I’m from the Midwest. More so than that I am from Northwest Ohio and have spent the better part of the last 12 years in the center of “average America” where Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Pepsi test market their newest items/travesties. To the Midwestern palate, “Thai food” is vegetables that I like along with rice and spice – two things I certainly don’t go out of my way for, yet given the fascination with this particular type of cuisine (and its varying forms from North to Central to South) it has always been something I wanted to explore…just not in Ohio…and having heard that Jitlada, one of the most revered Thai restaurants in the United States was a mere 2-miles from where I’d be staying in Los Angeles I decided there would be no better time than now to see what the fuss was all about.
Taking into account my limited knowledge of the cuisine and customs but knowing that if I was going to try Thai food I wanted to do it somewhere that did it “right” I attempted to gather a group of local “foodies” (hate that word,) gourmands, or chowhounds through the appropriate channels and while this did indeed lead to a lot of responses most of them wanted to go elsewhere – ink, Red Medicine, Providence, or Gjelina – while only one (who also had never been) showed interest in Jitlada. Finding this a tad strange given the substantial praise but largely undeterred and happy for the company a reservation was made for noon yet having actually jogged right past the restaurant earlier that day I still managed to arrive 15 minutes late due to LA traffic.
With a single parking space left in the small lot and my dining buddy waiting at the door we exchanged hellos and entering the small restaurant were greeted by a young Asian woman who would act as hostess, server, and busser throughout the meal. Although her name was never given and her English was not strong she proved to be extremely courteous throughout the meal and likewise very efficient considering at least ten tables were occupied and she seemed to be the only server currently on duty. With waters filled and kept full throughout the afternoon the menus were next presented – an array of 200 or so numbered dishes with both traditional Thai and English names, some a bit cryptic and others a thorough list of ingredients.
Having done due diligence and read through the menu prior to my visit and additionally consulting a number of websites regarding “can’t miss” items both for beginners and those looking for a blistering hot experience my friend and I weighed our options while discussing dining in general – both in LA and abroad – and after realizing that both of us were relatively new at this we settled on mostly mild choices, 5 in total, along with a $2 surcharge bowl of white rice. With the restaurant apologizing in advance by way of signs on the wall for slow service as everything is prepared fresh I personally did not feel the wait was excessive and dishes came out as they were prepared, always one at a time, and essentially at ten to fifteen minute intervals.
Beginning first with the only dish I’d not previously targeted, a suggestion of my dining companion, “Khao Yam Songkhla rice salad in the style of Songkhla Province, with assorted vegetables and a sweet sauce” would prove to be by far the most mild of our selections but at the same time also quite delicious. Featuring an ample amount of nicely fried jasmine rice with good texture and a bit of crunch here and there I will have to admit my ignorance as to what all was in this dish but I definitely detected zucchini, purple cabbage, mango, green beans, lime juice, and coconut mixed in with the rice while the sauce was undoubtedly a sweetened fish sauce with little dried bits mixed in – fish or perhaps a crustacean I cannot really be sure – but tasty with just a bit of funk that melded well with the sweeter components of the salad.
As a second salad, this one my choice, would be perhaps the restaurant’s “signature” dish in the form of “Crispy Morning Glory Salad: Deep-Fried Chinese Watercress w/ Shrimp & Spicy House Dressing” and as good as the rice salad was this one was preferable if only for one reason – the deep fried morning glories. Less complex in terms of ingredients but more-so in terms of texture these crunchy little bites would prove surprisingly light and delicate while their pairing with dried shrimp, fresh shrimp, carrots, cabbage, red onions, and a slightly sweet sauce with a bit of heat on the finish was a perfect match. With portions ample I was happy that although each salad rested on the table throughout our meal both proved quite delicious even as they cooled and also provided a nice refresher between the upcoming spicier courses.
Moving next to the Plaa Pear, or fried red snapper fish fillets with dried coconut and curry sauce topped with crispy basil, my appreciation for Thai food increased approximately ten fold; why on earth is no other culture that I’ve experienced routinely breading and frying basil? I mean, sure the fish was good – light, moist, and flaky as snapper should be with just a touch of smooth sweetness from the coconut, but the savory basil was absolutely where it was at in this dish. Literally swooning with each bite of my favorite spice rediscovered in a whole new light as an herbaceous near-liquid filling inside the crispy breading I did try a bit of the curry sauce at first, but finding this complex blend quite hot I opted to save it for the fish while enjoying the basil separately and found a good ratio to be a bite of fish with a bit of curry followed by two bites of basil.
As we were enjoying the snapper (or basil, your choice) the next dish to arrive would be ordered both out of personal preference/necessity and because it was listed as one of the chef’s specials – the Crispy Honey Duck. Admittedly pricey at $24 for what was essentially half a duck served with only some garnishing vegetables, curry sauce, and plum sauce with a bit of a kick I have to say that overall I felt this dish was a bit of a disappointment considering the cost and “special” status, but with the skin lacquered and crisp while the meat remained tender and moist it was a respectable and tasty preparation – just not something I’d order again as I’ve had duck that was both cheaper (and much more expensive) that was better.
With the table now getting cluttered until we finished off the two salads the final two plates to arrive would be a large mound of white rice accompanied by “Kaeng Khaew Wan Khai Mang-Kon,” or ‘Dragon Eggs’ with green curry with zucchini, bamboo, and salted egg-yolk-stuffed fish balls. Additionally sporting chopped peas, beans, carrots, peppers, and lemongrass this yellow-green preparation smelled wonderful with notes of garlic, basil, coriander, and cumin all notable along with what I can only imagine to be many others and with the salted duck eggs stuffed with moist fish meat each bite provided an entirely new experience with flavors sometimes briny, sometimes creamy, sometimes fishy, and other times simply heated and vegetal all with just a bit of sweetness and the smoothness of coconut. Avoiding the rice and focusing on the broth I will note I went through a couple glasses of water with this even though it really wasn’t THAT hot, and when it was all said and done the bowl was clean – as was every other plate on the table save for the rice.
With the meal having taken longer than expected and my friend unfortunately having to return to work it was with some regret that we declined dessert, instead opting for admittedly tasty take out options from Bhan Kanom and with the check delivered we opted to split the bill down the middle – an admittedly pricey sum of nearly $45/pp after tax and tip before making it to the streets. With the price point of Jitlada having been the primary reason that many people cited for not wanting to meet up for lunch there I have to say that all things being equal I certainly had not intended to spend that much walking in the door, but at the same time for a premium Thai experience with excellent ingredients I cannot say the price-point was that far off from what I’d spent at Gjelina or AOC in days prior. Still no expert on great versus good versus bad Thai all I can really do is compare Jitlada to any other “restaurant experience” and using that criteria I really enjoyed it and found the food, company, and afternoon well spent – I’d definitely go back or be happy to have someone show me someplace producing the same quality at a lower price.