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Showing results for tags 'Northern Thai'.
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Follow-up from a PoP poster named "anon" claimed that it was a separate concept called Little Saroh or Little Sarah. It is supposedly having a "very soft opening" and allegedly has a Thai prie-fixe menu of $45 for walk-ins only. Rob -
I think it is on the Baan Thai menu at Tsunami on 14th Street. (They recently added a special Northern Thai menu.) -
Still love this place, with a slight preference to the Northridge location when it sensible to go there instead of the Encino location (we almost always get this as takeout on the way home from somewhere in LA, so the distance difference from the 101 is small but significant, but at late hours only Northridge is available). Though it hasn't been practical to try a back-to-back tasting, the cooks at the original location seem just a little more seasoned, with the spicing and balance just a smidge more deft. Though they have a huge menu, with specific Northern and Southern specialties, we have stuck mostly with our Northern favorites, the khao soy and kang ho (the noodles never stick together, it's loaded with vegetables, and has a distinctively tangy curry flavor). We've also tried several other ordinary noodle dishes and apps (all are fine-good-great, but unmemorable compared to these dishes, though my husband really like the angel wings [stuffed chicken]) and a few of the more interesting plates from the Southern menu (very good), but these dishes are what we crave. They take a lot of care with takeout orders, lining containers with foil, individually packaging all the little spices/sauces, and making air vents to preserve crispness as needed. They were on the LA Weekly's Essentials list of restaurants last year but fell off this year, which might actually be the sweet spot of publicity (they were slammed several times when we stopped by last year, and shortly after publication the FOH folks at least were adorably clueless that they had made the list) for visitors, as they seem to remain busy but you can get your food in a reasonable amount of time. We originally found them while looking for late-night food coming home from Six Flags Magic Mountain (a GREAT roller coaster park, and I'm saying this as a huge Cedar Point fan). It's really at an excellent location if you need good food at odd hours (or any time!) coming back to the city from the north. The Encino location is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and Northridge is open until 2 AM on those days for the college kids -
We coincidentally had reservations at Foreign Correspondents on the day Bon Appetit named it one of the 50 best new restaurants. This is one of a trio of restaurants opened in quick succession by the Treadsack group in the Heights (see also: excellent Gulf Coast seafood at Bernadine's, and very elevated English pub fare at Hunky Dory), and amazingly, all three impress. Foreign Correspondents is helmed by a northern-Thai chef and her (not Thai) husband. The menu is a few steps removed from the typical American Thai joint, and reminds me of the ambitious and unflinching menus at places in DC like Baan Thai and Thip Khao. No Pad Thai or Drunken Noodles to be found here (and that's a good thing). While they offer several set menus, which look to be a great way to ease into some of the lesser known dishes, we struck out on our own since a few of the things we knew we wanted weren't included. Crispy Fried Herbs were light and crunchy, with a great balance of acid and funk, and not a hint of sogginess. Fantastic start to the meal, and more reminiscent of the fried watercress salad at Sripriphai in Queens than the sweeter version at Thip Khao in DC. Stuffed sticky rice was a simple but satisfying dish of banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice with a simple squash filling (a salted fish version is also offered). Laaps are offered in 2 styles with a variety of proteins: Isaan, which seems like what most of us have come to understand as laap, and Lanna, which incorporates prik laap, a chile paste. We opted for the fried Texas shrimp laap, which comes in the Isaan style. This was an ok dish, but was a bit on the dry side. I'm not sure if that is intentional, or a misstep...I would like to head back to try a few other laaps to compare. Although this is described as spicy, the levels are kept in check, and shouldn't deter any but the most chili-phobic. I was practically coming out of my skin in anticipation of the crispy rice salad, a family favorite from our nearly weekly visits to Thip Khao when we lived in DC. This version was good, but leaned a bit too heavily on lime juice, which kind of overwhelmed the dish. I think a heavier hand with the herbs would balance this out a bit, as the greenery was all but nonexistent in our dish. I actually self-corrected for this by mixing my crispy rice with the crispy fried herbs, and stumbled upon a truly winning combo. There was a quick break in the action, as I was brought the balut I ordered for solo consumption, knowing no one else at the table would be interested. The intact egg is brought out piping hot in a small bowl with various leaves and stems alongside and a dish of what I think is jaew dipping sauce. After appropriate instruction from our waitress, I dug into an impossibly creamy, custardy egg...just insanely rich. The embryo itself was on the small side, and other than the initial shock of seeing a little eye looking my way from the egg, did not get in the way of enjoying the dish. And amazingly, there is more food to come... A whole fried fish was nicely prepared and topped with cashews, lime, chilies, and other aromatic things. Fantastic, and more than enough for 4. The makrut lime and fish curry was a crowd favorite, and reminded me of tom kha, with just a bit more funk and acid. I am unable to not order khao soi when I see it, and FC's version was rich, decadent, and did not disappoint. It is served with a side dish of shallots and lime, and while good on its own, the broth really comes alive with a few squeezes of lime. Finally (!), the eggplant and pork came in with thick, toothsome slices of heirloom eggplant bathed in a dark, intensely smoky sauce lightened with lemon basil. So good, and even better for breakfast the next day. The cocktail menu is creative, and drinks were well-made...You might consider a pre-dinner drink at the connected cocktail bar Canard next door, and go for a glass of Riesling (both off dry and dry selections available, and as the menu says "Not trying to tell you what to do, but Riesling is the best wine to drink with Thai food.") Services was friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable, and no one batted an eye at us with our 2 little dining companions. (Note: there is also a kids menu with options like thai fried chicken with rice, fried rice with fish, and versions of laap and green papaya salad without the chilies.) Congratulations to the team at Foreign Correspondents for their BA nod...well-deserved. We'll be back. (BTW, that link to the Instagram photo of the balut is my newish Houston account @houston_dining. Follow along there or on twitter if it strikes your fancy.)- 1 reply
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Is there a place in the DMV to get Issan-style Khao Soi? I had this coconut curry noodle soup with chicken at Pok Pok in Portland and have to get it more often than just when I am back home visiting! Bangkok Golden had it on their menu but have told me that they don't offer it anymore because it was so rarely ordered. --- [The following posts have been split into separate threads: Tsunami Sushi and Lounge (Al the Pal)]
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Totally agree. The first time I went it was amazing, and then a few years later it didn't hold a candle to Little Serow. Which is actually equivalent to a little place in the burbs called Bangkok Golden at a lower price and you can pick the items you want... Sorry, I love both. But little Serow is talked about in mythic ways in the media and I don't know anyone that has tried both and felt that Bangkok golden wasn't equivalent ... --- [The following posts have been split into separate threads: Khao Soi (Issan-Style) (anhdeluxe)]
