As the owner of several Thai restaurants, Nuit Regular is considered a pioneer of Thai cuisine in Toronto. After all, it’s hard for her name not to pop up in a casual conversation when talking about the local Thai food scene.

The renowned chef is also a judge on Food Network Canada’s “Wall of Chefs.” Since her arrival in Canada in 2006, she abandoned her plans to pursue a nursing career when her father-in-law proposed opening a Thai restaurant, which resulted in Sukhothai, her first restaurant in Toronto.

Chef Regular spoke to us about the inspiration behind her restaurants, her experience with Thai cooking, and what makes her proud. 

You have several award-winning restaurants in Toronto. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind them? 

Each of our restaurants is inspired by a different part of my journey, from my roots in Northern Thailand to the experiences Jeff and I have shared throughout our travels around Thailand and the world. Food is such a powerful way to tell stories, and each restaurant represents a different chapter of that story. Sukhothai was our first restaurant in Toronto, marking the beginning of it all. It’s built on traditional Thai recipes I grew up cooking and eating. PAI is inspired by the small mountain town in Northern Thailand where I lived and worked before moving to Canada. It is also the town where Jeff and I met and fell in love. Kiin is where we explore the elegance of Royal Thai-inspired cuisine and the diversity of regional Thai flavours. 

Chaiyo is our fast-casual spot located at TABLE Food Hall in CIBC Square. It’s all about fast, fun, and flavour-packed Thai meals for people on the go. Tha Phae Tavern is inspired by the energy and eclectic mix of people and cultures you find around the iconic Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai. Makilala is our newest concept, opening in late July 2025, it marks our first step beyond Thai cuisine. It’s a celebration of Filipino food and culture, inspired by our close connections to the Filipino culture and community (my husband and business partner, Jeff, is Filipino) and the many incredible family meals we’ve shared over the years. 

You attended the Royal Thai Culinary School in Thailand. What was that experience like?

First off, I’m not a professionally trained chef. I’m a self-taught chef who learned how to cook from my mother back in Northern Thailand. I was a nurse for almost 10 years in Pai, Thailand, before I moved to Canada and made a career change as a chef and entrepreneur.

Growing up, the kitchen was the heart of our home, I spent countless hours by my mom’s side, learning not just recipes, but the fundamentals of cooking that I’ve carried with me to this day as a chef; our traditional cooking techniques, how to grow herbs and vegetables in our garden, how to select the best products at the market. As I established myself as a chef here in Toronto, I continue to learn about the different aspects of Thai cuisine every time I return to Thailand. I attended the Royal Thai Culinary School in Thailand to learn about this unique and rare culinary art form. It was very interesting and different to learn the Royal Thai techniques, as they are intricate, delicate, and time-consuming. I loved the opportunity to learn about these very different and old techniques that fewer people have been using because of how time-consuming they are.

What are some of your proudest moments as a chef?

I’ve been incredibly grateful for so many special moments in my journey as a chef. Seeing both PAI and Kiin recognized by the MICHELIN Guide has been such an honour, and being voted best Thai restaurant in Toronto by our guests and community always means the world to me. I’m also proud that our restaurants have been awarded the prestigious Thai SELECT Signature designation by the Royal Thai Government, recognizing authenticity and quality in Thai cuisine.

This past year has been especially meaningful, being named the 2024 WXN Top 100 SKIP Food Industry Award recipient, winning the Pinnacle Awards Chef of the Year, and being a finalist for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Momentum Award were all truly humbling. But honestly, what means the most to me is seeing the smile on our guests’ faces after they’ve taken a bite of my food. When a guest tells me how much they enjoyed a dish or that it reminded them of home or their trip to Thailand, it fills my heart!

David Messiha | Staff Writer