Jitlada
I’m admittedly twenty years behind on the Jitlada bandwagon. However, keep in mind that for half of the eight years I’ve been in Los Angeles, I lived five-hundred feet from the Taco Bell where all the Persian teenagers from Beverly Hills High School get their nacho cheese chalupa fix. So sue me if authentic southern Thai cuisine wasn’t exactly in the forefront of my consciousness.
For the few remaining uninitiated Thai food-lovers: Jitlada is one of the best Thai restaurants in L.A. It’s that simple. Skip the caucasian-friendly photography in the front of the menu and scan the fine print on the two pages in the back. The green, golf ball-sized mussels in spicy lemongrass broth are a must-have, as is the spicy mango salad. As a huge fishball fan, I took special pleasure in the fishball-encased egg yolks in a light green curry broth. Fantastic. The spicy soft shell crab provided the necessary textural changeup to an otherwise curry & broth-heavy meal.
The food here is generally spicy, ok? Pull up your skirt and deal with it. Spice is a crucial component to the flavor here, but it’s honestly not anything worse than a typical Korean soondubu house (full disclosure: I did not order the mega-spicy kua kling phat tha lung, a redonkulously spicy beef curry that awaits my next trip). We spotted Sam Rockwell leaving the premises with a satisfied look on his face, with nary a drop of sweat on his brow. If the fair complexion of Sam Rockwell can take the spice, so can you. - H. Lee
Jitlada Thai Restaurant, 5233 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027, (323) 663-3104
