Thep Lela in Mill Valley, Marin County, United States | Thai Restaurant

LELA ("grace") was originally opened in San Anselmo in April 1990 with the intention of preparing and serving truly authentic Thai food. We opened a new restaurant in Strawberry Village in 1994 with a new menu that kept the same approach to authenticity in the new name of Thep Lela (Thep means "angel.") in Mill Valley, California, United States.

To complement or enjoy a smaller meal, a popular format is to order a selection of small dishes without rice. See our variety of soups, salads, and appetizers.
At lunch, the Thais will often have a single bowl of noodles, steamed rice topped with curry, or a stir-fried dish over rice.
For a heavier lunch or dinner, a typical Thai meal consists of several dishes which are placed in the center of the table for all to share.

Thais usually eat with a spoon and fork unless they are having a northern or northeastern meal where the staple is sticky rice. In that case, they use their hands.
Chopsticks are only used for Chinese food or for plates of noodles that originate from Chinese cuisine.
Dinner plates usually consist of rice and the food is sampled in turn. The idea of " my dish " is not part of Thai tradition. At a Thai table, everything is communal. To enjoy the food, take a small spoonful from the serving plate and eat it with rice on your plate.
Do not take too much at a time to prevent the individual flavors from being mixed and spoiled. However, please feel free to experiment.

Chilies are an essential part of Thai cuisine and can be addictive. Chilies lower cholesterol in the blood and also act as painkillers by promoting the production of natural endomorphines.

Beware! Chilies can be genuinely dangerous if you are not
used to them. In case you are attacked by one, the best remedy is to eat a lot of rice. Water is off very little help.

Come and eat with us at Thep Lela in Mill Valley, California.