Baan Lao Fine Thai Cuisine is a restaurant in the Steveston neighbourhood of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.Heller, Carolyn B. (February 8, 2023). "On the Steveston Waterfront, a Thai Chef Blends Alchemy, Gastronomy, and Tradition". MONTECRISTO Magazine. It was opened in February 2021 by chef Nutcha Phanthoupheng. The restaurant was named Canada's Best Restaurant at the World Culinary Awards twice, in 2024 and 2025.Harris, Aleesha (October 23, 2025). "Richmond restaurant named Canada's best at World Culinary Awards". Vancouver Sun.Johnson, William (October 22, 2025). "World Culinary Awards names Baan Lao best restaurant in Canada for the second straight year". Georgia Straight.
History The name Baan Lao translates to "our home" in Thai.Macdonald, Gayle (January 29, 2025). "How a Thai restaurant in a seaside B.C. village became the best restaurant in Canada". The Globe and Mail. Nutcha Phanthoupheng was born in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where she had previously worked as a nurse and cancer researcher before immigrating to Canada in 2014. She opened Baan Lao in Steveston in February 2021.
Before opening the restaurant, Phanthoupheng trained in Thailand under chef Chumpol Jangprai, a two-Michelin-star recipient, and under Vichit Mukura, a chef who had cooked for the Thai royal family."Chef Nutcha's Thailand". Canada's 100 Best Restaurants. November 27, 2024.
Cuisine Baan Lao serves an 18-course tasting menu drawing on royal Thai culinary traditions."Baan Lao". North America's 50 Best Restaurants. 2025. Ingredients include proteins and produce from Canadian farms and fishers, among them Nova Scotia lobster and British Columbia water buffalo. Organic rice is imported from Phanthoupheng's family farm in Thailand's Isan region.Bujan, Bianca (March 13, 2025). "This Charming Fishing Village Has the Best Seafood on Canada's West Coast". Food & Wine.
Recognition At the World Culinary Awards, Baan Lao was named Canada's Best Restaurant in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first Canadian restaurant to win the award in consecutive years. In September 2025, it was ranked 12th on the inaugural North America's 50 Best Restaurants list and received the award for Best Restaurant in West Canada. Canada's 100 Best Restaurants named it Best Destination Restaurant in Canada for 2025.
Phanthoupheng was designated a Maître Rôtisseur by La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, described as the first Thai chef in Canada to receive this distinction.
Expansion Phanthoupheng and her husband signed a lease for two locations on Granville Island in Vancouver, with an additional location announced for Time Out Market Vancouver.
References
External links Official website