Street food, sit-down specialties mingle at Le Thai
There’s street food — and there’s Fremont Street food.
But the twain meet, and mix it up, at Le Thai.
Located at 523 Fremont St., in downtown’s Fremont East district, Le Thai serves up street-style dishes in a decidedly urban environment, complete with a corrugated metal exterior and interior brick walls.
“That’s why we have a brick wall — you’re outside, but inside,” general manager Shauna Dong says of the Fremont Street eatery where owner/chef Dan Coughlin now presides.
Coughlin, former owner of Mix Zone Cafe on West Charleston Boulevard, responded to “the vibe” and “the old city feel” of Fremont East, Dong explains.
Despite the new surroundings, Mix Zone fans will find many familiar menu items, including Coughlin’s signature three-color curry — which turns up as one of Le Thai’s $8.50 lunch specials, which are served until 3 p.m.
The restaurant has table and counter seating for 70, so the lunch crowds mean “we’re always slam-packed” until about 2 p.m., Dong notes. (Le Thai accepts dinner reservations; it’s first-come, first-served at lunchtime.)
Favorites from the all-day menu range from Thai beef and meatball noodle soup to Awesome Noodles (flat rice noodles, stir-fried with bean sprouts, green onion, eggs and a savory sauce that blends vinegar and sugar with fish sauce).
And because some like it hot, Le Thai adjusts the spiciness of each dish according to customer preference, on a scale of zero to five.
“Four is considered ‘fire,’ ” Dong explains. “Five is Thai-style spice.”
Le Thai’s menu, from noodles to curries, reflects Coughlin’s desire to “make food so you want to eat it every single day,” she says. “If you’re hungry and you like eating Thai food, this is where you go.”
Le Thai is open from 10:30 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and from 12:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays.
Appetizers: pork jerky with sticky rice and waterfall sauce, $8; Thai-style wings, $8
Soups and salads: Thai beef and meatball noodle soup, $9; Thai-style salad with beef or chicken, $8 (with shrimp, $10)
Noodles: Awesome Noodles with chicken, beef, pork or tofu, $10; pad Thai with chicken, beef, pork or tofu, $10 (shrimp, $2 extra)
Stir-Fry: ga pow (basil stir-fry) with chicken or pork, $9 (with fried egg on top, $10); mix vegetable stir-fry, $9 (add $2 for chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu)
Curries: three color curry (yellow, red, green), $11; vegan Massaman curry, $11 (add $2 for chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu)
Desserts: fried bananas, $5; Roti (puff pastry, Nutella and egg, with honey, condensed milk and powdered sugar), $5
Information: 778-0888
— By CAROL CLING
