Deep Cuts: Ronnie Xu of Thai Favourites BBQ
Our Deep Cuts series is about people who live their craft — chefs, makers, and culinary minds who treat their tools, ingredients, and time with the same respect a blacksmith gives steel. For this edition, we spent the day with Ronnie Xu, the pitmaster and creative heart behind Thai Favourites BBQ — one of Toronto’s most exciting and quietly transformative food projects.
Ronnie’s cooking is an ongoing dialogue between technique and instinct. Rooted in the deep traditions of barbecue but re-framed through the lens of Thai flavours, his food carries a rhythm all its own — smoke and spice, sweetness and fire, all finding balance. Every plate tells a story of adaptation, of blending what he grew up with and what he’s come to master through years of hard work and late-night cooks.
At KNIFE, we’ve always been drawn to that kind of approach — a sense of craft that doesn’t rush, that takes its time to understand materials, whether that’s a piece of oak on the smoker or a blade at the bench. Ronnie works the same way. His knives are well-used but cared for, his process precise yet relaxed. When he talks about cooking, there’s no ego, just quiet confidence — the kind that comes from doing the work, day after day.
What stands out most is how naturally Thai Favourites bridges cultures and techniques without ever feeling forced. Barbecue is often seen as tradition-bound, but Ronnie treats it as a living craft — one that can evolve while still paying respect to its roots. The results speak for themselves: tender, smoke-kissed meat layered with aromatics, acidity, and the unmistakable vibrancy of Thai cooking. It’s food that feels familiar, yet entirely new.
Deep Cuts exists for stories like this. It’s about people who shape their tools and their trade into something personal. About the quiet dedication behind every perfect slice, every deliberate flame. Ronnie Xu represents that balance — between tradition and experimentation, control and flow, patience and heat.
Because whether it’s steel, smoke, or spice — the best work always happens below the surface.
Stay tuned for more Deep Cuts coming soon.
Thanks for reading.
- E