Introducing Le Do Thai, Where Taste and Tradition Meet

The following is sponsored content by Le Do Thai.

Sirikate, better known by her nickname, “Best,” was born into the restaurant industry. By contrast, her husband and business partner, Sean, had no experience in the food world before they decided to open a restaurant together. But with his business savvy and her culinary skills, they had all the ingredients they needed to open Le Do Thai, a modern Thai restaurant conveniently located in the heart of downtown Denver.

“My mom had a restaurant in Bangkok, and my whole life growing up was being in a restaurant,” recalls Best, who also serves as Le Do’s chef. She originally emigrated from Thailand to continue her studies, but found herself uninspired by her career prospects until she started working with food again.

“When I was working other jobs, like in an office, I felt so bored. I wasn’t moving, I wasn’t working on my own or anything like that,” Best says. “So I started serving food, and went from serving to hosting, to being the chef, to having the confidence to open a place of my own.”

Using her food-service background and recipes inherited from her mother, Best started her own takeout spot. But after years of focusing on to-go orders, she wanted the opportunity to present beautifully plated food in her own curated dine-in space. So when the building that now houses Le Do Thai became available, she and Sean decided to take a leap of faith.

“I’ve been an investor in the stock market for the last fifteen years of my life, and I know nothing about the restaurant industry,” Sean admits. But Best’s past successes in the industry spoke for themselves, giving them the confidence to open Le Do Thai as co-owners.

While Le Do Thai still offers takeout and delivery, the main draw is the polished yet cozy dining room, with plenty of comfortable seating and a full bar. “We wanted to bring a full bar, nice dining and good food right to the Denver area,” says Sean.

For Best, it was important to create a welcoming environment that encourages people to enjoy a meal with loved ones.

“I wanted it to be a place where family and friends can gather and share joy,” she says. “We can serve individual dishes, but if people want to do family style, we can do that, too.”

The name Le Do, which means “seasons” in Thai, was inspired by Best reminiscing about some of her favorite seasonal dishes her family used to make, like hearty soups to ward off colds during the rainy season. Although Le Do’s menu was derived from Best’s family recipes, she has refined them to reflect more contemporary Thai tastes while still using traditional ingredients.

“I think a lot of Thai restaurants try to push really traditional Thai food, and we’re doing a more modern take,” explains Sean. Adds Best, “The reason I opened this restaurant is because I was missing Thai food, so we try to use all of the Thai ingredients. We’re doing Thai-style street food here, so all the sauces and everything were changed a little bit to a more modern Thai style.”

Le Do Thai’s menu allows for endless customization to each diner’s palate, diet and budget, whether they’re looking for something spicy, health-conscious, plant-based, gluten-free, or all of the above. A range of protein options are available for each dish, from standard proteins such as chicken and pork to premium choices like lobster or slow-cooked beef. Plus, there are several plant-based proteins for vegan and vegetarian customers.

“We’re not a vegan restaurant, but we offer tofu, seitan, tempeh and jackfruit,” Sean says. “We even offer vegan cream cheese wontons with vegan-friendly cream cheese.” There are also gluten-free options, he adds: “[We have] lots of options for different dietary restrictions, not just one thing.” 

While many restaurants have a limited number of dishes that can be made without gluten or animal products, Best went the extra mile to perfect versatile flavors that easily adapt to any necessary adjustments. “It’s hard to figure out how to make a sauce that you can eat with regular, vegan or gluten-free dishes. I figured it out from testing a lot and a lot of effort. But,” the chef promises, “it won’t taste different at all.”

As at many places specializing in Thai cuisine, Le Do’s best seller is pad Thai, but the restaurant is also home to dishes you may not find in the average Thai eatery. Unique specialties include Best’s prized Golden Street Noodles, a noodle dish enveloped in a fluffy blanket of eggs.

“It’s like a more authentic pad Thai dish,” explains Sean. “It’s a little less sweet than the modernized pad Thai that we sell, and it’s encased in a giant egg, almost like an omelet with pad Thai noodles in the center. [Best is] super proud of that dish.”

Guests unfamiliar with the Thai street food staple may be skeptical at first, but are always delighted once they slice into the steaming omelet to reveal a piping-hot bed of the ever-popular noodles. “We also have a slow-cooked soup called Bangkok soup that has beef that slow-cooks all day. It’s really, really good,” says Sean, whose personal favorite is the peanut nakhon, a sweet peanut sauce stir-fry. “It’s my favorite thing on the menu,” he confirms. “I could eat that every day.”

The restaurant is open now for takeout, delivery and dine-in at 1550 Blake Street. To place an order or make a reservation, visit Le Do Thai’s website.