Favorites Thai

You walk through Sam James Coffee Bar on Ossington and keep going until the narrow room opens on a binchotan charcoal grill. Favorites Thai opened there in 2019 from Jonathan Poon and Monte Wan, the team behind Paris Paris and Khao San Road. Haan Palcu-Chang led the kitchen at launch; executive chef Ronnie Xu runs it now. Foodservice and Hospitality covered his 2026 menu refresh, which kept Thai oysters with nam jim and confit duck over red curry as house anchors while leaning harder into clean, high charcoal heat. Michelin awards a Bib Gourmand and calls out sticky-rice spring rolls, beef tartare with fish sauce and fried shallots, and a fried calamari salad that reads clever without losing chile.

Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday. Natural wine and a short cocktail list sit beside the grill plates. Book on OpenTable. About forty seats fill early, and the room gets loud once Ossington wakes up. For northern khao soi downtown, Pai is still the line; for Isaan funk, Isaan Der is on Spadina.

Tables praise oysters, tartare, lamb chops, and curries that actually carry heat. Spice catches people who forget to ask. Service gets warm notes even when the kitchen paces food fast on busy Saturdays. The room is tight, the stools can feel hard, and the acoustics make conversation hard across the table. Closed Sunday and Monday.