Haha!
I had to haul ass because I need to take a nap and meetup with some friends for a baseball game later.
The same plaza as the best location of Pa Ord in Thai Town at Sunset x Hobart. Also nearby is Siam Sunset.
I was really excited about trying this place out, so much that here I am on my first day off. In Southern California, it seems for me I am more excited about relatively unknown cooks cooking essentially their family’s food. You are stepping into someone home and tasting generations of recipes! That is exciting for me!! Much more than _____ insert celebrity chefs name or so and so worked at ____.
I took picture of the menu which is plastered on the window. This is indeed a Northern Thai specialist! Some dishes that even Pailin, Spicy, and Night-Market won’t have!!! I will post the menu after the OP.
There is indeed a steam table and yes the sweet Auntie running this place will give out small samples for you to try! Just try it okay? I sampled the jackfruit salad, beef stew, and a chicken soup. All of it was good. The jackfruit I like better than Pailins, which for me was a little too heavy on aromatics.
(Btw this is very much a family operation it’s not just a one woman show. I saw a few Uncles, another Auntie, and a cute little kiddo)
First up is…
Kanom Jeen Nam Ngiao.
Khao Soi seems to be more popular here in LA but this noodle dish is also loved by Northerners. The origin is from the Shan people via Yunnan, China via Burma. It is slightly tart and savory. I should have asked for some chilli flakes or sauce for another dimension. Also in the pool are some soft rice noodles and pork parts/pork blood. Be sure to squeeze some lime juice in.
Khao Soi with Chicken.
I like this a little more than Pailin, which makes it the best in LA. But really both are good! The egg noodles have a great chew and they just pick up the curry so well. Try to get a little pickled mustard greens and onion in each slurp. Next time I’ll ask for chiles.
The very rare to find in LA, Nam Prik with Tamarind!! Yeah you had Noom and Ong but probably not this!!
First you get the hit of sour-sweet, than a little warmth/heat comes at the end! This is very interesting!
The sausage, sai ua. Very herby punch of what I am guessing is lemongrass and galangal than you get the pork.
Larb Lanna. Northern Larb that is herby and savory as oppose to the typically fresh and tart you’ve had at generalists.
Gaeng Hang Lay.
I think Auntie felt bad that I had to wait for this, so it may have prematurely came out. The color is not as brown as Spicy and Night-Market…hmmm. Maybe that’s the way her family makes it? For me this was a little too salty. No notes of tart-sweetness and heat.
I’ll say it again this is a gem to the dining scene here! A must visit for very rare to find Northern dishes but also great introduction to Northern Thai food. I will come again and give this a place recommendation to all of you.
The menu is coming up…
