Kim’s Thai Food, Isaan specialist in a indoor swap meet

[JeetKuneBao]

Been on my to do list for quite awhile so I said f it and made the drive.

It is inside the La Fiesta Indoor Swap Meet

Go all the way towards the back.

I did my research before I came and knew what I wanted. Unfortunately today they did not have the ant egg salad!!! I really wanted to try it. Maybe call ahead if this is something you want to try.

The Papaya Salad here is probably the undisputed champion. Award winning from the local Thai community and was once a fixture at Wat Thai weekends.

Sticky rice is a must for salads and larbs. Also got some Thai tea to help cool down if need to be.

Lao-style Papaya Salad.
Thai-style is more sweet, Lao is very funky umami. Asked for medium heat and there was nice burn. With something as funky as this, it’s nice to have another flavor to fall back on. This is the reason to come here and the strong funky umami flavor from SE Asia, definitely not for everybody and will probably take many tastings to enjoy. You can always get the Thai-style.

Got a single grilled pork skewer. Nice hint of sweet and salty.

Duck Larb. Includes all the off cuts as well and some fried skin. Nicely flavored with some lemongrass and herbs to cut through.

Grilled Pork Salad aka on the menu as Yum #1. Bright, fresh with grilled pork and slivers of garlic.

So glad to try this place out will have to come back for the spicy pork and intestine soup, bamboo salad, ant egg salad, bamboo soup and steamed fish custard. Cash only btw bring a big group of Thai food lovers and dig in!!

- YouTube

Dialogue)

Come taste my papaya salad, very delicious.

(Lyrics)

From sunset till night at the gas station, I sell papaya salad. Handsome taxi driver and tricycle boy are my best customers. But tonight I didn’t see them. Are they bored of my papaya salad?

Papaya salad merchant from Isan worrys about it since sunset. Handsome taxi driver is not coming. Tricycle boy’s shadow is never seen. Papaya salad merchant feels so neglected.

Maybe my papaya salad is not delicious like another merchant in Suthisan Trok, so that’s why handsome taxi driver is bored of me. Maybe he has a crush on the Northern girl who sells Mieng Khum. Tricycle boy is also never seen again. He used to flirt with me but now he’s disappeared.

I wait at the gas station from dusk till down. I look at the road but never see you dear. You used to take me home but why did you leave me alone? Taxi driver was never seen again. Tricycle boy has disappeared. It hurts papaya salad merchant so deeply.

[Nemroz]

that looks and sounds so great… and that song is a CUT!

[tailbacku]

that looks amazing!

[EattheWorldLA]

Keep ordering the same things because they are just so well executed. Naem khao tod is on par with Vientiane’s version. Som tum lao might be the best around. Duck larb is excellent. I love how a “medium” order here will have you sweating.

ขันทองสองฝั่งโขง

In the front of La Fiesta Swap Meet there are posters with hints of Persian kebabs and Salvadoran pupusas, but no mention of the stall named “Kim Thai Food” in English. For that, walk through the main entrance and all the way to the back, where a small food court of sorts exists. Next to those aforementioned stands are also a new Jamaican vendor and some ice cream.

The Thai name (Kan Tong Song Fung Khong) is actually more telling of what you will find on the menu here, the last three words of which translate as “both sides of the river.” For a Thai restaurant, this is usually describing the Mekong River which separates the northern provinces of Thailand with Laos. The kitchen is ready to churn out specialties from both sides.

Make your way past clothing, hat, and shoe vendors, past sleepy workers watching movies on their phones, walls full of veladoras, and the many barbers and salons in La Fiesta to sit down for a spicy feast. “Kan Tong” is the name of the original owner of the stall, who went by the nickname Kim. No matter what language you prefer, an exciting meal is on the way.

Duck larb

Som tum lao

Naem khao tod

[JeetKuneBao]

Did you happen to see if they have Ant Egg Salad?

[EattheWorldLA]

No and I think I would have noticed it because I like that dish. I don’t think it’s offered any longer.

[secretasianman]

i love their version of nem khao tod with all the leafy spices vs. just lettuce that comes with a lot of other versions in LA.

[JeetKuneBao]

Ever tried Kim’s when she was still at Wat Thai Temple on the weekends? I wonder if the taste and quality is the same

I like your style btw you always find the hole in wall mom n pop places with little foodie media attention and all your reviews are well written

[EattheWorldLA]

Unfortunately I did not, nor did I try this stall when Kim (Kan Tong/ ขันทอง) was running it… so I cannot compare to that specifically but since a time period of mediocre online reviews when things switched hands, I really think things must have improved because these dishes are very impressive now.

[Nemroz]

Finally tried.

Ok the duck laab kicked our ass. Very spicy. No meat at all it seems but delicious

Crispy rice / pork salad? Don’t think they gave us the right thing. Think they forgot the rice . Loved it

Funky Laos

Pad see ew meh .

Loved this food though, will be sending wife back for pickups

[Nemroz]

Ouch our guts aren’t used to it anymore.

[tailbacku]

[JThur01]

@Nemroz

Ouch our guts aren’t used to it anymore.

Conditioning is important with spicy food. It’s like a form of training. Very spicy dishes that didn’t normally bother me would really get to me after a layoff, for example, Hunan-style.

[rohto]

Kim’s still cranking out delicious food.