Holy Basil's Atwater Village spot is a vibrant celebration of Thai comfort food with inventive dishes like wagyu gra pow and Dungeness crab fried rice that keep the flavor fireworks coming.
"Holy Basil's tiny sit-down spot in an Atwater Village alleyway is the rare sequel that's even better than the original. Wagyu grapow packs the same savory heat and crispy pork belly boasts the same potato-chip skin as at their DTLA takeout window, but its Atwater-exclusive dishes like wild shrimp agua chile and seared beef tataki steal the spotlight. Lunch service is relatively mellow, but plan on makeing a reservation for dinner: the dining room fills up fast and you'll usually find some fun nightly specials like crispy wonton nachos. Tight quarters aside, the Thai cooking here is so special we’d happily wolf it down in an actual shoebox." - brant cox, arden shore, garrett snyder, sylvio martins
"With Holy Basil’s Atwater Village spot comes a larger space to enjoy the same hits from the Downtown location: Instagram-worthy beef tataki sprinkled with toasted rice powder and a puckery chile sauce, a nostalgic ode to chef Deau Arpapornnopparat’s grandma in the form of fried barramundi and lime-kissed rice, and wild shrimp curry loaded with fluffy egg curds. There still isn’t a ton of space to dine on site, so expect to wait during the busy hours. The eclectic wine menu also remains. Expect Holy Basil to expand to Santa Monica later in 2025." - Kat Thompson
"One of LA’s most exciting new Thai restaurants that first opened in Downtown during the pandemic, this second outpost in Holy Basil is more fully realized, with an open kitchen and smattering of tables inside and out that’s clearly insufficient for the demand. Founded by Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat and Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon, expect a calvacade of spicy, tangy, sweet, and savory flavors in crispy rice salad or crispy pork moo krob. Wagyu gra pow topped with a fried egg makes for a terrific lunch while pad see ew gets all the flavors of a searing hot wok with tossed Chinese broccoli and vermicelli noodles. If you can swing more rice in the meal, get the Dungness crab fried rice and thank us later." - Matthew Kang
"Holy Basil's tiny sit-down spot off Glendale Blvd. is the rare sequel that's even better than the original. Wagyu grapow packs the same savory heat and crispy pork belly boasts the same potato-chip skin as at their DTLA takeout window, but its Atwater-exclusive dishes like wild shrimp agua chile and seared beef tataki steal the spotlight. Lunch service is relatively mellow, but plan on making a reservation for dinner: the dining room fills up fast and you'll usually find some fun nightly specials like crispy wonton nachos. Tight quarters aside, the Thai cooking here is so special we’d happily wolf it down in an actual shoebox. " - arden shore, sylvio martins, brant cox
"DTLA’s best Thai takeout window has arrived in Atwater Village. At Holy Basil's tiny new sit-down spot, wagyu grapow packs the same heat and crispy pork belly has the same potato-chip skin as at the original, but it's the new seafood options that steal the spotlight. Dishes like spicy-sweet grilled prawns, tart snapper ceviche, and papaya salad sprinkled with fried fish croutons are so flavorful we’d wade across the LA River for them, storm surge or not. We especially love the mussels in a dreamy coconut milk broth punched up with garlic, lime, and a big bouquet of lemongrass. Holy Basil is only taking walk-ins while in soft open mode, so to avoid the longest lines, head in during lunch or right when they open for dinner. " - nikko duren, brant cox, sylvio martins
