To the delight of downtown diners, 32-year-old entrepreneur Dan Coughlin’s new restaurant in Fremont East serves traditional Thai food done right: including Pad Thai hailed as “the best outside of Thailand.”

Chef and owner Dan Coughlin learned the family recipes from his native-Thai mother and grandmother. Coughlin, always striving to improve on his methods, keeps the dishes light by replacing much of the oil with water.

“It’s much more difficult to cook these dishes with less oil, especially the ones in the Wok. You have to be very careful,” he says. “It’s so easy to make a mistake and ruin the whole meal within a matter of seconds – all your work can be gone in an instant.”

Coughlin’s trial-and-error pays off. The result is the same exquisitely blended flavors, including lemongrass, ginger, lime, and Thai chili pepper, without the characteristic heaviness of many curry and noodle dishes. The fresh, flavorful food combined with an average $9-$10 entrée price earned Le Thai a loyal following in a matter of weeks.

Consistently busy since its quiet soft opening in early November, Le Thai sits on the south side of Fremont Street in a space that was formerly a vacant storefront. After five months of renovations, the restaurant includes a corrugated metal exterior, a cozy interior with a few tables, a bar, and windows into a small kitchen. Doors open onto a courtyard patio for outdoor dining under strings of white lights. The patio area turns into a beer garden with DJs on select nights. Inside, sports play on a flat screen TV above the bar, while feel-good music provides an energetic soundtrack.

Large windows facing Fremont Street invite diners to people-watch, wave at passing friends and appreciate the increasingly vibrant streetscape. Le Thai seems to embrace the neighborhood as much as the neighborhood embraces Le Thai.

Le Thai is located at 523 Fremont St. Call (702) 778-0888 or email info@lethaivegas.com for more information or delivery.

PHOTO: Owner and Chef Dan Coughlin hard at work.