The recent opening of Chada Thai near Denver’s City Park has resulted in a mini United Nations of food on East 17th Avenue between Vine and Race streets.
This sliver of a restaurant sandwiched between 17th Street Liquors and the popular new Italian eatery Il Posto features a tasteful but understated dining room with pretty framed prints of Thai gods on the walls and potted herbs and flowers outside the front door. It was opened by a family with local history in the restaurant business, so expect to be greeted by owner Nita Chittivej’s clan as soon as you walk through the door. And look for the framed newspaper articles on the wall highlighting the Chittivej culinary legacy.
Chada Thai boasts a well-edited menu that spotlights traditional ingredients instead of the Asian fusion approach popular at many of the Thai joints around town. Consider making a meal out of appetizers like tod mun ($5.95), spiced fish cakes, or thoum yum ($9.95), a classic Thai soup with lemongrass, galanga (a relative of ginger), cilantro, onion, tomato, lime juice and your choice of meat. The fried curry puffs ($5.75) filled with ground beef and potatoes – like a cross between the traditional Chinese wonton and the Indian samosa – are especially tasty.
This menu unfolds with a handful of common dishes and a few more unusual offerings. On the expected side, Chada’s Thai beef salad ($9.75) rises above other restaurants with a heartier vegetable mix and spicy marinated meat that can be ordered Thai hot for an extra kick.
On the less ordinary side are dishes like hao moang ($9), sliced snapper mixed with coconut milk, red chile, cabbage and Thai basil, wrapped up into a disc in banana leaves and steamed. It’s an exotic, flavor-packed meal. Also intriguing and offbeat are squid phet ($9.95), diced squid pan-fried with curry, peppers and chili; and pineapple shrimp curry ($10.25).
Top off a visit to Chada Thai with jasmine-infused flan ($4.25) or fresh mango with coconut sticky rice ($6.95).
Chada Thai dishes a reason to stay away from less-inventive Asian food chains and instead head for a casual, independently owned neighborhood spot.
Staff writer Elana Ashanti Jefferson can be reached at 303-954- or ejefferson@denverpost.com.
