When Dan Coughlin opened Le Thai in 2011, little did he know it would become a Downtown sensation, with hungry hordes waiting outside his to get a taste of his famous three-color curry.
Four years later, the hype still hasn’t died down, one reason Coughlin has opened a smaller, grab-and-go spot “to relieve some pressure” from the original locale. “We just wanted to simplify it a little bit,” Coughlin says. “We do a lot of to-go orders out of Le Thai 1. It’s nonstop sometimes. In a kitchen, sometimes you need a break.”
If you’ve seen Field of Dreams, you know how this goes. Even though physically, Le Thai 2 is a fraction of the original, it’s been busy since it opened six weeks ago—no major surprise.
Le Thai’s full menu has made it over. Short rib fried rice ($14), a signature dish comprising pulled beef, waterfall sauce, egg, garlic, onion and cilantro, remains a must, and you’d be remiss to eat anything but the pad kee mow ($13) after a night out. The flat rice “drunken noodles” are stir fried with Thai basil and chili, a hearty, comforting dish as necessary as a bottle of Gatorade when you’re hungover—and even better when you’re not.
Le Thai 2 2202 W. Charleston Blvd, #5, 702-675-3892, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday, noon-8 p.m.