Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles
Thai restaurant · Los Feliz ·
Intense, rich boat noodles & tom yum in a relaxed setting
Intense, rich boat noodles & tom yum in a relaxed setting
"Once a bright street stand on Hollywood Boulevard slinging boat noodles and pandan coconut custard, this casual, award-winning Thai spot — acknowledged by the Michelin Guide — now operates from permanent digs with about a dozen tables, counter seating, and an expanded, wok-fired menu. Owner Malai Data stays steadfast about offering an unabridged taste of Thailand (no peanut butter in the pad Thai), rounding out regional appetizers like glistening Isaan sausage and steaming, chile-flecked noodle soups with two pad Thai preparations, including the old-school Anusawari loaded with dried shrimp and flavored with sweetened radish and tamarind paste. Noodles remain affordable and true to what you’d be served in Thailand: the famed boat noodles start at $8.95, with choices of pork or beef and myriad noodle shapes, and every bowl can be customized via a condiment caddy of chile vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and dried chile powder. For a spicier, tangier option, the tom yum noodle soup comes loaded with crispy pork belly cubes, peanuts, chicharrones, pork meatballs, and a fried wonton wrapper shaped like a bow. Don’t skip kanom tuay, a steamed pandan and salty coconut milk custard traditionally served alongside boat noodles, and remember the intentionally small bowls are meant to be ordered in multiples to experiment with different noodle and protein combinations. The expanded kitchen also turns out homemade sausages, sticky tamarind-glazed meatballs, wonton soup, and steamed coconut custard for dessert." - Kat Thompson
"Just a short walk from their original food stall, this restaurant's strip mall digs are simple but it's a comfortable, welcoming spot with a tempting menu to boot. As the name suggests, their specialty is noodles, particularly boat noodles with a thick, intense broth and your choice of pork or beef, noodle type, and spice level. Fret not if you can't decide, as the bowls are small and ordering two or more varieties might just be the perfect compromise. Don't skip out on their stir-fried dishes, such as the boldly spiced chili holy basil with ground pork, bell peppers, and green beans. For dessert, choose from coconut ice cream or kanom tuay, a two-layer custard featuring a green layer infused with fresh pandan leaf, and a white layer with coconut." - Michelin Inspector
"Owner Malai Data began by operating a sidewalk setup on Sunset Boulevard—tending a steaming vat of gurgling beef stock and blanching fresh noodles amid passing traffic—and in November 2023 moved into a permanent plaza on the corner of Western Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. The bowls remain steadfastly rich and savory with ample heat and textural components: a generous sprinkling of pork rinds that soak into the coconut milk and blood broth; meatballs made from scratch (obvious from their springy texture); tender, marinated meats available as beef or pork; and small, thin sen lek rice noodles chosen by the writer to keep consistency. The intentionally small bowl size (priced at $8.95) evokes the Thai tradition of sampling multiple permutations—small noodles dry, large with broth, pork vs. beef, or a switch to tom yum—and the tight portioning is part of the experience. The writer brings family: “To me, it tastes the most like home,” says her mother. With a fully outfitted kitchen after the move, the menu has expanded to include pad thai preparations (notably the pad thai Anusawari, “an old-school style with plenty of dried shrimp that’s flavored with sweetened radish and tamarind paste — ingredients popularized during less prosperous times in Thailand”), homemade sausages, sticky tamarind-glazed meatballs, wonton soup, steamed coconut custard for dessert, and the ability to slurp boat noodle soup and tom yum noodles any time of day. —Cathy Chaplin, senior editor" - Kat Thompson
"A long-running Thai Town institution known for an old-style pad thai—an example of the enduring, classic Thai dishes that remain central to LA’s Thai food reputation." - Eater Staff
"Since transitioning from street vendor to brick-and-mortar, Mai Malai serves a much bigger menu featuring crispy shrimp omelets, pad thai, and housemade Northern Thai sausage full of fragrant lemongrass. That being said, you’re still coming here for the boat noodles, which are some of the best in Los Angeles. For roughly $9, you’re served a small cup of chewy rice noodles, juicy pork meatballs, and crunchy pork rinds with an intensely sharp, spicy, and sour broth. There’s a slight offal funk swimming in this soup, too, but it's cut with fish sauce, lots of herbs, and sweet basil. Just know that when we say this soup is spicy, it ranges from mild (spicy) to Thai spicy (heart palpitations), so trust your gut." - brant cox, arden shore, garrett snyder, sylvio martins
