Sunday, April 6, 2008

NoHo Noodles: Krua Thai

I live near Thai Town, so I don't tend to travel for Thai food, but I've been hearing for years about the growing Thai community in North Hollywood. NoHo is to Thai Town as Monterey Park is to Chinatown, they say. Well, we'll see.

I did frequent the Wat Thai food stalls back when it was running them (how I miss the mango-sticky rice), but other than that, I stay close to home for Thai food.

I recently happened to be in the Valley and decided to try some Valley Thai, so I headed to Krua Thai, the destination restaurant for noodle lovers. I must say, I was impressed.

Since noodles are their specialty, we went all out and got three orders. Pad Thai and Pad See Ew were more moist and soupy (greasy?) than other versions I'd had, and they packed a huge flavor punch. They were both among the best versions I've had. General's Noodle was more like a Chinese noodle dish. It had thin noodles in a light broth mixed with slices of char siu pork. It was good, but didn't have the same gusto as the more traditional Thai dishes.

Papaya salad was fresh and intense with slightly larger slices of papaya than I'm used to. Deep fried beef (beef jerky on the menu) was intensely charred and served with a tangy, piquant sauce. I also enjoyed the eggplant with ground pork.

Overall, an impressive take on Thai favorites with a style distinct from a lot of the Thai Town locales I inhabit. I will undoubtedly making more trips to Thai Town North.

Krua Thai
13130 Sherman Way (west of Coldwater)
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 759-7998

No comments: