A few years ago, during a particularly intense craving for Pad Si Ew, I stumbled upon Isaan Der on Queen Street East. One of the great pleasures of food is its ability to transport us — to places we’ve been, places we long to return to, and places we’ve only dreamed of. Years ago, during a year‑long sabbatical through Southeast Asia, I wandered across Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. The region, but Thailand in particular, left an imprint on me: the warmth of the people, the golden serenity of the wats in Bangkok and Ayutthaya, and the kaleidoscope of flavours that seemed to shift across the country.
In Chiang Mai, I spent a day at a local cooking school. We began at the morning market, weaving through stalls of fragrant herbs, jewel‑toned chilies, and vegetables I’d never seen before. Back at the school, aprons tied and woks sizzling, we cooked seven dishes using our market treasures. That day — the smells, the laughter, the heat of the kitchen — cemented my love for Thai cuisine. Maybe that’s why, back in Toronto, I’m always searching for Thai restaurants that feel like the real thing.
One bite and I knew this was the best Pad Si Ew I’d had in the city. So, when I heard that Chef Chatsuda “Ko” Drouin was relocating Isaan Der to Spadina Avenue in Chinatown, I couldn’t wait to visit.
Chef Ko: A journey from newsroom to kitchen
Before she became one of Toronto’s most compelling Thai chefs, Chef Ko spent more than 15 years as a journalist for Channel 7 BBTV News in Thailand. Reporting took her across the country, where she encountered everything from refined royal cuisine to humble, rustic dishes cooked over open flames.
Chef Chatsuda “Ko” Drouin
It was during these travels that she fell in love with the bold, fiery flavours of Isaan, Thailand’s northeastern region — and her birthplace. Eventually, that passion pulled her away from journalism and into culinary school. She trained in Thai cooking and restaurant management, later completing the prestigious five‑star hotel cooking program at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok.
In 2011, she moved to Toronto with her Canadian husband, Donald, carrying with her a mission: to share the flavours of her home. After cooking in several Toronto kitchens, she opened Isaan Der, a restaurant built on authenticity, hand‑made dishes, and her unmistakable warmth.
When we visited the new Spadina location to taste her seasonal northeastern menu, Chef Ko grinned and said, “We don’t eat sweet — we eat funky!” And she meant it.
What makes Isaan cuisine different
Most Canadians know central Thai dishes — pad thai, green curry, tom yum — dishes rich with coconut milk and familiar sweetness. Isaan cuisine is another world entirely: earthier, spicier, brighter, and deeply tied to the land.
A defining ingredient is pla ra, a traditional seasoning made by fermenting freshwater fish with salt and sticky rice powder for more than three years. It’s intensely savoury, packed with umami, and central to the flavours of riverside communities in Northeastern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. For many, it’s an acquired taste; for Chef Ko, it’s the flavour of home.
What to order: A guided tour of the seasonal menu
If you’re new to Isaan cuisine — or simply want to experience it the way Chef Ko intends — dishes from the seasonal menu are the perfect starting point. They showcase the region’s heat, brightness, and rustic charm, all crafted with the meticulous care that defines Isaan Der. Some of the dishes include:
- Yaang Platter – A feast for sharing and the best crash course in Isaan flavours. Grilled over open fire, it features street‑food favourites from across Thailand, including house‑made Isaan sausage — a regional specialty of pork and rice with a tangy, addictive bite.
- Laab Ped with Sticky Rice – Chef Ko’s childhood after‑school favourite. Minced duck tossed with herbs, toasted rice powder, lime, and chilies. Bright, spicy, and deeply aromatic. Sticky rice is essential — it’s how the dish is meant to be eaten.
- Khao Piak – Comfort in a bowl. Silky house‑made rice noodles in a rich pork bone broth. Simple, soothing, and quietly perfect.
- Pad Si Ew & Khao Soi – Fresh, hand‑made noodles using techniques Chef Ko learned directly from locals in Chiang Mai. These dishes bridge northern Thai flavours with her Isaan roots — familiar yet elevated.
To pair with the food, the seasonal menu offers cocktails infused with Thai ingredients: the Mangolicious, Lychee Fizz, and even fresh coconuts flown in from Thailand.
Why Isaan Der stands out
What strikes me every time I eat at Isaan Der is the care you can taste — the insistence on authenticity, the house‑made ingredients, the respect for tradition, and Chef Ko’s warmth that seems to infuse every dish.
Come for the Pad Si Ew but stay for the dishes that define Isaan. It’s the closest thing to hopping on a plane to Thailand — except all you need is the Spadina streetcar.
Three locations: Isaan Der
🥢 327 Spadina Avenue (seasonal northeastern menu available here through August 2026)
🥢 2961 Dundas Street West
🥢 9021 Leslie St, Unit 7, Richmond Hill
All images courtesy Isaan Der. Follow @isaan_der