And lo, East (8 E. Van Buren St., 312-986-0999) will rise in the Loop. The owners of Hot Woks Cool Sushi bought the space housing My Thai, and they plan a casual, 130-seat Asian restaurant serving sushi, stir-fry, and ramen.

East will lean healthy, with touches such as toasted flaxseed in some rolls, and gluten-free options, including no-flour tempura and no-wheat soy sauce. “It’s easy to cook vegetarian and it’s easy to cook gluten-free. It’s not easy to make it taste good,” says Lois Lee, who owns the restaurant group with her husband, David.

My Thai will close at 3 p.m. today, and the Lees hope to go East in early January, after a renovation to rustic-modern decor. Sounds like they know what direction this place will take.