As of 12/31/11, I’ve completed these 257 dishes at Jitlada.
I’ll definitely hit my goal of 300 dishes in 2012!
click above for details
More at EatingTheMenu.com
My big sister Janet has always been like a mom to me (even thought she LOOKS younger than me), so when “Mother’s Day” rolls around, I make sure we do something special together, usually a family lunch out.
This year, only two of her kids (the twins, 13) were available during the day. Cody (20) was away training at L.A. Firefighter Explorers, and Camron (22) was working.
Thankfully, Janet’s husband Paul had the day off from the fire-station, so I made a reservation for a 1pm lunch.
Lucky Elephant Thai Restaurant is one of Janet’s favorites, located just five minutes from her home in San Dimas. She told me how much she loves the decor and food, but doesn’t get to go very often. The simple fact is, the Thai cuisine is a bit too “authentic” for most of the family.
Kindal and her big brother Cody are the most adventurous eaters, and I can usually get them to try anything. But Chace, Camron and their dad Paul are a little more reserved, apt to order an identifiable beef or chicken entree, instead of some extremely ethnic sounding dish.
Well, “Aunt Jo is treating on Mother’s Day… so bring on the Hormok Kanom Krok!”
The lovely interior. Such a pleasant surprise walking in from the mini-mall parking lot!
Shrimp DONUTS (shrimp balls shaped like donuts), with a sweet sauce.
Hormok Kanom Krok (Salmon balls, steamed with red curry and coconut milk). Janet and I LOVED the salmon balls. Also in photo: Beef with Garlic and Black Pepper, Classic Pad Thai with Chicken.
Mango sticky rice: with coconut milk… (the kids LOVED this!)
A wonderful Mother’s Day for my big sis! Left to right: Chace, Janet, Kindal and Paul
Mother’s Day Gifts to each mom: incense and tiny 1-inch elephants. (Aunt Jo got one too!)
Another view of the pretty interior
Adorable, authentic Thai gifts for sale near the front of the restaurant.
Lucky Elephant Thai
531 W Arrow Hwy
San Dimas, CA 91773
(909) 592-4242
Filed under Eating Out
My husband Peter had “Good Friday” off last week and we did something we RARELY ever do together… we decided to go out to lunch.
Peter almost never takes lunch at work because he feels like it’s a waste of time (classic workaholic), unless it’s a business meeting of course. Not eating during the day, ensures that he comes home hungry for dinner, which means he ALWAYS likes what I make. The truth is, I can get a little cranky when he doesn’t love my cooking, so this “no lunch at the office” system works well for both of us.
Jitlada Thai Restaurant has been on our “to do” list since last summer, when I first read about it in the July issue of Gourmet magazine. It’s a favorite spot of our friend Jeffrey, who has eaten at even the best Thai restaurants in Thailand. We hoped we could get Jeffrey to join us for lunch, but he couldn’t make it.
I also emailed my food blogger pal, SinoSoul. He loves Jitlada so much that he hosts dinners there, gathering food lovers to experience the authentic, Southern Thai (meaning extremely SPICY) dishes together. He’s invited me to an upcoming Jitlada dinner, but when I read about the extremely painful aftermath of the last gathering, I feared that I may not be able to take the heat.
SinoSoul wrote:
How does previous night’s dinner make you late to work the next morning? When you must explode with something fancy in the toilet. But hot damn the Southern Thai food was good on the way in.
I then clicked on a few other Jitlada blog links and thought FoodMarathon’s was particularly alarming:
I woke up this morning with a black tongue and my stomach precariously balanced between the volatile states of seizure and bleeding.
My apologies if the above offended you, but it’s the reason that I recently became a tiny bit fearful of Jitlada. I LOVE spicy food and can take it pretty, darn hot. Jalapeños are like cucumbers to me, and I add whole habañeros (seeds and all) to my eggs for breakfast. But I’ve never felt like I needed to visit the emergency room the next morning. Obviously Jitlada is a whole new, fiery experience.
So before I attend SinoSoul’s upcoming dinner, I hoped to at least get to Jitlada for lunch, and take sort of a test run. Good Friday turned out to be the perfect opportunity for Peter and I to try it together. SinoSoul wasn’t able to join us for lunch either, but thankfully he did email a list of dishes we should try. The menu is extensive and can seem very confusing if it’s your first visit, so it’s imperative that you do your research before you go.
Peter and I arrived a few minutes before they opened for lunch and were greeted by the lovely and charming, Sugar. She sat us in the second dining room next to the window and quickly took our drink order. I think she was a little shocked that we ordered Singa beer before noon… but heck, it was a holiday after all!
The menu was incredible and we would have been so LOST if SinoSoul hadn’t sent a list. When Sugar came to deliver our beers, she introduced us to her father Tui Sungkamee, who also happens to be the chef. We chatted for awhile then I handed them the printed list of items we would be ordering. It was fun to watch them carefully go over the dishes we wanted… Chef Tui double-checking the English-to-Thai translation with his daughter.
Our lunch was OUTSTANDING, and if you haven’t been to Jitlada Thai yet (or lately), you should make the time to go now. We didn’t ask for extra spice on any of the dishes, but most carried a substantial amount of heat. Nothing painful though, just a wonderful, warm, and incredibly flavorful rush. I knew that I could take it much, much hotter, so I felt a great sense of relief.
I’m really looking forward to SinoSoul’s Jitlada dinner now. First of all, he’s promised that he won’t intentionally try to scorch my palate, and second of all… I’m certain that I’ll have chef Tui and sweet Sugar watching over me. With over 300 items available (they don’t all fit on the menu), you can bet I’ll be returning again and again!
What we ate (and loved):
Kung Phae Chup Khreuang Thawt : Deep-fried Shrimp with Crispy Tea Leaves
Sup Hang Wua : Mild, Southern Thai-style Oxtail Soup
Kaeng Hawy Bai Cha-Phluu : Spicy, Turmeric-seasoned Curry with Baby Clam and Wild Tea Leaves
Fish ball Stuffed with Salted Duck Egg in Green Curry.
Coconut Mango Salad (recommended by Sugar)
Obey the sign! It’s SO WORTH IT!
All my favorite Jitlada dishes (so far) on Flickr
Jitlada
5233 1/2 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 663-3104
Website
Dining Date: 4/10/09
Mentioned Above:
Jitlada article excerpt from Gourmet:
“Then, in 2006, the restaurant changed hands again. The new owners were Sarintip “Jazz” Singsanong and her brother Suthiporn “Tui” Sungkamee, two of 12 siblings from the ancient province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border—also the home province, coincidentally, of Jitlada’s previous owners. Singsanong, the first of her family to immigrate to the U.S.—she arrived in 1979 with the proverbial (as she says) “two hundred dollars and one suitcase”—had studied hotel management in Bangkok. She enrolled at L.A. City College to learn English and found part-time jobs in local restaurants before landing a job at the Biltmore Hotel. Little by little, she brought her family over, and she and Tui, who owned four restaurants in Thailand, began working with another brother, John, at a Thai restaurant in Westwood called Emporium, which is still in business. “We couldn’t really do authentic home cooking there,” says Singsanong, “because our customers didn’t like things too spicy.” Her dream was to have a restaurant that could and that would offer Tui a showcase for his talents. When Jitlada became available, they took it over.” Full Article here
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Filed under Eating Out
My friend Laur invited me to lunch yesterday and suggested we go to Sri Siam Café, our favorite, local Thai joint. She wanted me to meet her niece Sherry, an intensive care nurse visiting from Chicago. I was totally fascinated with all of her exciting hospital stories, especially about the time she got to hold someone’s lungs during surgery (she said they felt “spongy”). Obviously it wouldn’t be appropriate lunch conversation for everyone, but for three gals with iron stomachs (sitting there filling ourselves with fiery Thai goodness), it was perfectly lovely.
I ordered the Spicy Basil Seafood with pan-fried Squid, Mussels, Shrimp, Sole, Peppers and Chilies. The dish came with rice and an eggroll and is not on the regular menu. Look for it on the “All Day Special” menu. $11.50
Sherry ordered the Succulent Grilled Chicken over Egg Noodles. $5.95 (#91 on the regular menu)
Laur ordered the Panang Chicken cooked with Red Peanut Curry Paste and Coconut Milk. $6.95 (#66 on the regular menu)
Beautiful Thai Chili Sauce on the table
On each visit I’m trying to taste a new dish, but the one thing I have to order EVERY time is the Crispy Rice Salad with Sour Sausage (Nam). It’s tangy, spicy deliciousness!
Sri Siam has over 100 dishes listed on the regular menu, plus ten dishes on the “Specials” menu. If none of those delights interest you, then you can always check out the “Off Menu” items listed here (you may need some help with the translation).
Sri Siam Café
12843 Vanowen St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
818 892-6262
All my Sri Siam Photos on Flickr
Sri Siam Café Website
Dining Date: 2/26/09 (Visit #4)
Filed under Eating Out
I’ve never been to Noodle World in Alhambra, but just read a terrific article about it in the L.A. Times. The article warmed my heart so much that I decided to add a link.
Excerpt: A chubby, hamburger-toting diner statue in an Asian restaurant? For Thai American owner John Mekpongsatorn, it’s a perfect symbol of the Southern California melting pot he wants his chain to reflect.
I moved from Okinawa to Los Angeles when I was 8-years old and I remember going to Bob’s Big Boy with my grandfather… and feeling very proud to be an “American”.
Now I can’t wait to visit Noodle World and feel proud to be an Asian/American!
Noodle World
700 W. Valley Blvd.,
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 293-8800
http://www.noodleworld.com
Filed under Eating Out