LELA  ("grace")  was originally opened in San Anselmo in April 1990  with the intention   of  preparing  and  serving  truly   authentic  Thai  food.  We  opened  a  new  restaurant in   Strawberry Village in  1994  with a new menu that kept the same  approach to authenticity   in the new name of Thep Lela (Thep means "angel.")       To complement  or enjoy a  smaller meal,  a popular format is  to order  a selection of small dishes without rice.  See our variety  of soups, salads, and appetizers.   At lunch,  the  Thais  will  often  have  a single bowl of noodles,   steamed rice topped with curry, or a stir-fried dish over rice.  For a heavier lunch or dinner, a typical Thai meal consists of several dishes which are  placed in the center of the table for all to share.       Thais usually eat with a spoon and fork unless they are having  a northern or northeastern meal  where the staple is sticky rice. In  that case, they use their hands.   Chopsticks are only used for Chinese food or for plates of   noodles that originate from Chinese cuisine.  Dinner  plates usually consist of rice and the food is  sampled in turn.  The idea of  " my  dish "  is not part of Thai tradition.  At a Thai table,  everything is communal.  To enjoy the  food, take a small spoonful from the serving plate and eat it with rice on your plate.  Do  not take too much at a time to prevent the  individual flavors  from being mixed and  spoiled. However, please feel free to experiment.       Chilies   are   an   essential   part  of   Thai  cuisine  and  can  be   addictive.  Chilies  lower  cholesterol  in the blood and also act as   painkillers by promoting the production of natural endomorphines.   Beware!  Chilies  can  be  genuinely  dangerous if you  are not   used  to  them. In case  you  are attacked  by  one, the  best  remedy  is to eat a lot of rice.  Water is off very little help.