After a long day moving out of my apartment, I am no longer a Los Angeles resident. And I'm not sure how to feel about it. To delve into the complicated love-hate relationship I have with L.A. would require numerous posts, and I'm not about to bore you with the dribble of college student whining about the smog and traffic. Or ranting about the trendy cuisine—from the inane gourmet burger debate to rooter-to-tooter eating to culinary elite's gastrointestinal assault on America (thank you Bon Appetit). I would only be speaking to the choir by crafting a Los Angeles pros/cons list. But I will sum it up by saying how proud I am to be a Trojan.
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| Move-in Day, Freshman Year 2009 |
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| Graduation Day, 2013 |
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| Gimmelwald, Switzerland |
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| Hiking in Will Rogers State Park |
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| House Divided |
The only thing keeping me from plopping down and watching The Newsroom right now is my keenness to share my love of noodles. I speak, of course, of what is arguably Thailand's most valuable culinary export—don't get your panties in a twist, America, when I say it's NOT pad thai shrimp. Or pad thai chicken. It's Pad Kee Mow Kai, commonly known in Thai restaurants as Drunken Noodles. I, like so many of you out there, am a creature of habit. Drunken Noodles are my habit, and I definitely turn into a fiendish creature when I am shoveling them in my mouth. To summarize the lore surrounding this divine dish: it's name is attributed to its purported efficacy as a hangover cure. Key features here: flat rice noodles, copious amounts of thai basil (sure, you can substitute the Italian stuff and it will be great...just not AS great), and oyster sauce (don't get freaked out—it's used in dishes you probably eat already, so get over it and accept how it makes every asian dish better). Later I'll provide the recipe for my best homemade version, but I have come to the sad conclusion that truly restaurant-quality stir-fried cuisine requires a high-BTU stove burner—which my current income stream of zero cannot afford me at the moment.
My quest for the best D-Noodle, as my girlfriend and I refer to it in private (and now, in public I guess...whoops), began when she introduced me to Thai food 6 years ago. I know what you're thinking. How did he go 16 years on this earth without tasting Thai food?! I get it, I'm a failure, I live under a rock, blah blah blah.
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| This mouth-watering creation courtesy of Jet Tila's Wazuzu, at the Encore in Las Vegas. Haven't tried his version yet...some day, though....some day.... |
To make a long story short, I have spent the past six years on the hunt for the best Pad Kee Mow Kai. And although my search continues, I am here to share my updates and recommendations with you.
I don't want to launch into a description of each version from every restaurant I've tried. Perhaps there are food writers out there who can discern and articulate the subtle variations on this flavor profile (droppin' the culinary buzzwords like a champ), but I am not one of them. I will merely list my favorites and give a brief description.
1) Lotus of Siam (Las Vegas, NV—website here): Granted, I strayed from my usual "drunken noodle with chicken" and opted for the more indulgent "crispy duck drunken noodle," but substitute any protein and it would be the run-away winner. Simply put, I dream of this. It's off the strip in a funky little strip mall, but ABSOLUTELY worth it!
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| Unfortunately, what happened in Vegas...is still in Vegas and not in my kitchen right now. |
2) Thai Corner Express (Los Angeles, CA—website here): ATTENTION USC STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF! For those who aren't aware of Mercado la Paloma, it's the building with the big mural across from the DMV (just east of the 110 freeway). Most who already DO know this place probably flock to Chichen Itza for its cochinita pibil. If you haven't tried it, make sure you do, but only AFTER you've tried the D-Noodle at Thai Corner Express. I've celebrated completing almost every final exam in college with a piping hot plate of noodles here. I even spent my last birthday eating here by myself (it sounds pathetic, but I was sick, I had just finished a midterm, it was a Wednesday, and I didn't actually want to hang out with anyone—I just wanted some noodles and some me-time). Priced at $7.50 (nearly half that anywhere else), it's a hefty bargain. It's consistently incredible. The owner of Thai Corner, Lisa, is a sweetheart and the Mercado is just an oasis in the neighborhood around USC. I've tried almost everything on their menu, but I won't make any further recommendations ONLY because I lack comparisons to other Thai restaurant dishes (but everything I have tried is delicious, minus the spring rolls). Sorry for the yelp review here, but I hope you get a chance to try this one!
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| Hits the spot each and every time |
3-tie) Jitlada (Los Angeles, CA—website here): Although Jonathan Gold touts the green mussels, I don't care for shellfish, so I ordered my "usual." Located in Thai Town in LA, this one is amazing.
3-tie) Thai Bros (Laguna Beach, CA—website here): Best in Laguna Beach. Now, I must admit I have an emotional attachment to this place, as this is where my girlfriend and I go for our anniversary every year (though we do not limit our visits to once a year...it's more like once every two weeks). Objectively though, Thai Bros consistently delivers a spicy, delicious drunken noodle. They have other standouts on the menu too: Pavilion Rice (can't go wrong here—generous with the Chinese sausage!), Ginger Scallops, Garlic Tofu, and Orange Roughy (I tried this before I knew about its being overfished and having high mercury levels...darn, it was SO good). Given the countless times I've eaten here, I should have a picture of this one, but the restaurant has dark lighting and I'm not keen on being that guy who lights up the place with his flash. Besides, I'm usually distracted by my gorgeous date!
4) Laguna Thai by the Sea (Laguna Beach, CA—website): Delicious drunken noodle and probably the coolest vibe of all the restaurants on this list, in my opinion. Also, this one is the spiciest version I've tried, so beware and if you're sensitive to heat, just ask them to tone it down for you.
5) Thai This (Dana Point, CA—yelp site): Although the drunken noodle is good, it doesn't quite measure up to the rest on this list. I included it here pretty much so that I could tell you to order the American Fried Rice. It comes with some delicious slices of fried chicken that casts this fried rice into a different stratosphere. Also has a nice ambiance about the place.
So there you have it folks! I will be sure to update my search for noodle nirvana as I remember to take photos and as I make my way to more Thai restaurants. I find it fitting that on my last day technically living in LA, my dad and I parked the budget truck and devoured a hot-off-the-wok plate of pad kee mow kai before heading home. It's rare that I am able to share a plate of these noodles, but I had no problem doing so with my honorary Trojan (see image below)—sharing both the food and a moment that marks the end of a one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Who knows, maybe I'll be back in LA for dental school next year!
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| In his dreams...seriously though, I'm pretty sure he dreams about this moment. |
It's a bit late, but I'll post MY recipe for drunken noodles tomorrow some time. I'll leave you with a song I wrote for my mom this year for Mother's Day. It's called, Over the Falls, and I hope you guys like it!
-Graham
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