If you find the mammoth communal tables daunting, secure a spot at the counter overlooking the controlled hustle-bustle of the kitchen. Everyone back there seems to be having a great time executing chef Rene Ortiz’s eclectic menu, which regularly nails that irresistible Thai trifecta: protein rich, garden fresh, and slow-burn spicy. To wit, a vibrant green betel leaf piled high with tea-smoked salmon, grapefruit, toasted coconut, and trout roe; lightly fried salt-and-pepper prawns in inky-dark pools of fermented black bean sauce; and smoky char-grilled hanger steak showered in Thai basil and Fresno chiles. (8/13)