2023

Restaurant Awards 2023: The Best Thai Restaurants in Vancouver

5 of the best Thai restaurants in the city.

By the Editors /

The Best Thai Restaurants in Vancouver 2023

Gold: Maenam

Maenam returns to the top of the charts this year after a brief 2022 dip to silver: welcome back, old friend. Despite the fact Chef Angus An is now juggling a culinary empire (see: Fat Mao, Longtail, the other Fat Mao, et cetera), Maenam continues to up the ante for the city’s Thai scene. “So complex, yet balanced and intriguing—some blaze boldly, others are expressed more delicately,” said one judge.

1938 W 4th Ave., Vancouver
maenam.ca

Maenam. Photo: Alaina Michelle Photography.

Silver: Song by Kin Kao

Song by Kin Kao places silver this year, still riding high from its pandemic pivots. When they could have been selling casual Thai food for takeout during the darkest days of COVID, they took a riskier, experimental route. The result? “Even the tofu excites me here,” said one judge.

317 E Broadway, Vancouver
songyvr.com

Photo: Song by Kin Kao.

Bronze: Unchai

Bronze winner Unchai goes beyond the Canadianified Thai cannon (no offense, pad thai) to bring regional specialties to life: moo cook foon (grilled pork salad) and khaw kling (spicy dry-fried curry paste with ground chicken).

2351 Burrard St., Vancouver
unchai.ca

Unchai.

Honourable Mentions: Baan Lao and Longtail Kitchen

Honourable mentions go to Baan Lao and Longtail Kitchen—the former high-end, the latter happily casual, but both excelling in the art of tasty Thai. 

Baan Lao
100 Bayview St., Richmond
baanlao.ca

Longtail Kitchen
810 Quayside Dr., New Westminster
longtailkitchen.com

Looking for more of the best restaurants in Vancouver? See all 70+ restaurants on the list.