Soi 7 at Maison Opens on 7th
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
Soi 7 @ Maison, modern thai cuisine newly opened on 7th street between Grand and Olive.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — 7th street's Restaurant Row designation got a little more real this week, as Soi 7 at Maison opened next door to Bottega Louie between Grand and Olive.
The restaurant, located on the ground floor of the Mandel Lofts, offers a modern take on thai cuisine and includes a sake bar and tea room.
The restaurant has been a long time coming. The lease for the space was signed in September of 2007. Partner James Doell said that no one thing held the restaurant up, but that a lot of little things combined to make for a slow opening.
Marble tables seat approximately 90 diners, and that number will just about double when a patio area behind the building is opened early next year.
David Tewasart of Alhambra's Green Papaya is in charge of the food. Rice and pad thai dishes run $10 - $14, with entrees at $16 - $20.
During the daytime, the middle potion of the Maison space will act as a Parisian teahouse. 20 loose leaf varieties are in stock right now, and that number will expand to approximately 160.
A market and retail area in the back of the space called Epicuria is still undergoing finishing touches.
Next door, Bottega Louie has been one of Downtown's shining stars since its April opening. Doell, who called himself a "more-the-merrier type of person" when it comes to neighborhood restaurants, said that their neighbor's success helped reaffirm the potential of the 7th street location.
Soi 7 at Maison / 518 W. 7th / 213-537-0333 / 11am - 11pm
May Chan on November 10, 2009, at 12:32AM – #1
thanks for the heads up. can't wait to check out the new spot since i'm a big fan of green payaya
Don Garza on November 10, 2009, at 01:28AM – #2
Thanks for the heads up Eric , Looking for places I can eat at since my weight loss surgery...
dean wermer on November 10, 2009, at 08:39AM – #3
Hmmmmm, you take a date/friend (party of two) and share, say, three dishes, maybe one of the two has a beer/sake, and from the article, with tax/tip, you're probably talking close to 60/70 bucks. Expensive Thai food. Is the demand for higher end Thai downtown enough to keep this place open? I doubt it. Hope I'm wrong, cause I love Thai food.
CURT TRUMAN on November 10, 2009, at 08:50AM – #4
Soi 7 is a nice addition to our growing family of retail tenants. The space is amazing! Check out The Mandel Lofts! WWW.THEMANDEL.COM CURT TRUMAN, MGR 310 467-2453
Oscar on November 10, 2009, at 09:17AM – #5
Is this from the same owners of Soi 56 in Selma on Hollywood?
I hope so, cause Soi56 is amazing, they have all kinds of exotic food!
FYI soi means street (calle).
Tim on November 10, 2009, at 09:36AM – #6
What a great block. Hard to believe that back in the late 80s/early 90s this whole block was slated for demolition. This block really is a revitalization success story. (Well, I guess it falls short of that because of the Brooks Brothers building bankruptcy. But this is great news none-the-less.)
Downtown Dawg on November 10, 2009, at 10:32AM – #7
Went there last night. The food is fantastic! It's a little pricey, and the service still has opening night jitters, but the food quality is good.
Some advice for the restaurant:
After the wait staff gets more accustomed to running a restaurant, I'm sure this place will be very successful. The main thing is that the food is tasty, not oily, and better than almost all Thai places in the San Gabriel Valley. It competes pretty well with Thai town.
Susana Benavidez on November 10, 2009, at 01:06PM – #8
I think we'll go there for Iza's birthday on Friday. :) I love Thai food and cannot wait to try it. The pricing seems to be on par with Bottega Louie. That place was doomed by spectators and look how busy tehy are EVERY day. I'm glad it's not another fast food style place.
Susana
tl on November 11, 2009, at 10:34AM – #9
Sounds expensive.
bc on November 15, 2009, at 12:48PM – #10
Love Green Papaya...Soi 7 is pricier but still moderate--food is great even tho' kitchen sometimes sends out food in the wrong order, but go with it and eat family style!!! They'll get it right, and it's a good thing it's not next door or I would be there every night. Looking forward to afternoon tea soon.
Btw--restaurant is beautiful...
Downtown Cowboy on November 20, 2009, at 06:35AM – #11
It does cost more to operate a restaurant downtown, so I can understand the higher prices. I went there two nights ago and it was realllllllllllllllly good. I wish them all the best
Klaus Ritter on November 21, 2009, at 08:04AM – #12
Visited Soy 7 with friends the other day and was truly impressed with the food and ambiance. Service good and overall vibe fantastic. A young beautiful crowd (maybe because of Art Walk) added style to the retro modern interior. Of course everything is nothing without the food reaching a level of taste sophistication which the dishes at Soy 7 exceeded. Sure its a bit more costly (about $40 per person for lots of food incl drinks and tip) but quality always has its price. Love the place.
Robert on November 29, 2009, at 06:09AM – #13
Tried Soi 7 last night for the first time and was very impressed. Great food....try the sirloin with noodles and Chicken Satay. Most dishes are $10 which is a great value. Wine and Beer and Sake are available. The place is stunning and I hope the downtown community tries this place. I don't think anything on the menu is over $16...so I am not sure where the "expensive" comes in. Maybe in the wine..where it starts at $9 for a glass of red. Great portions as well. I was also impressed with the server and the owner. 7th Street is coming back big time!