Found it,
Jitlada menu selection, c '09, by erikm for a party of 4
[quote]
a. puu pen phla : a raw blue crab salad with lemongrass, mint and chile
b. sup hang wua : mild, Southern Thai-style oxtail soup
c. phat luuk taw “Meuang Khon” : stir-fried sator beans with shrimp,
pork, and squid
c. phak bung fai daeng : stir-fried water spinach with dried chile and
yellow beans
d. kung phae chup khreuang thawt : deep-fried shrimp with crispy tea leaves
e. khua kling “Phat Lung” : spicy, turmeric-flavoured “dry” curry with beef
e. kaeng hawy bai cha-phluu : spicy, turmeric-seasoned curry with baby
clams and wild tea leaves
-----------------------------------------------------
bA. tom kai baan tom khii-min : turmeric-seasoned soup with chicken
and lime leaves
cc. neua phat kii-mao “songkhla” : spicy minced beef stir-fry with lemongrass
eA. kaeng tay poh plaa chawn haeng : sweet/hot curry with dried
mudfish and water spinach (sliced pork is another option)
additions: for 6.
a) neau phat khii-mao “Songkhla”
-This is a stir-fried minced beef dish with holy basil, chiles,
lemongrass, etc. It’s one of the safer items in the lineup now, so if
anybody is having a hard time with the more challenging stuff, this
works well. It’s NOT gringo by any means. It’s actually one of my
favourite things to eat there when I’m by myself. Hardcore comfort
food, Thai-style.
b) kaeng leuang “Thalaa”
-This is one of their signature dishes, and it includes catfish steaks
and pickled bamboo in a watery (no coconut milk), fiery curry broth.
It’s pretty hardcore, and it might go over like a lead balloon, but I
want you to try it. I sit down to staff meals at Jitlada at least once
a week when I’m in town nad this dish is served almost every time.
Spoon some of the fish and bamboo over your rice, watery broth and
all. Not too much, but you’ve got to moisten the rice with some of the
curry. I love this dish.
*[/quote]
Note no mentions of ANYTHING listed by JG as a “must-do”. No fried bluecrab, no mussels, no prawns.
The “kaeng leuang thalaa” remains one of my favorite kaengs in LA tho I haven’t tried Lum ka naad’s which lists this as “turmeric bamboo and fish soup”. It was never covered by Gourmet and the hipsters, but it was written up by Linda Burum back in '07.
None of this has to be ass-rape spicy. And none of it can be found at SQIRL.