The not-so-well-kept secret at neighborhood Thai favorite Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen has always been how small that kitchen actually was. How small was it? Chef and owner Nittaya Parawong likes to joke about only hiring petite cooks.

It’s no longer an issue. The 11-year-old restaurant at the corner of Rampart and Lake Mead is still at that corner, but in late January, it moved into a much larger space along Lake Mead, taking over for a shuttered sushi spot. Parawong says the move was only partially caused by the pandemic.

“It was a combination of things. The lease [at the old space] was up in August, and everyone knows how small the restaurant was,” she says. “With all the restrictions we were working through, distancing tables 6 feet apart and how small our restaurant was, the lower capacity would be down to only a few tables.”

Parawong says she was initially hesitant to slip into the bigger room, knowing her regulars appreciate the intimate feel of the original location, and how the way it aligns with a stellar wine list and her homey, flavorful cuisine. “My main concern was, are people going to follow me when it’s not the same? But when we came here and got used to the bigger kitchen and could have more tables with people still [distanced] enough, it turned out great. I’m very happy.”

Signature dishes like fried avocado ($8), crispy pork belly ($9), coconut-fried shrimp ($11), Northern-style kao soi curry noodles ($19) and grilled skirt steak and eggplant in avocado curry ($25) aren’t going anywhere, and now that the kitchen staff has found a groove, Nittaya’s will be adding new dishes like tamarind-glazed “son-in-law” quail eggs ($9) and crispy rice salad ($13).

And with the reopening complete, Parawong can now focus on opening a smaller, second Secret Kitchen in the Centennial Hills neighborhood later this spring.

NITTAYA’S SECRET KITCHEN 8427 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-360-8885. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-9:30 p.m.