What are some LA area Thai restaurants that offer something unique?

Check out the Wat Thai food market. Lots of dishes that you don’t see elsewhere. If someone is selling khnom krok, get it.

The lady that owns Pa-Ord noodles created a restaurant in Thai town called Roasted Duck that specializes in their duck menu items (they removed the duck soup from the other pa-ord). 5136 Hollywood Blvd. They've got the duck fried rice you're after.

Luv 2 Eat Thai in Hollywood has some of the most flavorful food I’ve had. Highly recommend the moo ping (beef skewers)

White Elephant! I'm surprised no one has mentioned them yet. Their coconut milk fried chicken is legitimately one of my favorite riffs on fried chicken in Los Angeles. I don't know for sure, but I think they use a coconut milk-based brine instead of a traditional buttermilk. The result is juicy, fragrant and unmistakably Thai, with a shatteringly crisp coating that is airy and and light. I appreciate that it comes with one of their unorthodox side salads as well, which don't seem Thai-inspired at all but use wonderfully fresh greens and fun combinations of flavors. 

Also terrific are the basil chicken wings. Sticky and crisp, dressed with a delicious sweet and sour sauce that has a wonderful fresh basil aroma.

Their mango sticky rice is the best I've had anywhere. Very unique. The blue sticky rice makes for an Instagrammable combination with beautiful slices of mango, but together with the butterfly pea infusion... it tastes even better than it looks.

Traditionalists won't be disappointed here, either. They do the classics really well. Especially love their Pad Thai and Panang curry.

Really? No mention of Jitlada? Great place. https://jitladala.com/

Try Siam Night Market — a true Thai night market in LA. I haven’t been yet but hear good things.

Jitlada offers southern Thai food like jungle curry.

Amphai Northern Thai Food Club makes Thai food with a Laotian influence from my understanding.

Both are excellent and have unique dishes that they don’t sell other places.

Also check out LAX-C which is a huge specialty grocery store, selling all kinds of Thai ingredients and fruits, but also sells hot food from like a deli counter.

And lots of Thai Street Food Night Markets these days. One on Hollywood Blvd just east of Western. One on Cahuenga in Hollywood on weekends.

Not sure if they have anything unique, but Thai Patio on Hollywood Blvd. is my favorite in L.A.

Most Thai restaurants in the US basically serve Bangkok-style food in some form or another. You really want to look for different regions of Thailand like Southern (Jitlada), Northern (Thai Spicy BBQ or Ampai Northern Thai Food Club) or Issan region cuisine.

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There's also an excellent night market in the heart of Hollywood - atSiam Night Market - that has a whole collection of Thai street food from different regions. They're on Cahuenga Blvd, just north of Hollywood Blvd and are open Fri-Sat-Sun from 5-11 p.m.

Summer buffalo

LA has a big vegan Thai scene. The most unique thing I’ve come across is Bulan’s Crisp Fish with Green Apple.

If you're willing to go to the valley: Lum-Ka-Naad in Northridge is amazing.

Any thai place thats unique to me is a place that makes a LARGE thai iced tea. They don't seem to understand I want more than 10oz of that shit.

But have you seen the Asian Elvis performer at Palms?!

Kop Jai Lai in Mission Hills (The Valley) serves Laotian dishes as well as Thai.

Wat Dong Moon Lek for the fresh fruit ices, noodles & chalk art

Night Market. Spiiiiicy tho. Be careful lol

Spicy Sugar Thai on La brea. I think there’s one in Long Beach too but they have a great vegan menu and according to the owner use authentic recipes. Also my favorite pad kee mao

Jitlada

Luv to Eat

Sapp Coffee Shop

Otus

Summer Buffalo

Night + Market

Radna Silom (plus multiple other vendors on the streets in that general area)

There is a small night market on sunset across from jitlada. Another night market north of Hollywood Blvd off Cahuenga.

Silverlake house

Yess love seeing the crispy pork gang shoutout!! One of my favs. Their orange chicken is the best I’ve ever had

If you ever get the chance to try Thai-Mexican fusion, do it. The place out in the valley that used to serve it closed down, apparently there’s something similar in the century city mall but I haven’t tried it.

Thai Curry Pizza in Long Beach puts every other specialty pizza to shame.

Can someone make this into a list? There are so many.

Salaya is all vegan Thai

Anajak with Thai Taco Tuesdays, particularly for those who love waiting in line.

ANAJAK THAI. So unique…Does not disappoint. And was LA Mag restaurant of the year a couple years back

Toi on sunset

Song Night Market in Silver Lake and Sticky Rice in Echo Park are both delicious and trendy.

I hate to say it because it’s new and hyped but TECHNICALLY ban ban burger off of Santa Monica fits this description. Thai infused burgers and chicken sandwiches that are not bad at all.

Sticky Rice inside of the Goldfish in Highland park is cool vibes and good food.

Farmhouse Kitchen has big beef short rib dishes and spicy Thai beef jerky

Midnight chicken at Chiang Rai in Long Beach

pailin. hands down my favorite and i would say more authentic to the thai flavors i have tried in thailand.

they are only open till 4pm and only on certain days. 

personal favorite is their red curry catfish.

Same Same Thai offered me food poisoning

Just another vote for Palms Thai. Amazing place.

Jitlada!!

Chuan chim Thai cafe.. Hollywood Blvd n near western Ave. In thai town

Vim Thai is actually really good

Khun Khao in panorama city. Hole in the wall but so good

I love the moo ping (fatty, carmelized pork on a stick) from Luv2eat. I haven’t seen that anywhere else.

yai’s on vermont is my favorite thai place, been going there for a number of years and what i like most is that when you when enter the restaurant, you’re immediately hit with a delicious smell of the food. i guess it’s not very unique but it’s a great place. amazing food

Pink Pepper Thai on La Brea & Hollywood Bl has charming decor and the most incredible Pineapple Fried Rice in the world!

Try the restaurants in Thai town or the street food at Wat Thai LA

Farmhouse Kitchen in West Adams (which, despite the misleading name, is a Thai restaurant) has some dishes that are presented in very unique, dramatic ways.

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/ac8f95d5-8ffd-4ded-becc-d7c8a14bbcd1/FH-LA%20Weekday%20Menu%20Final-3e46b29.pdf

The Thai Toast at Toi on Sunset is pretty fantastic/unique.

Queen Violet in We Ho has some really cool fusio. Thai dishes as well as some of my fave mango sticky rice!!

Great outside gardenish venue too!

Thai Talay in Westchester is one I never see mentioned. Definitely not the same as everywhere else

Ive eaten at Thaister. Ummmm i dont eat pork, but my friend ordered the fried pork pad thai and he dreams about it. obsessed with it. And i guess he said the fried pork pad thai is unique. Idk, i always order chicken pad thai or drunken noodles chicken or pad see ew chicken.

Their food is really really good

Thai Taste on Fletcher. Nothing fancy but their boba and fried rice are both excellent

Emporium Thai in Westwood has a nifty 10-point hotness scale with quite a good description for each level. They also can be quite spicy. A lot of places don't offer too hot because that's what most folks want. But a 5 or 6 on their scale is legit spicy. I think a 10 would put you on Hot Ones...

Lacha Somtum’s fried papaya salad is amazing. They also do regular and salted crab papaya salad really well, but the fried one isn’t something every place offers

Tongue Thai'd on WOW goes to a few restaurants in LA and talks about their special fishes and their history.

Nite + Market’s green papaya salad is hands down the best salad I’ve ever had. All the other food I’ve tried there is terrific too. I’ve been to their silver lake and Venice location, both are great and have the same menu I believe.

Anajak has some pretty interesting stuff!

Thai Spirit in Eagle Rock 👌🏼

Lum Ka Naad, specialists in southern Thai cooking. Besides being the spicest Thai place I have tried in LA , their menu is extensive

Is ocha not popular anymore?

Sadtha does amazing vegan Thai; Papaya salad is amazing

Angel Thai Cuisine (Glendale) has this sizzling Crying Tiger served in a hot stone

Sapp Coffee Shop Jade Noodles.

Pailin - the pork plate will blow your mind

Luv 2 Eat's Jade Noodles are incredible

Love that you already included PALMS!! My new fav is ChaoKrung on Fairfax. Amazing Pad Thai.

Saving

Lum Kaa Nad in Northridge and encino has an amazing menu broken up by regional areas and has stuff I’ve never seen on other menus. I prefer the Northridge location.

Anajak Thai has fancy af elevated Thai and it’s worth experiencing at least once.

Silverlake House is my favorite Thai in LA

Saving but I'll add Tantawan in the SGV for their nam khao tod. I don't know anywhere else that makes the rice crispy like this. Most other placed I've tried to find it usually make it more like fried rice but not this crispy battered rice.

Watdongmoonlek Noodle is pretty delicious

Go to the Thai night market in Chinatown. They have it every weekend for now

Rustin Spoon, two locations in the North Hollywood area. Among other things, they serve roti which I haven't seen on many menus. (I do not have the broadest experience tbh)

Siam Sunset. They have dishes that you can’t find anymore or is really hard to find which is why the majority of the customers are Thai.

Love Palms!!

Any thai resto that serves Khao Kluk Kapi??

Love Crispy Pork Gang. Their Pad Kee Mow is fantastic. And the Gang friend rice w/ crispy pork. Nom. Best 2am delivery in town.

Is Northern Thai Food Club still good? Don't see many comments about it here.

LOVE in WeHo or HOPE in Studio City are pretty great Vegan Thai places that have unique menus.

Anajak , Tuesday nights in Sherman Oaks. This is the answer.

Spicy BBQ in East Hollywood for Northern Thai. Their Nam prik num and sausage are not to be missed

Hae Ha Heng in Koreatown has a free Thai Iced Tea with every takeaway order (as long as you add the coupon when ordering). Not that exciting but since it’s in my literal back yard it’s a nice bonus.

Lum Ka Naad in the valley has a unique menu with authentic northern and southern Thai dishes, my favorite being the kuah gling.

Luv2eat in Hollywood also has a chef’s menu with unique dishes, highly recommend the kanomjean and their kuah gling as well.

I'll take anywhere that offers khua kling (คั่วกลิ้ง), especially lamb.

Luv to Eat

Hoy Ka

Palms Thai

Long Beach’s Chiang Rai

Across the street from the Wat Thai Market (which I generally do not think is worth the trip if you can get to Thaitown in a shorter amount of time) is a Thai restaurant, La Vo Noodle & Thai Curry Pizza 2, which serves Thai style pizzas- specialty pizzas in the style of the speciality pizzas fast food chains like Pizza Hut and The Pizza Company specifically created to serve the local market in Thailand. The Thai Curry Pizza #1 is in Long Beach, and has an identical menu, but I would assume it is further for most people here.

The go to's for me are the Tom Yum Seafood pizza and the Pad Kra Pow pizzas. I don't any other Thai restaurant in LA county that attempts to pull these off. That said, imagine Domino's Pizza with more exotic toppings in terms of quality. However, I think the prices are pretty reasonable for what they give you.

Otus Kitchen on La Brea. Truly a unique menu compared to standard Thai food.

Hollywood Thai Restaurant has an awesome congee (rice porridge) menu. Would recommend the Chinese olives with ground pork and their spicy basil clam stir fry 👌🏻 They’re an OG and have  been around for 35 years! 

Hidden Garden Thai in Culver City introduced me to Thai boat noodle, the same year when I went to Thailand and it was fantastic both times.

Basil and co diamond bar has various twist on many thai dishes

Check out HOPE and their sister restaurant, LOVE. Thai-owned (from Bangkok) gourmet food. The curry dumplings are one of the best things I have ever had. I lived in Thailand for years, and they’re still in my top three.

Renu nakorn in Norwalk. Featured in LA times, LAist, LAweekly a few times.

Khao Soi Thai in Studio City has the best khao soi

Same Same has great food and ambience

There is a plant based Thai restaurant on Lincoln in Santa Monica I think it is called Sadtha or something. There is also Poom Thai on Lincoln which looks pretty interesting.

Thai town. Easy.

I love this post so much!!!!!!!!! Thank you Op!

Rustic spoon. First time tasting pumpkin in panang curry. Lovely addition to a standard dish

Thai on Hillhurst has the best pad Thai in the city. Not unique but best pad Thai. BEST EVER. I've eaten Thai food from Asia to Iceland, and the pad Thai at Thai on Hillhurst is crack status.

• Anajack
• Farmhouse kitchen

night market

Deans Thai curry pizza in Long Beach, fucking legendary

Not in LA but Hanuman in Costa Mesa has a pretty bomb menu and vibe

Watdongmoonlek Noodle

The chicken Khao Soi at Boran Thai is my favorite noodle dish in town!

Otus in West Hollywood! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a full coffee bar and solid wine list.

Mai Malai

The Thai Thing on west 3rd street. So good. And I believe they have some sort of Michelin Star?? Small place so get take out if you want to spread out. Call is better than using an app!

Anajak

The crab curry at luv2eat was Michelin starred 3 years in a row. They also have duck fried rice

Holy Basil is a great option.

Noodle World is pretty good. Their noodle world special goes hard. They have locations in the San Gabriel Valley

Little Sister (I go to the one in DTLA), it’s a bit bougie but the food is delicious