A beloved local Thai restaurant is preparing to reopen at a new address just two months after closing its original location.
This weekend, Lucky Noodles plans to welcome guests to its new home at 12 E. 1st Ave. in Denver for a soft opening. The restaurant is known for its soups, curries and noodle dishes made from recipes handed down from owner Kamolrat “Ploy” Limpapath’s grandmother. Most of the menu will be available on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., when anyone is welcome to stop by for a bite.
At its core, Limpapath said her cuisine is comfort food — the type that makes you feel like, “this is mommy, daddy or grandma cooking. I’m home again,” she said.
Though she tweaked the menu slightly, Limpapath promised longtime fans will still find the same “good, tasty food” that made Lucky Noodles a local favorite. That includes the secret menu, which will be available at her new, 1,600-square-foot digs off South Broadway.
Lucky Noodles plans to add alcohol to the menu as soon as its license is approved, Limpapath said.
Limpapath closed Lucky Noodles’ original location at 1201 E. Colfax Ave. in January, shortly after construction began on a $300 million Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project down the popular thoroughfare. The restauarant had been open since 2005.
She secured and opened her new spot so quickly because the building was previously a restaurant – Señor Burritos, which closed in December – so it didn’t require any structural changes. However, the outside did get a facelift. Limpapath commissioned a massive mural of her late French bulldog, Biggie, whose wrinkly face now greets customers.
Though it’s only been two months, Limpapath said the reopening couldn’t come soon enough. The costs of her Thailand-sourced ingredients have skyrocketed, she said, and without revenue coming in, the bills have piled up.
“I’m bleeding,” she said. “It is not easy to do, but we want to make sure we make it (the) correct way, just like grandma.”
Still, Limpapath is excited to return to Denver’s dining scene and join a fresh community with more foot traffic on the south side of town. The soft opening weekend will allow Limpapath to get a handle on her new kitchen, experience the flow of customers, and identify what’s still missing from service. Thereafter, she hopes to open more days throughout the week.
Stay tuned to @luckynoodlesdenver on Instagram for updates, and if you stop by on Saturday, April 5, be sure to wish Limpapath a happy birthday.