Khao soi – Michael Eats

Solid Thai Food at Thai Barn Na

Published on October 26, 2026 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 888 Dundas Street East, Mississauga
Website: https://www.thaibarnna.ca/

Thai Barn Na is a burgeoning Thai chain with locations in Etobicoke, Liberty Village, and Mississauga.

Often, if I’m not sure what to order at a restaurant, I’ll check out the section in Google maps where they highlight the dishes that come up the most often in reviews. I figure it’s probably a safe bet to order the most popular dish. When I visited, that was the khao soi.

I started with the shrimp donut cake (“crispy shrimp & fish cake, garlic and spices served with sweet chilli sauce”). I was a bit disappointed to find that this wasn’t actually a doughnut (not everything in a ring shape is a doughnut!), but rather a shrimp patty that’s shaped like a ring, breaded, and fried. Still, whatever it was, it was quite tasty, with a nice contrast between the crispy exterior and meaty interior.

You can get the khao soi (“soft and crispy egg noodles, golden curry, coconut milk, spring onion, red onion, crispy shallot, lime, pickled veg”) with tofu, chicken, beef, or shrimp. Chicken is traditional, so that’s what I went with.

It’s not the best version of this dish that I’ve ever had — the flavour doesn’t quite pop like it should, and the pieces of chicken were quite dry — but it’s still a great dish executed well, with a nice balance of textures from the chewy/crispy noodles, and a pleasantly rich soup.

Mediocre Khao Soi at Imm Thai Kitchen

Published on March 5, 2020 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 651 College Street, Toronto
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Immthaikitchen/

Khao soi is one of those dishes I have a hard time resisting. The combo of the creamy and vibrant curry soup, the chewy noodles in the bowl, and the crispy fried ones on top add up to a dynamite mix of flavours and textures.

At Imm Thai, I tried a few of the starters before I got to the soup: spring rolls, fresh rolls, and fried sweet potato. The two types of rolls were both about what you’d expect, but the sweet potato really stood out. The thin strands of potato were crunchy and addictive — they were basically like a freshly-fried version of Hickory Sticks, and I couldn’t get enough of them.

The khao soi, on the other hand — i.e. the reason I wanted to visit the restaurant in the first place — wasn’t the best. It was fine; I certainly didn’t dislike eating it, but it is absolutely, positively not in the same league as the best bowls of this particular dish.

The “soup” itself is the biggest issue. And yes, in this case, the word soup definitely needs to be in quotes — the thick, sludgy liquid here was at the consistency of a particularly hearty gravy.

Of course, the broth in a bowl of khao soi is supposed to be a little bit richer than a typical bowl of soup, but this version took that two or three (or four or five) steps too far.

The flavour, too, was a bit one-note, with none of the delightful complexity that makes the best bowls of khao soi really sing. The crispy noodles on top were nice, if not quite as abundant as you’d like, and the pieces of chicken (you can also pick tofu, shrimp, or lobster) were all dry, personality-free chunks of white meat.

Amazing Khao Soi at Khao San Road

Published on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018 by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Location: 11 Charlotte Street, Toronto
Website: http://www.khaosanroad.ca/

The Khao Soi at Khao San Road is improbably good. It’s the type of dish where you have your first mouthful and think “wait… is this as delicious as I think it is?” Then you take another mouthful, and yeah: it really is that good.

Khao soi is a Thai noodle soup that features a super rich curry broth topped with crispy fried noodles for texture.

The version at Khao San Road is outstanding. That restaurant is one of those places with a perpetual line out the door; once you try the food, it’s easy enough to see why.

The curry-infused soup — made indulgently rich thanks to creamy coconut milk — is so damn satisfying.

There’s nothing subtle about it; it’s an absolute flavour bomb, but with a complexity that ensures it never feels one-note or overwhelming, despite how assertive the flavours are.

I had it with chicken, which complimented it quite well; you can also get tofu, beef, or shrimp.

The combination of the crispy noodles on top, the chewy noodles in the bowl, and the ultra-creamy soup is seriously addictive. It’s ridiculously good.