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A photo of the Pad Thai Goong with a stir fry of small rice noodles, prawns, bean sprouts, chives and peanuts.
The Pad Thai Goong with a stir fry of small rice noodles, prawns, bean sprouts, chives and peanits.
Jonathan Phillips/Eater

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Inside Daughter, LoHi’s Elegant New Thai Restaurant

The new restaurant from the owner of Golden’s Citizen Thai is now open in LoHi

Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar, the new Thai restaurant from the owner of Citizen Thai in Golden, has opened in the new Riverview building in LoHi, bringing an elegant new dining option to an upscale address in the rapidly-developing area between the Platte River and Interstate 25.

Owner Ounjit Hardacre told Eater that Daughter is her attempt to bring the type of boutique Thai restaurant she says is common in her old home of San Francisco to the Mile High City. For her, that meant focusing not only on the food but also on creating a well-decorated space that would provide an inviting place to spend a leisurely lunch or dinner in.

“I want people to walk in here and remember my place,” Hardacre said. “You have to have something iconic. Food is important but decorations you remember.”

In the case of Daughter, that iconic something is a set of large red and gold lanterns that weigh around 80 pounds and are meant to look like the large bells that are rung in temples throughout Thailand. Those lanterns, Hardacre said, are the centerpiece of the restaurant’s design, which combines a prevailing simplicity with elegant flourishes like white curtains and its red bar.

Then there’s the mural from a local artist depicting the silhouette of a dancing woman and a Thai temple set against a sunset, which takes up one wall in the dining room. Hardacre said she chose to have the woman’s silhouette in the mural because the restaurant had to “have a daughter in it.” She chose that name for the restaurant because she and her husband always wanted to have a daughter but never had one.

“This restaurant is our daughter now,” Hardacre said.

Hardacre’s focus on decoration extends to Daughter’s take on flavorful Thai cuisine. Dishes such as the Kang Ped Duck and Pad Thai Gong are beautifully presented, with the latter’s jumbo prawns being complimented by a purple orchid. So too are the richly colored and properly garnished cocktails.

Here is a closer look at the stylish new spot.

A view of the brick exterior of Daughter Kitchen, which is located on the ground level of a multilevel office tower
Daughter Thai Kitchen is located at 1700 Platte Street in the LoHi neighborhood
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A view into the front section of the restaurant where the host stands visible along with tables with white curtains between them
The host stand sits right inside the front door as the rest of the space opens up in the background
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A photo of the main dining room area filled with four top tables and booths with several red, bell-like lanterns hanging from the ceiling above
Giant bell-like red lanterns hang from the ceiling in the main dining area filled with four tops and booths
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A photo taken a long the window of the dining room with drawn white curtains between each
A row of six tops line the windows along the front of the dining room
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A photo of a close up view of the large red lamps with the silhouette of a dancing woman visible in the mural behind them
A close up view of the large bell lambs and mural inside Daughter
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A photo showing six-tops in the bar area with the bar behind them
A view of six-tops in the bar area with the bar behind them
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A photo offering a view of the bar, which has smaller lanterns hanging over it
The bar at Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A view of the Deep Fried Whole Striped Bass, a whole bass adorned with basil in a red sauce
The Deep Fried Whole Stripped Bass with the Daughter Secret Sauce, a mix of spicy sweet tamarind sauce, pineapple, onion, red bell pepper and crispy basil
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
Duck curry
The Kang Ped Duck, a duck confit leg with cherry tomatoes, pineapple, red bell peppers and green beans topped with crispy basil
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
A photo of a woman reaching for spoonful a of the chicken and noodles in the Khao Soi Kai
The Khao Soi Kai with northern Thai-styled egg noodles, curry sauce, shredded chicken, egg, bean sprouts and red onion, topped with green and crispy onions.
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
The 5 Dilemmas but a Kratury Isn’t One cocktail with Pisco, mezcal, lemon, Thai chili, orange, vanilla and aquafaba
Jonathan Phillips/Eater
An orange cocktail in a wine glass
The One with the Bubbles cocktail made with Japanese whiskey, Aperol, strawberry, lime, sparkling wine and Thai basil
Jonathan Phillips/Eater

Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar

1700 Platte Street Suite 140, Denver, Colorado 80202
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