Overview
- Baan Lao, which was named North America's Best Restaurant Thursday, won the World Culinary Awards' North America title in Montego Bay, Jamaica and became the first Canadian restaurant to take that regional prize.
- The restaurant was also named Canada's Best Restaurant for a third consecutive year, a distinction that the owners accepted at the World Culinary Awards ceremony.
- The 20-seat waterfront restaurant in Steveston's historic fishing village opened in 2021 and is run by chef‑owner Nutcha Phanthoupheng, a former nurse and cancer researcher, who serves Royal Thai tasting menus with white‑glove service.
- Owners John and Nutcha Phanthoupheng have translated the acclaim into business growth: they opened MaKaam at Time Out Market Vancouver in May 2026 and have announced two confirmed Granville Island concepts—Baan Baan and Le KaNom—slated to open in summer 2027.
- The World Culinary Awards, established in 2020, decide winners through weighted voting by the public and registered industry members, and the prize follows past North America winners such as The French Laundry, Le Bernardin and Atelier Crenn while raising the profile of Canadian fine dining and Royal Thai cuisine.