Rai Lay, a new Thai street food concept, will open next week in South End.
It’s the second restaurant in Charlotte for owner Jai Budsri who opened Deejai Thai on Providence back in 2009. Unlike Deejai, Budsri says Rai Lay will feature a more adventurous menu with authentic street food dishes from all over Thailand. “We’re trying to think outside the box and do something different for Charlotte,” she said.
The intimate 48-seat restaurant will serve authentic regional Thai specialties for lunch and dinner.
They’ll be open Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., Fridays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 11 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Sundays 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Closed Mondays.
The menu is stacked with unique dishes you might not see on other menus in town.
Budsri says Rai Lay is a place for people to venture beyond safe, standard Thai dishes like red and green curry. You’ll still find predictable favorites like pad thai on the menu, but other specialties include sai hoa (Thai herb sausage, $6), hoy tod (oyster pancake, $17), moo ping (grilled pork skewers, $6), crab fried rice ($15) and fried whole snapper (market price). They’ll also have pho, sushi and banh mi.
See the full menu here.
Oyster pancake
Crab fried rice
Pad pak (vegetable lover)
Rai Lay will have 3-4 beers on tap as well as a selection of imported bottles and a full bar menu with specialty craft cocktails.
They’ll be easing into their opening early next week so stay tuned to Instagram and Facebook for the official word.
Restaurant Preview: Rai Lay Thai coming soon to South End from Axios Charlotte on Vimeo.
Connect with Rai Lay
Address: 1520 South Boulevard, Charlotte NC
