A Trip to Thailand Inspired a Denver Thai Food Truck

Some people discover their passion early in life, while others find it after a life-changing trip or an unexpected job opportunity sets them on a surprising path. For Jesse Porter, it was both: a job at a small downtown restaurant and a transformative trip to Thailand.

Growing up in Arvada as one of eight children, Thai cuisine wasn't on Porter's radar. It wasn't part of his heritage or family traditions.

That all began to change when Porter got a taste of the restaurant world during college. "I went out to college in Iowa to play basketball," he recalls. "That summer, I kind of broke my teeth into exposing [checking plates as they were about the leave the kitchen] for this big restaurant. It was a blast, but it was really kind of everything at once, and I fell in love with the grind and craziness."

While that first experience sparked his interest in hospitality, it wasn't until he returned to Colorado to finish school at Metro State University of Denver that he discovered Thai cuisine. After working at a couple of different restaurants, he eventually landed a serving gig at Thai Curry.
"It was a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in downtown Denver. I was just trying to pay for school and living expenses," Porter recalls. "I waited tables and got really close to the family who owned it. They were this old Thai couple, Surat Polwat and his wife, Pa Thim. We called them Loong and Pa, which means uncle and aunt. They were just the nicest people."

Upon graduating with a finance degree, Porter pursued a career in lending with his brother, but since that work was 100 percent commission-based, he kept a couple of serving shifts. At the age of 22, he took a month-long solo trip to Thailand that changed everything. While exploring street markets in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Porter fell in love with the country's culinary culture.

"I had never traveled. It was a real culture shock. It was so fun, and it just opens your mind," he says. "All the food is street food out there. There was this lady they called the chicken lady in Chiang Mai who wears this cowboy hat and just makes chicken all day, and her chicken is delicious. One thing I noticed when I was out there is that everyone has a specialty. It's not like fifty things. One lady does one thing, and they just get really good at it."

That month abroad stuck with him. After returning to Denver and his job in finance, he came to a stark realization. "I hated it," Porter says. "I wasn't good at it, and I wasn't a salesman. I couldn't pay my rent because I wasn't making enough. So, I quit and went all in on the restaurant. I picked up some days in the back, and that's when I started learning. Started learning how to prep, roll wontons, chop veggies, cook with a wok."

As he became more involved, the owners of Thai Curry began to take on a mentor role. "I'd seen them help a lot of people start restaurants, and they always told me, 'Hey, do this. It's good, it's good.' I was kind of like, whatever. When we actually started talking about it, I didn't have any money and thought, what about a truck? They were like, 'We don't know anything about it, but we can help you and teach you the recipes,'" he recalls. That conversation marked the moment Porter decided to pursue a food truck.
"I bought a truck on Craigslist from Albuquerque, got some loans from family members, and sold my car. I just went all in. Kind of stupid. I was just like, I don't care, I'll go down with it if it doesn't work," he says. After months of refurbishing the truck and securing the necessary licenses, Porter officially launched Krazy Thai in February 2023.

Initially, he tried balancing shifts at Thai Curry and running the food truck, but the restaurant owners urged him to commit. "They told me, 'You gotta go all in if you're gonna do it!' They kindly fired me," Porter says. "They pushed me out of the nest."

These days, Krazy Thai operates five to six days a week during the peak summer months. What you'll find on the menu is simple yet purposeful, showcasing Thai staples that balance flavor and accessibility. His personal favorite, Pad See Ew, features wide rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, egg, broccoli, green onions, a little black pepper and a rich, savory soy sauce. "It's one of my favorites to cook because I eat it all the time," says Porter. "Pad Thai is the most popular and I think it's killer, but I personally always recommend Pad See Ew to someone really looking to try something new."

In addition to the two noodle dishes, Porter serves Thai fried rice, handmade crab and cheese wontons, egg rolls and Thai iced coffee. The tight menu reflects his intentional approach to keeping items manageable while preserving authentic Thai flavors. When it comes to those flavors, Porter gives full credit to his mentors at Thai Curry.

"Total credit to them. These are not my own recipes," he explains. "I make adjustments in certain areas, but these are their recipes, not mine."

Spice levels at Krazy Thai range from "mild," which Porter describes as "basically nothing," to "Thai hot," which brings the heat. "If you really want it hot, we can do it," he says. "But I'm not trying to make a point."

As food truck season continues to heat up, you can find Krazy Thai's latest location and schedule on Instagram @krazythai.