In 2022, Orrapan Botthaisong opened Edgewater’s La Mai Thai Kitchen, named after her mom.
That made choosing a moniker for the new restaurant she’s preparing to open in City Park West easy, Botthaisong joked her dad would be jealous if he didn’t get a restaurant named after him too.
“This is my dream to open for my mom and dad,” Botthaisong said. “They are both important in my life. Family is number one. That’s why I’m here, why I built my life here.”
Som Dee Thai Kitchen will join Olive & Finch on the ground floor of the Ascent Uptown apartment building at 1598 E. 17th Ave. The 3,500-square foot space was formerly home to Patxi’s Pizza, which closed in 2022.
Botthaisong said the restaurant will focus on authentic street food that you can’t find in the states, paired with cocktails like Thai tea with rum.
“I want to bring Thailand to Colorado,” Botthaisong said. “I want to show the real Thai food from where I grew up.”
Som Dee will be more upscale than Edgewater’s Lai Mai. She said it will focus on sit-down service rather than takeout, and be a classy spot to celebrate anniversaries or birthdays.
After moving from Thailand to Denver in 2010 to get her MBA, Botthaisong started LoHi’s Daughter Thai with Ounjit and Duane Hardacre. She left Daughter Thai a year ago to focus on her own concepts a year after opening in Edgewater. With a business background and a love of cooking, opening restaurants was always her dream.
“If the chef’s sick, I can jump in,” she said. “I know every position in my restaurant.”
Botthaisong said she’s been developing the idea for Som Dee for a while, but wanted to make sure Lai Mai was running smoothly and she found the perfect location.
After finding the City Park West space, she staked out the neighborhood, eating at the other restaurants and watching the street traffic before signing the lease in June.
Lai Mai did over $1 million in revenue last year, which Botthaisong said is funding the buildout of Som Dee. Because it used to be a pizza restaurant, she said the space needed a full buildout, including a brand new kitchen.
“I think Denver needs more restaurants, that’s why I keep opening and have confidence,” Botthaisong said. “I want authentic food here.”
This story was reported by our partner BusinessDen.