The Best Thai Boat Noodles in Los Angeles | Eater LA

"A longtime, childhood favorite located in a Sunset Boulevard strip mall, this rendition leans toward a slightly more watery soup that emphasizes abundant fresh vegetables—Chinese broccoli, water spinach, and bean sprouts—that brighten and counterbalance the richness of a pig’s-blood–fortified broth. Tripe and liver are included (the writer’s "favorite organ meat"), adding a bouncy, broth-soaking texture alongside thinly sliced beef and squeaky meatballs. Diners can doctor the bowl at a condiment caddy stocked with pickled jalapeños, Thai chiles in fish sauce, sugar, and dried chiles; the bowl delivers punchy heat and, for the writer, transports them "back to old-school Thai Town." Chef and owner Lawan Bhanduram is noted for making an intensely flavorful kway tiao ruea (Thai boat noodle soup): the pig’s blood–fortified broth is described as "dark and delicious," and diners can choose from five kinds of noodles (including wide, flat ones resembling pappardelle or thin vermicelli). Every bowl is topped with fresh herbs, thinly sliced beef, springy meatballs, and tender tripe; spicing can be adjusted, though the local calibration means ordering "mild" here can be closer to medium elsewhere. The shop’s crispy pork (khao kanah mu grob)—slicked in a sweet marinade and served with Chinese broccoli, steamed rice, and a lacy fried egg—is also recommended. —Cathy Chaplin, senior editor" - Kat Thompson