Ever since she was a teenager in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Ratiya Edfors had dreamed of owning her own restaurant. Only after a move to the United States to attend the University of Colorado at Boulder did her dream become a reality. An accomplished cook, Edfors wowed CU’s Thai community with home-cooked meals. Pranom Kiatreungwattana (or P.K. for short), a CU MBA student from Thailand, was one of Edfors’ biggest fans, and she jumped at the opportunity to start up a business based on Edfors’ heirloom recipes.

But it wasn’t until the Siamese Plate in Boulder closed its doors that the duo seized the opportunity to open NaRaYa, (Thai for supreme divinity, and a prefecture in Japanese). Keeping on Charlie Kiyomichi, the Siamese Plate’s sushi chef (and chef at the original Benihana in New York City), the pair continued the Thai/Japanese focus to keep its strong customer base.

While the menu is basically a cut-and-paste version of the Siamese Plate’s offerings, the flavors are completely new, with Edfors’ touches adding much richer, deeper flavors, no MSG, and half the sugar in most recipes. Freshness reigns supreme especially in dishes like the creamy red Thai curry, the savory grilled beef teriyaki, spring rolls, and ginger curry brightened with chunks of sweet pineapple and pungent Thai basil.

1575 Folsom St., Boulder, 303-447-9718