Acclaimed Toronto restaurant set to open first GTA location in this Ontario town

It’s been a big year (and a bit) for a much-talked-about Thai restaurant that has rapidly grown from a popular neighbourhood eatery to a two-level, three-in-one experience: one with its eye on expanding its reach even further. 

Recently, the team behind Pii Nong, the 10,000-square-foot, two-level Midtown destination that features a 120- to 130-seat restaurant, a Thai market, and a second-floor spa, took to social media to announce plans to open another location in a municipality outside Toronto in the near future.

“Tell us in the comments which Ontario town or city you’d love to see us in next,” the team teased on Instagram. 

The answer: Oakville.

While an exact opening date has not yet been revealed, a Pii Nong representative told INsauga.com that they expect to open the new location in the spring. The restaurant will be located in the town’s picturesque downtown core at 266 Lakeshore Rd. E.

The news of the newest location comes not long after the 2024 opening of the restaurant’s flagship Yonge and Lawrence location. Prior to that, Pii Nong operated out of a smaller space on Bayview Avenue in Leaside, a location the team has since transformed into Chon Modern Thai Cuisine.

Since opening the Midtown resto, head chef and co-owner Pii “Nana” Nong has earned praise for her street food-inspired offerings. 

Fellow co-owner Tom Ha, who splits his time between Pii Nong and the rejuvenated Saigon Star–a near-historic Richmond Hill mainstay that underwent a substantial makeover after serving customers for more than four decades–previously told INsauga.com that the flagship was created following conversations about opening “something so insane, so crazy, so big that people would be like, ‘Are you sure you can pull this off?’” 

While it’s not yet clear if Pii Nong’s Oakville outpost will offer experiences beyond dining, the restaurant has generated a lot of buzz for its expansive menu that includes traditional Thai staples (pad Thai, pad kee mao, pad see ew and khao soi, to name a few) and more unique offerings such as Thai pong karee crab, soft shell crab curry, basil chili paste clams and a crying tiger speak made with beef tenderloin soaked in a sweet oyster sauce marinade and served with sticky rice and cilantro. 

The restaurant is also known for its Insta-worthy teddy bear drinks (which come in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties) that feature either mango juice or milk tea with endearing frozen teddies. 

More details on the new location are expected in the coming weeks.