Holy Basil Market
Restaurant · Atwater Village ·
Thai comfort food, wagyu, and unique seafood dishes
Thai comfort food, wagyu, and unique seafood dishes
"Bangkok street food–inspired cooking here pulls no punches: it’s spicy, electrifyingly sour, and viscerally vibrant. Every table seems to have an order of the beef tataki — thin slices of angus beef in a sharp chile-lime sauce with toasted rice powder, chopped shallots, and green onions — while Grandma’s fish and rice, a deceptively simple, nostalgic bowl of fried barramundi smashed and tossed with rice and lime-laced fish sauce, is a sleeper hit. The khao soi swaps in bouncy paccheri for noodles for a refreshingly unique fusion take, and the kaeng karee shrimp, made from homemade yellow curry paste, packs big flavor without unnecessary heat (great for anyone avoiding too much chile, even kids). The Atwater Village space is small and casual with bar seating and just a few tables, yet it still feels date-night worthy; full service runs all day whether you’re at the counter, one of four indoor tables, or on the patio. On Mondays there’s an if-you-know-you-know Holy burger with double smashed wagyu patties, melted cheese, wavy pickle chips, and fried Thai basil. Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat and partner Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon channel unabashedly bold Thai cooking, and this second location borrows a core menu of curries, noodles, and rice dishes — plus seafood specialties — from the original Downtown spot." - Kat Thompson
"“It’s a Thai restaurant, but it has dishes you don’t often see in Thai restaurants [in LA]. I love that there’s a lot of outside seating and stools, as you would at a stall in Thailand. So the spirit is there, and [the food], oh my gosh, is so good and creative. I love the prawn aguachile appetizer and panang short ribs.”" - brant cox
"Chef Deau Arpapornnopparat’s bright, zingy Thai cooking includes a crispy rice salad comprised of crisped curry rice, local lettuces, makrut, peanuts, edamame, ginger, sliced shallots, and a limey fish sauce dressing; the salad has both cooling and warming qualities (the latter from its spices), serves as a great complement to other plates such as gra pow moo krob, the fried "Holy wings," or wild shrimp curry, and is substantial enough to hold its own if you’re after something lighter — Nicole Adlman urges not to leave this salad off your next lunch order." - Eater Staff
"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