Kruang Tedd

"“Kruang Tedd was the hot spot for the Thai community before the pandemic for drinks and live music,” says Pattana. On a recent Friday night, Thai singer and Academy Fantasia star Pongsak Rattanapong gave a mini-concert to an enthusiastic crowd. Jessica Oungjitpisan, the restaurant’s owner, opened the restaurant so that people from the community would have a place to meet up and talk closer than Koreatown or Little Tokyo. You might even get a bit starstruck catching her at the cash register after having seen her emotional Check-In episode, where she weeps in gratitude over how important her friends and business partners were in keeping Kruang Tedd afloat during the past two years. In the episode, Oungjitpisan talks about pivoting to moo ka ta (Thai-style Korean barbecue) and Thai-style shabu-shabu when outdoor dining was the only option. She added a breakfast menu to make up for the loss of late-night tropical-themed soju cocktails, buckets of Chang beer, icy Blue Hawaiis, and blended slushies that she normally sells. Kruang Tedd has an extensive food menu that includes Muslim-Thai khoa mok gai (a Thai riff on biryani). Oungjitpisan recommends the special khao mun gai, a Thai version of Hainan chicken rice that combines poached and fried chicken, served with prik nam pla (spicy fish sauce), nam jim gai (sweet chile sauce), and their “American” fried rice. It’s a fun Thai tribute to Americana: ketchup, chicken wings, and grilled hot dogs as sides to a dome-shaped portion of fried rice with a sunny side egg on top that’s perfect for kids — and maybe adults that can’t handle spicy food." - Bill Esparza