Mantra: Stop in for a fresh, flavorful Thai lunch off Denny

At the end of a recent, delicious lunch at Mantra Thai restaurant and bar, the server boasted that the ingredients for each dish are brought in daily to guarantee freshness. She didn’t really need to say that, as the bright, beautifully aromatic and flavorful food spoke for itself.

The restaurant, located on the ground floor of one of many new apartment complexes along Denny Way near Seattle Center, opened quietly in April. Given its well-trafficked location, affordable prices, lunch specials and small bar, it may not stay quiet for long.

The menu: Mantra offers classic Thai noodle dishes, such as pad see ew, flat rice noodles wok-fried in sweet soy sauce, egg and Chinese broccoli ($9 for lunch or $10 for dinner); and khao soi, egg noodles served with spinach, carrots, onions, cilantro, pickled cabbage, crispy noodles, lime, chicken and chili ($10/$11). There’s a selection of fried-rice plates ($9/$10) and curries ($9-$10/$10-$11). Unless otherwise noted, all dishes come with a choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu.

Entrees include pad kraplau kai dow ($9-$10), ground pork, basil, green beans and Thai chilies topped with a fried egg; and prik king, green beans stir-fried with bell peppers and basil in a chili sauce ($9-$10).

Seafood options include deep-fried trout with mango sauce ($14).

Don’t miss: The $10 lunch combos offer great bang for the buck. Each comes with vegetable pad thai, rice and your choice of cashew chicken, swimming rama chicken or green curry chicken — plus a bowl of spicy, tangy tom yum soup.

The setting: A stylish dining room with an exceptionally friendly staff.

Summing up: A lunch combo with vegetable pad thai and green curry chicken came to $10.96 plus tip.