LA Thai Restaurant Tasting Tour

[FoodZealot]

From the Where to eat in LA thread:

Sounds like we are going to have to organize a big E-Gullet Thai restaurant contest, with a dinner at each spot.  We'll have to include the food fair at the Thai temple in North Hollywood.  Has anyone else been there?  It is amazing.  The mango and sticky rice rivals desserts I've had in very posh places!

mixmaster b is full of great ideas! Okay, I know we talked about doing this after the new year, so I probably could have waited to start this thread, but I got so fired up from reading the Larb Laab Larp thread that I think we should just start the process now. I think this thread should include all related issues for organizing the tour: the mission of the tour, restaurants, dishes, mechanics, geography, etc.

Discuss.

[melkor]

If Chris can swing by Napa in the helicopter and pick me up, I'm in.

[Chris Cognac]

If Chris can swing by Napa in the helicopter and pick me up, I'm in.

I might just get in some trouble for going that far, but If I could slingload a few crates of wine, I might be able to bribe someone in my chain of command!

[Beachfan]

If it's west of downtown, I'm in!

And available before Xmas too!

[ErinB]

I live in the NY metro area, but just found out I'll be in LA for 2 months (December and January) for work.

I would love to try some good thai, and meet some Egulleters in the LA area. The only thai i've had in LA was Jitlada.

[FoodZealot]

ErinB, we'll be glad to have you with us! Beachfan, luckily Thai Town is West of downtown!

Speaking of Jitlada, I had to check it out for myself. My first visit. We ordered quite a bit, but here's just a few:

mee krob

pad thai

prawns flambee

~Tad

[jschyun]

I'm definitely in. I don't care where we go. I'm sure it will be great. I just hope I'm in town the weekend you guys do it!

--edit

mission of the tour: to eat as much good Thai food as humanly possible

restaurants: Jitlada seems to be the fave. I wouldn't mind going to that temple as well. The ones I've been to never seem to have a name I can remember.

dishes: Maybe some basics and some not so basics. Of course we will have to have sticky rice with mango. I wouldn't mind pad thai with shrimp. That pic looked awesome.

mechanics: Dunno

geography: I would stick with L.A. I've been to some decent ones in Orange County, but it's a pain to get down here for most people and I think most of the action is in L.A anyhow.

Edited November 24, 2003 by jschyun (log)

[grandcru]

No arm-twisting needed here. I have been to a few great spots in OC and the South Bay, but my Hollywood/Mid-City/Westside ThaiQ could stand to go up a few points, too.

Tasty freakin' pictures, FZ! Yum.

[Beachfan]

I vote for Jitalda (assuming Food Zealot loved the meal as much as I love the pictures).

Edited November 25, 2003 by Beachfan (log)

[FoodZealot]

Trying to stay neutral, I'll just say Jitlada is definitely worth a visit. I did a little research, and here are some that have been mentioned on eG and elsewhere the most. If you know of one you think is at least as good as any of these, let's hear about it! I think this might occur over a few (or infinite!) weekends, so I think it's worth considering anything in greater LA, if someone will vouch for it or we have other indications that it's excellent.

• Jitlada
  Palms Thai
  Ruen Pair
  Kruang Tedd
  Renu Nakorn (Norwalk)
  Saladang (Pasadena)
  Yai
  Sanamluang Cafe
  Vim
  Wat Thai Temple(North Hollywood)
  

For dishes, like jschyun suggests, let's pick a set of dishes that just about every Thai restaurant would have, plus we'll order a few specialties at each place. Here are a few to get us started - feel free to lobby for or against a dish -

• pad thai
  mee krob
  laab or yam (meat "salad")
  somtom (green papaya salad)
  tom kha kai/goong (lemongrass & coconut soup, chicken/shrimp)
  sate with peanut sauce
  thai bbq chicken
  pad see ew
  panaeng curry
  massamun curry
  sticky rice with mango
  

I have no idea how authentic peanut sauce is thought to be, but dammit it's good.

I'm sure mixmaster b will jump in here shortly...

[Beachfan]

Dates?

December 21, Sunday?

Jan 4, Sunday?

Jan 8, Thursday?

January 11, Sunday

January xx, up to January 17 (inclusive).

(Are they open Sundays?).

[mixmaster b]

YUMM!! I am so excited!

Great lists, FZ. On the places, I have to say that I thought Saladang was not so good. I've only been once, but I found it to be too americanized, kind of like Tommy Tang's. Sanamluang is not a big fave for me, either, as it needs a serious cleaning and they have no beer. (I would go to either if there was arm twisting, though.) Of the others, Jitlada is the only one I've been too--can't wait to try the others.

Can we add green curry, pad see ew (Sorry for the bad spelling) and maybe a shrimp salad? Also, when we go to Jitlada we have to have the panang curry prawns--called Thai lobster on the menu. Sooo good.

For dates, I really don't think I can do it before January--maybe the 4th, more likely the 8th.

How many of these places should we go to? Should we try to do every Sunday evening? Or every other?

Erin B, we'd love to have you along!

[FoodZealot]

January 11th works well for me. Every other Sunday would work for me, depending on the particular Sunday, of course.

Question: some folks might be traveling from a ways away - should we try to do more than one place in a day? Make an afternoon of it - lunch, Thai market exploring, then an early dinner? Of course, pacing oneself in the presence of great Thai food is not always easy. Too ambitious? Is it better to do a full meal at each place?

mixmaster b, your menu suggestions are noted - and I had already anticipated your pad see ew request. [grin]

grandcru, jschyun, tejon, and others - if there's someplace worth the drive, I'd at least like to hear about it... I'd like to improve my ThaiQ of outlying areas as well!

BTW, don't forget that we still have Korean BBQ coming up in December. We need to choose a place for that one.

[jschyun]

Question: some folks might be traveling from a ways away - should we try to do more than one place in a day? Make an afternoon of it - lunch, Thai market exploring, then an early dinner? Of course, pacing oneself in the presence of great Thai food is not always easy. Too ambitious? Is it better to do a full meal at each place?

Maybe we can do a two parter where we do a meal and then some people can leave and the rest of us can continue on our journey to the dark side.

[FoodZealot]

I visited Ruen Pair in Hollywood on Friday night. Yummy delicious.

Tom kha goong - coconut/lemongrass soup with shrimp

Morning glory greens stir-fried with garlic

~Tad

[jschyun]

I sense that you enjoy torturing us.

[FoodZealot]

I sense that you enjoy torturing us.

Just trying to show that I'm doing the due diligence, like you are for the Korean BBQ outing, just with pictures. [grin] Plus, I like building up anticipation for what I hope will be an epic event.

Responding to your earlier comment, I agree: we could plan a day with a lunch, some activities, and a second lunch/early dinner, and people could meet up with us as their schedules allow. Of course the hardcore eaters will visit every restaurant on the schedule...

~Tad

[jschyun]

Has anyone tried Isan Classic in Anaheim? It's supposed to be good Thai in Orange County.

--edit.

Also, I was reading about how Rambutan Thai in Silver lake has those small dishes so that you can sample a little of everything. I wonder how good the quality is though.

Hehe, I just found Thai Porn

Edited December 17, 2003 by jschyun (log)

[Maison Rustique]

After the holidays, we are in for the Thai tasting!!! I know that at least ONE other person heard Don say it!!!

[jschyun]

Just came back from the new branch of Thai Nakorn in Garden Grove. thai restaurants have a reputation for being inconsistent, so i should go a couple more times to make sure, but I'm quite sure it's the best Thai restaurant I've been to in OC. Thanks grandcru!

I got the shrimp curry, pad thai, mango and sticky rice, thai iced tea. The sticky rice and mango was pretty darn good, I would say almost as good as the awesome version I had at Lotus of Siam, in Las Vegas. At Lotus of Siam, the coconut milk taste and saltiness were held in balance, so the rice tasted a little coconutty, and a little salty, but neither predominated. unfortunately, they wouldn't let me have a second helping. thai Nakorn used a little more salt today. still, pretty good. Shrimp curry was a small dish of sweetish red curry with overcooked shrimp, and about 20 hot peppers floating in the sauce. the pad thai was quite good, but it had the same overcooked shrimp and some pork. I ate quite a bit of the large portion they brought out.

I would eat here again. It's kind of in a dingy neighborhood, next to a taco place and a urology center. the parking is great here, totally empty.

The price was reasonable, $23 before tip.

[FoodZealot]

Excellent! OC represents!

I know that everyone is in holiday mode right now, but just a reminder that Sunday, January 11th, 2004 is the date we're currently discussing for the first tasting event.

[jschyun]

Renu Nakorn

In the words of Keanu Reaves as Neo in the Matrix, "Whoah"

Wasn't as nice as Tad's pics though.

Funny, not too long ago, I was happy with South OC Thai food. Then you guys caused me to remember past awesome Thai food that has been lying too long in the dust of my memory.

Edited December 18, 2003 by jschyun (log)

[Beachfan]

I'm up for January 11, but not up for a crawl. I'll join you for one of the stops if you do several.

My wife went to Jitalda based on the buzz. She was way underwhelmed. Maybe she didn't order right, but she is no stranger to Thai food. The "B" health department rating wasn't encouraging either.

She'd be willing to go back if there is someone whose been there before and knows how to order.

I propose a 1:00 Lunch somewhere west of downtown.

[ErinB]

I'm in for the extravaganza.

Edited December 20, 2003 by ErinB (log)

[ExtraMSG]

Although I probably won't be around town during your crawl, I wouldn't mind pre-tasting a couple of your choices. I have a question though: is LA Thai food more "authentic" than PNW Thai food? People often complain about Thai food in Seattle and Portland being too sweet and not authentic enough. I don't know if this is a west coast thing in general or what. But if LA Thai food isn't significantly different from PNW Thai food, I'd be less inclined to give it a try.