Met some friends here for dinner…so sorry, no photos.
I did not love the bone marrow here. It was not seasoned enough while it was topped with a minced ginger and scallion oil.
Oxtail dumplings were fun. The sauce/soup was really flavorful.
Garlic prawns are their tribute to LoS. Crispy shells still attached to the meat…but way too coated with potato starch or whatever starch they use. Crispy like a potato chip and tastes good, but the heavy coating of starch is a touch off putting. I’m likely biased because I’ve had LoS in Vegas.
Their coconut lychee panna cotta was stiff as a board, so while it might taste good, the texture was all off.
The food comes at you fast and furious…or maybe it was because our reservation was earlier in the evening and it was less busy. We had so many dishes on the table that it felt like we were running out of room.
Service might have been a touch too attentive since they kept asking us if we wanted to order more.
Ladies & Gentlemen (Pasadena)
Off to a speakeasy a block and a half away.
The vibe was chill and the music is toned-down EDM so folks can chat while they enjoy a cocktail tasting menu. It’s $75 for 3 drinks that you select off the menu. It can be shared with another person.
Not gonna lie, the cocktails are a touch on the strong side. They are definitely trying to hit the IG/TikTok influence crowd based on the way they present drinks.
There are snacks and mocktails, too.
We just appreciated a relaxed place for a nightcap.
Seriously this has to be the best pad see ew in the whole damn country. Only at the Silom market location for some reason the Smorgasburg location doesn’t hit. The ambiance is better too but the parking is such a pain in the ass.
News in Thailand Plaza (Ruen Pair, Bhan Kanom Thai).
Pa Ord is closed and the space was bought out by Bhan Kanom Thai. It is now called Thai Central Cuisine. They have takeout rice and curry (khao gaeng) as well as central dishes . Come early for the rice and curry.
KATZ and Bonnie’s from NYC. Swan Oyster Depot from SF. Part of the charm is sitting on that counter at Swan Oyster. Also Kato, Villa’s, Holbox, wow. These food festivals are generally a disappointment right? Fun, yes.
Tried Thai Central Cuisine tonight for the pad kra pao. Kind of a dud - too sweet, egg was fried over hard, rice was a wet clump, but most crucially, there were maybe 3 small leaves of holy basil in the whole thing. The search continues for good pad kra pao in Thai Town!
