109 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | SHOPPING & SERVICES | SPORTS & RECREATION | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FOOD & DRINK | MUSIC & VENUES | Aloy Thai Cuisine: Honoring Authentic Thai Recipes Growing up in Bangkok’s China- town neighborhood as one of ten children, Aloy Thai founder Kim Naka was used to cooking for a crowd. Though her family wasn’t in the restaurant business, food was always at the center of their home. “She cooked for the whole family,” says Naka’s daughter, Arisa Bode. “She took care of cousins, aunts, uncles–at least thirty people at a time.” After raising her own family, Naka wanted to bring Thai cuisine to the United States, and immigrated to Boulder in 2006. She convinced Bode and her sister Bo Howson to join her in open- ing a restaurant, and brought over chefs from Thailand to master her family’s time-honored recipes. The women opened Aloy Thai Cuisine in Boulder that same year to critical acclaim. Naka is mostly retired these days (though you’ll sometimes see her taste-testing in the kitchen!), but the original Aloy Thai Cuisine is still dedicated to .................................... techniques, and dishes such as curries, pad see ew, and basil fried rice. Aloy Modern Thai: The Next Generation of Thai Food After years of working with their mother, Bode and Howson wanted to spread their wings and open their own restaurant in Denver. They opened Aloy Modern Thai in 2016, bringing contemporary Thai food to Denver’s LoDo neighbor- hood. “We wanted more people in Denver to know about Thai food, and what we call ‘modern Thai.’ If you go to Bangkok right now, it’s a melting pot,” Bode explains. “You have Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, ............................... all mixed together, but with a Thai twist. My mother is super authen- tic, and likes to stick to her recipes, but we like to play around and bring different things in to see if people like it.” Aloy Modern Thai’s ............................... found in Thailand today, with dishes like slow-roasted duck, kao soi, lettuce wraps, and tempura corn fritters. Plus, the restaurant boasts a full bar with creative, Thai- inspired signature cocktails featur- ing house-made herbal syrups and fruit purees, like the popular Adult Thai Tea. Food Network star Guy Fieri featured the original Aloy Thai Cuisine on his show Diners, Drive- Ins and Dives in 2017, and was so impressed that he came back with the show to check out Aloy Mod- ern Thai earlier this year! Aloy Thai Eatery: Favorites in A Flash In 2023, Aloy Thai opened a fast-casual outlet in Capitol Hill called Aloy Thai Eatery, and they’re building a second Eatery location in Englewood set to open in June. Due to the increasing popularity of takeout, the family wanted to offer a scaled-back, fast-casual option at a slightly lower price point, so they turned to longtime partner Mui Fisher. “She’s pretty much like another member of the family. We call her sister. She’s worked with us since we started, and now it’s mostly the two of us,” Bode says of Fisher. Since Howson returned to Thailand in 2021 to open a break- fast place, Fisher and Bode took over the day-to-day operations of all Aloy Thai locations. The Eatery concept came from Fisher, who took a brief hiatus from Aloy Thai to gain a better understanding of fast-casual dining while work- ing for Panda Express. Says Bode, “We’re leaning into that concept, and Mui’s expertise on fast-casual food.” The Aloy Thai Eatery menu .............................. popular dishes from both sister restaurants, and rotates seasonally to keep up with consumers’ tastes. The Aloy Thai Promise While Aloy Thai’s three restaurant concepts all have their own unique ................................ locations is the exceptional qual- ity of food. Everything is made from scratch without shortcuts, using locally sourced, organic, and health-conscious ingredients. Din- ers can feel good about enjoying delicious, sustainable, farm-to- table Thai food. By starting with higher quality cuts of meat, Aloy ..................................... ................................... Dishes are slow-cooked for maxi- .................................. coconut oil upon request) instead of soybean oil to cut down on fats. Food is made to order rather than cooked in batches: “We cook everything from scratch. Even if you order ten pad thais for ten people, they will be cooked in ten woks to accommodate allergies .................................. ............................... it spicy, gluten-free, vegan, or allergen-friendly. Experience Thai cuisine exactly the way you love it, ..................................- vors in every bite! Check out any of Aloy Thai’s locations today, and be on the lookout for Aloy Thai Eatery in Cherry Hills Village this summer! -ADVERTORIAL-
