Asian fusion restaurant opens in former home of Campus West mainstay in Fort Collins

Erin Udell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

Just months after a mainstay of Campus West's dining scene left its longtime home, a fresh face has emerged along West Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins.

Cook Click Cafe, an Asian fusion restaurant, opened at 1122 W. Elizabeth St. in mid-November — taking over the longtime former home of Hot Wok Cafe, which closed in October after 28 years.

The new eatery, led by husband-and-wife team Kittaphon "Jack" Khemwuttisarn and Vatsana Jaroenchisakon, serves up a variety of dishes with influences from Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia and Thailand.

Cook Click Cafe opened on West Elizabeth Street in November, bringing a fresh concept — and authentic Thai dishes — to Campus West's former Hot Wok Cafe space.
Cook Click Cafe opened on West Elizabeth Street in November, bringing a fresh concept — and authentic Thai dishes — to Campus West's former Hot Wok Cafe space.

After just over a month in business, its most popular items have proven to be its rice or noodle chicken bowls, which diners can customize, and its Thai curry dishes and Tom Yum and Tom Kha soups, Khemwuttisarn said.

While Cook Click Cafe offers a range of Asian fusion dishes, Khemwuttisarn said he and his wife — who are both from Thailand — largely became known for their authentic Thai dishes while operating another similar restaurant in Cody, Wyoming. The couple sold their Wyoming restaurant and moved to Fort Collins to open Cook Click Cafe earlier this year.

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The restaurant opened shortly after Hot Wok Cafe shuttered its longtime location on West Elizabeth Street. After 28 years, Hot Wok Cafe owner Loretta Lew told the Coloradoan she closed the business because wanted to take a break from the restaurant industry, though she might return to it one day.

Now, Khemwuttisarn and Jaroenchisakon are hoping to transfer some of their success in Cody to Fort Collins, where they are excited to bring their dishes — as well as their range of Thai coffees, teas and authentic Thai black tea with lime drink — to Campus West's bustling college crowd.

Cook Click Cafe's entrees range from $13 to $15, with a lunch special knocking $2 off each entrée from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cook Click Cafe is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and offers dine-in service, online ordering and delivery on GrubHub, Nosh and DoorDash.

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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins restaurants: Hot Wok closure makes way for new eatery