and ingredients in our garden and turn that into curry paste.” She recalls the memory with a smile now, but at the time, she would rather be playing outside with her friends. 

“I was like, ‘This is torture, who loves to be in the kitchen?’ The idea to become a chef at that time—not at all, but to work in the kitchen and to learn from my mom and my family, it grew the love of cooking inside of me,” Chef Nuit says.

That love of food continued to grow, setting her off on a journey that would span across continents, career paths, and eventually several successful restaurants, awards, a cookbook, and a catering business. But like many entrepreneurs, it started with a small side hustle. Curry Shack, her very first restaurant back in Pai, was a humble space with about 40 seats. She had met her husband, Jeff Regular, while he was backpacking in Thailand, and the couple opened the restaurant together while Chef Nuit was working as a nurse. 

“During the day, I worked in the hospital, in the evening, I would open the restaurant and cook and have Jeff at the front of house,” Chef Nuit says. 

When the couple moved to Canada in 2006, Chef Nuit planned on continuing to work as a nurse. But then, in 2008, an opportunity arose that they couldn’t refuse, drawing them back to the restaurant world. A small building in Regent Park owned by Jeff’s family would soon become Sukothai—the first in the duo’s family of restaurants in the GTA, including PAI (frequented by high-profile guests like Simu Liu, Jacob Elordi, and the Toronto Raptors), Kiin (recognized by the Michelin Guide alongside PAI), and Chaiyo.

Their newest venture, Tha Phae Tavern, offers all the Northern Thai food and flavours you love from PAI with a funkier, international twist. The snack bar is inspired by the Tha Phae Gate, an iconic landmark in Chiang Mai, Thailand, known as a vibrant gathering place for travellers and street vendors. 

“The businesses have international food, they have Thai street food…you can find pizza, Korean food, Chinese, Japanese, Italian,” Chef Nuit says. “The vibe in that area—it’s so much fun.” 

The duo aimed to capture this energy—the bustle and electricity of a international meeting place—and bring it to their newest establishment. When you step inside, the atmosphere is lively, welcoming, and fun, with eclectic decor lining the walls, two private karaoke rooms, claw machines, and a photo booth. 

The mission to capture the spirit of Tha Phae Gate also extends to the unique offerings on the menu. With a focus on snackable food, inventive cocktails, and Thai-inspired international dishes, the menu at Tha Phae Tavern is small, but packs a flavourful punch—what Chef Nuit describes as “funky flavour.” There’s something for everyone, with several vegan items, options running the gamut from low to extreme heat, and dishes drawing from Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. For the adventurous, Chef Nuit recommends the Tum Pu Pla Ra (Papaya Salad with Salted Crab and Fermented Fish Sauce), one of four Thai Salads on the menu. 

Tha Phae Tavern opened its doors last month, just in time for Thai New Year. The bar has already hosted a series of unique events, including a Songkran Market inspired by the vibrant marketplaces in Chiang Mai, and Sunday Thai nights, featuring performances from local Thai artists and DJs. 

From her mother’s kitchen to Curry Shack to her beloved family of restaurants here in Toronto, Chef Nuit prides herself on cultivating a friendly atmosphere across all of her establishments, channeling the welcoming culture of Thailand, also known as “the land of smiles.”  For Chef Nuit, this positive attitude is paramount not only in the work we can see (and taste), but also throughout the challenging work behind the scenes—especially in the long and often gruelling process of opening a restaurant. Her advice for aspiring chefs? “Be patient and be positive,” she says. “Success doesn’t happen overnight. For me, it took almost 18 years, and still, I have to do a lot of learning and a lot of problem-solving to grow more.”

As we sit at a table in Tha Phae Tavern, our eyes are drawn to a large red Rod Daeng truck at the back of the restaurant, with a giant teddy bear in the driver’s seat. Across the top, a neon sign lights up, reading: “Be Kind to Each Other”. As we talk, it’s clear that this simple phrase guides Chef Nuit not only in life and business, but also in the kitchen.

“I learned how to cook from my family, and that’s very much the way that I treat the kitchen—family oriented,” she says. 

At first, establishing her team was a challenge. Some of her staff started without any experience cooking Thai food. But slowly and surely, Chef Nuit built a team that loves to learn—and loves to cook. Mistakes happen, she says, but patience is key. And evidently, leading with kindness has taken her to where she is today—adding a new member to her already successful family of restaurants.

“Most of my team, the cooks that I had at the beginning, have stayed with me until today,” Chef Nuit says. “When you surround yourself with great people, great people that love to cook, it brings your passion onto the plate.”

Tha Phae Tavern is now open at 221 Richmond St. W.