Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Thai One On: Jitlada, Home to Extreme Hot Spice
()
If you like spicy food, Jitlada is the place to go. Not only does LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold call the Southern Thai specialty restaurant "the most exciting new Thai restaurant of the year," he claims one of the dishes, the kua kling Phat Tha Lung (thick brown curry with shredded beef) "may be the spiciest food you can eat in Los Angeles."
Jitlada recently gained popularity a few months ago when a Chicago blogger came to town and helped translate the Southern Thai portion of the mostly bilingual menu. After word spread through the foodie community, scores of people began showing up to the restaurant that used to be recommended as the best back in the 70's (the current owners are new owners, so it's like a new restaurant in a sense).
There's no joking about the spice either. Just ordering Freshy Rolls, basically non-fried spring rolls, was a hot affair. Dipping the crisp vegetables into the sauce, which most restaurants serve something as a sort of sweet and sour sauce, was an explosion of flavor and hotness -- definitely a harbinger of good things to come.
Support for LAist comes from
The Southern Curry Tofu had to be tried because the menu said "you won't find this anywhere else!" And that was the truth. The thick yellow curry's spice felt full and well-rounded rather than a sharp attack on the senses. The lemongrass gave it a pungent scent and bitter taste, but addicting nonetheless. The tofu could have been firmer, but that didn't stop us from finishing off the dish.
()
Hearing about the Spicy Curry with Frog Legs and Santol Fruit, that had taste tested as well. What do you frog legs taste like? More like fish than chicken, veiny, but tender. The thigh pieces were encased in fat and lots of tiny bones. The coconut milk in the curry added texture and smoothness rather than sweetness, lingering in the background, letting the spice kick in on the tongue. Balancing the plate was the santol fruit, making the dish very likable.
But the winner of the meal was the Crispy Catfish Salad. OMG, so effing good. The catfish was somehow fluffed out so that all that remained was a nest of fried fish netting. Pretty amazing. At the bottom of the pile of fluff were little catfish nuggets resting on lettuce leaf and a mound of mango/cilantro/onion salad. A very light dish, but not a full meal by any means.
To calm your taste buds down, make sure to order some Thai Iced Tea or beer, but be warned, the spice can be so overwhelming, it may only help slightly. Still, a visit or three to Jitlada is worth the adventure down things-you've-never-tasted boulevard.
Jitlada Authentic Thai Cuisine
5233 1/2 Sunset Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-667-9809
()
Support for LAist comes from
Crispy Catfish Salad
()
Drink up, you'll need it!
()
Freshy Rolls
()
Chef Tui Sungkamee and Jazz Singsanong
Support for LAist comes from
()
Southern Curry
Special thanks to LAist contributer Carrie Meathrell for taste testing the meat dishes for this vegetarian.
Photos by Zach Behrens/LAist
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist