Fulfill your cravings for classics like pad Thai, massaman curry, and tom yum soup at these stellar spots, a lot of which additionally serve a bevy of scrumptious lesser-known specialities.
As a Colorado-born Thai-American, the delicacies of my guardian’s homeland is the last word supply of consolation. And when my Bangkok-born mom (the best cook I know) isn’t whipping up the creamy curries, wok-fried noodles, and herb- and chile-laced salads I grew up consuming in her house kitchen, my cravings are satiated by the Denver metro space’s rising roster of great Thai eating places. Listed below are 12 of the perfect locations to feast on classics like pad thai, massaman curry, tom yum soup, and even scrumptious lesser-known specialities.
9 Thai
Named after the late King of Thailand Rama IX—the nation’s extremely revered, longest-reigning monarch—9 Thai is understood for its stellar specials. Whereas lovingly ready staples like aromatic tom kha (a coconut-milk-based hen soup enriched with galangal root, kaffir lime, and lemongrass) and peanut-laced pad thai are on the menu on a regular basis, regulars rave in regards to the dishes which are solely out there on the weekend. Order the khao soi, vast egg noodles soaked in a spicy golden-hued hen curry and accompanied by an array of palate-awakening toppings, together with chopped purple and inexperienced onions, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and crispy noodles. 4122 E. Colfax Ave. (presently open for takeout solely; name 303-658-0751 for hours)
Past Thai
This Littleton-born restaurant added a second outpost in Edgewater in September—a testomony to its loyal following within the Denver metro space. At both location, tuck right into a bowl of Thai noodle soup, rice noodles with tender slices of beef, fried garlic, and slices of inexperienced onion in a slurp-worthy oil-sheened broth, or the kapao moo krob, crispy pork stomach stir-fried with onions, bell peppers, and bamboo shoots. Different standouts embody the vegetable-loaded inexperienced curry and garlic-sauce-slicked pad kee mao (drunken noodles). Bonus: Search for a 3rd location within the Highland neighborhood off thirty second Avenue in 2022. 2630 W. Belleview Ave., Ste. 150, Littleton; 1931 Sheridan Blvd., Ste. Z, Edgewater
Busaba
When Suthinee Phairatphiboon and her household (hospitality veterans who moved from Thailand to america greater than 24 years in the past) launched the Busaba in Louisville in 2011, the comfy restaurant rapidly turned a beloved cease for residents of Boulder County and much past. All the traditional suspects are on the menu—tender hen satay with peanut sauce, inexperienced curry dotted with buttery Thai eggplant and candy basil leaves, and easily dressed Bangkok road fried rice—are stable selections. However we urge you to transcend the fundamentals: Attempt the goong op woon sen (steamed bean thread noodles with shrimp), a dish bursting with flavors of salty bacon, peppery ginger, and citrusy cilantro, or the hen puff, a roti shell filled with fragrant curried hen and potato. 133 McCaslin Blvd., Unit H, Louisville
Daughter Thai
At two-year-old Daughter Thai in Highland, chef-owner Ounjit Hardacre and her workforce (additionally behind now-closed Citizen Thai in Golden) provide an assortment of superbly plated appetizers, stir-fries, curries, salads, and rice and noodle dishes, alongside a lineup of polished cocktails in a trendy, date-night-friendly ambiance. You may’t go flawed by selecting any of the curries, however we just like the lychee-kissed massaman curry with Colorado lamb and purple curry with duck confit, Thai eggplant, and crispy basil—each of which pair nicely with a peanut-bourbon-infused Thai Customary. The restaurant can be open for lunch Friday via Sunday, when you may get extra informal but equally tasty choices like aromatic fried rice topped with a fried hen cutlet and accompanied by a sweet-spicy dipping sauce. 1700 Platte St., Ste. 140
Farm Home Thai Eatery
The lineup at greater than two-year-old Farm House Thai’s is an ode to the multi-faceted delicacies of “the Land of Smiles.” For an appetizer, get the nam prik ong, a meaty dip from northern Thailand made with floor pork, tomatoes, chiles, and garlic and served with pork rinds. Then benefit from the floating market noodle soup, a specialty from the nation’s central area with rice noodles, springy meatballs, and thinly sliced pork or beef in a broth enriched with darkish soy sauce, star anise, and different daring spices. Or attempt the kao moo dang, a plate of rice loaded with sweet-red-sauce-drizzled crispy skinned pork, Chinese language sausage, and a hard-boiled egg. Wash down your meal with one of many restaurant’s cocktails just like the lychee-infused gin and vodka Lichitini or the rum-forward Grownup Thai Tea. 98 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood
Hey Bangkok
Road fare is the draw at Hey Bangkok, the place the eating room’s partitions are even wrapped in scenes depicting the colourful metropolis’s bustling thoroughfares. The petite 18-month-old eatery from Jay Dedrick and Siriporn Tayaputch—the husband-and-wife workforce behind 23-year-old restaurant Swing Thai—sports activities a small however mighty menu. Go for the khao mun gai, a Thai riff on Hainanese hen rice with tender steamed poultry accompanied by a bowl of sizzling broth, sliced cucumbers, and a garlic- and chile-spiked sauce, or the pad gra pao, hen stir-fried with basil, onion, and purple bell pepper capped with a fried egg. 301 S. Pennsylvania St.
Mountain Thai Kitchen
This meals truck isn’t technically a restaurant—however due to the recognition of chef and co-owner Sopit Buckman’s cooking—Mountain Thai Kitchen will open its first brick-and-mortar in Broomfield this spring. Till then, clients can order the roving eatery’s superbly charred barbecued pork skewers with sticky rice; wok-fried hen coated in piquent garlic-pepper paste; and jammy-fried-egg-topped basil ribeye steak slices served on a mattress of rice at breweries like Twenty Brew Taphouse within the Westminster and Broomfield space. Don’t miss the seasonal mango sticky rice, if it’s out there. Storefront coming quickly; see the meals truck’s schedule here.
U.S. Thai Cafe
This no-fuss Edgewater joint has a status for producing sweat-inducing curries, however patrons aware of the restaurant’s warmth ranges know to not go for the “Thai sizzling” except they wish to really feel the burn. To expertise U.S. Thai’s deliciously balanced taste mixtures—that are higher representations of the nation’s delicacies than the taste-bud-scorching choices many go for—ask for the pad see ew (skinny rice noodles fried with egg, Chinese language broccoli, and your alternative of protein) or jungle curry (a coconut-milk-free purple curry with zucchini, bamboo shoots, child corn, carrot, and inexperienced beans) with the delicate or medium spice ranges. 5228 W. twenty fifth Ave., Edgewater (presently open for takeout solely; name 303-233-3345 for hours)
Thai Taste
Heat hospitality and a killer lineup of each acquainted dishes and people tougher to seek out within the Denver metro space await at this eatery tucked off South Peoria Road in Aurora. Order a ramification to share of kra pao with floor beef and crunchy diced inexperienced beans; som tum, ribbons of recent inexperienced papaya combined with crushed garlic, chiles, tomatoes,and salty crab; and the yum woon sen, silky glass noodles with shrimp and floor hen in a fish sauce and lime juice dressing. The tod mun pla, plump fried fish truffles that include a sweet-spicy dipping sauce, and the crispy noodles smothered in a lard na gravy (a silky brown sauce with bok choy and broccoli), are additionally price including to your lunch or dinner feast. 1014 S. Peoria St., Aurora
Thai Home
This yellow-walled, eclectically adorned eatery (assume: a double fish tank show stuffed with vegetation) has a prolonged menu with a number of regional dishes. Begin with the home made sai ua, a spicy sausage from northern Thailand served with ginger, recent chiles, peanuts, and cabbage. Then ask for the omelet, a fluffy cloud of soy-sauce-tinged eggs speckled with items of floor pork—a comforting dish usually ready in houses throughout Thailand and a really perfect accompaniment to zesty specialties like tom yum soup, yum talay (shrimp and calamari salad with a recent lime dressing), and inexperienced curry. 8025 Sheridan Blvd., Arvada
Ros Siam
Siblings Attawut Intongkam and Suttichai Inthongkham opened Ros Siam within the former Sassafras area in Jefferson Park in March 2020 to introduce Coloradans to the delicacies they grew up consuming in Bangkok. The outcomes are vibrant plates that exude an equilibrium of candy, bitter, salty, and spicy flavors. Get the nam tok, charbroiled beef tossed with toasted rice powder, mint, purple onions, and lime, and Chinese language eggplant stir-fried with garlic, chiles, and soy bean paste. We additionally suggest the moo yang, grilled pork tenderloin with Thai chile sauce and sticky rice. 2637 W. twenty sixth Ave.
Woody’s Wings N Issues
Don’t let the identify of this unassuming strip-mall joint idiot you: Woody’s serves tasty wings, however the Thai dishes on its greater than 20-page, binder-size menu—which additionally consists of Chinese language, Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese fare—deserve probably the most consideration. We suggest the fried entire fish (out there with a lime-tinged sauce or doused in a medley of greens in candy and bitter sauce); the lard na, vast rice noodles swimming in a shiny brown gravy and studded with slices of Chinese language broccoli; and the refreshingly tangy tom yum soup introduced in an attention-grabbing aluminum goblet. If wings are in your thoughts, go for those tossed in finger-licking peanut-lemongrass coating. Observe: There are not any costs on the menu, however we promise that all the pieces you order will probably be well worth the spend (and priced roughly between $10 and $20). 6817 Lowell Blvd., Westminster
Bonus: Purchase Mama Sue Chile Oil
In October 2020, 22-year-old Tuk Tuk Thai Restaurants, which has areas within the Denver metro space, launched Mama Sue Kitchen. The model, named after the restaurant’s co-owner Sue Chinsomboon, provides a lineup of Thai chile oils which are sizzling additions to any pantry (actually). Spoon the fiery condiment, spiked with a symphony of garlic, onion, chiles, black pepper, sesame seeds, and salt, on something in your kitchen that wants some further zing. We love the delicate taste on eggs and in marinades and the tongue-tingling authentic taste in ramen or on dumplings. Purchase the jars, in addition to ready-to-cook basil hen dumplings, at Tuk Tuk areas (800 E. Quincy Ave; 218 Union Blvd., Lakewood; and 10667 Westminster Blvd., Westminster)