A 16th Street Mall vendor gets a permanent home at Thai Street Food restaurant

For six years, Utumporn Killoran has been peddling Thai curries from a cart on the 16th Street Mall. And her recipes, culled from her native Isaan Province in Thailand, have gained her such committed fans that they're willing to wait in line for an hour just to wolf down her...

By Laura Shunk

November 29, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

For six years, Utumporn Killoran has been peddling Thai curries from a cart on the 16th Street Mall. And her recipes, culled from her native Isaan Province in Thailand, have gained her such committed fans that they're willing to wait in line for an hour just to wolf down her lunches.

Earlier this year, though, Killoran expanded her operation to a brick-and-mortar establishment, opening Thai Street Food restaurant in Aurora. Five days a week, the place serves as the commissary kitchen for her cart. But every Saturday, she opens the small dining room to the public, cooking her way through her menu while her husband waits on tables.

I stopped by Thai Street Food Restaurant on a series of Saturdays for this week's review, trying both the old favorites from Killoran's cart as well as the expanded options that the chef has added from her native Isaan region of Thailand, all while enjoying table service instead of my usual streetside bench.

How was the food? Find out tomorrow when the review is posted here.

Follow @CafeWestword on Twitter and at facebook.com/denvercafesociety

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Laura Shunk was Westword's restaurant critic from 2010 to 2012; she's also been food editor at the Village Voice and a dining columnist in Beijing. Her toughest assignment had her drinking ten martinis and eating ten Caesar salads over the course of 48 hours. She still drinks martinis, but remains lukewarm on Caesar salads.

Contact: Laura Shunk

Follow:

Twitter: @laurashunk

Instagram: @laurashunk