The Best Dishes Eater LA Editors Ate in 2024 | Eater LA
"Roasted Duck by Pa Ord, which sits in the same space as the original Pa Ord that owner Lawan Bhanduram opened more than two decades ago, is a study of a restaurant with a singular, near-obsessive focus. The namesake dish permeates all sections of the menu: served with golden grains of fried rice, submerged in soup or herbaceous green curry, studded with bright chiles and basil leaves, and nestled alongside jade noodles and sauces. Perhaps for security, diners can also order dishes with chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp, but the headliner is clearly duck, which arrives with its glistening, crackling skin smothered in a gravy-like sauce, falling apart at the touch. Chef Bob Vongfanikul, tapped by Bhanduram to open this restaurant, prepares each dish to order in the narrow space, and seats most of its visitors at the counter (a row of crispy ducks waiting to be cut hangs on a rack in its foreground). The duck special for one — sliced roasted duck, vegetables, a vinegary soy sauce with chiles, and a side dish like jade noodles or rice — is enough to serve two, which gives the place a high affordability factor, too. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager" - Eater Staff
