A small but well-regarded Thai restaurant is expanding: Ka Thai has opened a location at 8185 Walnut Hill Ln. #B1410, in The Hill center just east of US-75, with an exciting one-of-a-kind menu.

Ka Thai was founded by Jackie Kaewlamduan, who opened the first location on Knox Street before relocating to 3220 McKinney Ave., in the former Cafe Express space, in 2022. She's the queen of second-use spaces: In May 2024, she opened a second location in Hillcrest Village at 6859 Arapaho Rd., taking on a space that had churned through a series of turnovers, most previously home to the short-lived Mandarin by Howard Wang.

Kaewlamduan keeps a low profile, but Ka Thai has built a loyal following by serving Thai food that is both authentic and affordable: from commonly known classics such as pad Thai, chicken satay, and tom yum soup, to more unique dishes such as Thai style beef jerky with Jaew dipping sauce (North-Eastern Thai style) with a side of sticky rice — and always in elegant surroundings with attentive service.

The Ka Thai Midtown location takes it a step further, offering something that sets it apart from its siblings: A special menu of esan-style food, served tapas-style, in smaller portions, to be shared. "Eat like a Bangkoknian!" the menu says.

“The signature dish at the Midtown location is Ka Thai Esan Tapas, which are inspired by the streets of Bangkok, offering authentic ingredients with bold flavors,” says manager Lika Santipracha.

Esan Thai food is almost like a homestyle cooking, but intensely spiced — so intense that they offer a warning.

"Our ingredients are authentic and packed with strong flavors," their menu says. "It might not be for everyone, please consider before you order." And then underscored: "Esan tapas are not refundable."

Some of the exclusive esan items Midtown offers include Laos style papaya salad, Thai style corn ceviche, Thai grilled pork salad, Ka Thai BBQ (grilled marinated chicken or pork loin), and esan pork ribs soup.

One recent new dish offered at all three locations is aimed at gluten-free diners, called Saucy Drumsticks, with Ka Thai Gluten-Free spicy garlic sauce & crispy rice noodle.

They have a full bar with crafty cocktails and mocktails, and a happy hour with esan specials daily from 3-6 pm and Sunday all day.

At Midtown, they're next to Hat Creek Burger Company and in the former Sauce Pizza which closed during the pandemic. They've given the space a spiffy makeover with a geometric tiled floor, dark woods, and brass accents. And Santipracha says the plan is to keep expanding — "to reach all Ka Thai fans."