At Thai E-San, a server brings a bubbling bowl of coconut soup to a table as a cloud of steam – fragrant with coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger, curry, mushrooms and fish sauce – wafts behind her, causing heads to turn at nearby tables. A burner under the metal bowl keeps the soup piping hot as diners dip in.
That aroma just adds to the sensory symphony that is Thai E-San. Opening the front door, the air is perfumed with aromatics that form the basis of the cuisine, including lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil, galangal, ginger, cilantro and curry.
Owner Pui Pongtratic is at a table nearby, chatting with customers who are digging into a plate of pad Thai – a beautifully balanced dish of chewy rice noodles tossed with tamarind, Thai soy sauce, scallions, mung bean sprouts, fish sauce and crunchy peanuts…