The best Thai restaurants in Los Angeles

What would a Thai restaurant list for Los Angeles be without Jitlada? With endless celebrity photos and “best of” lists on the walls, chef Jazz Singsanong’s strip mall joint in Thai Town is one of the city’s cult favorites. The crispy morning glory salad is an obligatory dish—a flavorful mix of crunchy, deep-fried Chinese watercress, plump shrimp, red onions, cilantro, red cabbage and bell peppers marinated in the spicy house dressing. If perusing the lengthy menu leaves you feeling dazed and confused, the crying tiger pork and green mussel curry are good places to start on the extensive list of fiery Southern Thai specialties. Pro-tip: Arrive on the earlier side of the evening to avoid a long wait.

This funky East Hollywood restaurant run by two Thai American immigrant women serves classics and dishes made from the recipes of a nonagenarian Thai grandmother. Enough said. If that hasn’t already convinced you, here’s a little more info: Though the setting is no-frills, we think it’s just all the better to set the stage for some serious Southern Thai heat. The Phuket-style crab curry Kanomjean is the move here, with whole claws and legs shooting up from a thick, spice-sludgy mix to be enjoyed with rice noodles and plenty of herbaceous accoutrements. For people with a lower tolerance for capsaicin, try their elegant jade noodles topped with fish balls, roast duck and red barbecue pork.

The Santee Passage food court probably isn’t where you’d expect to find some of the most delicious, unapologetically spicy Thai food in Los Angeles, but that’s exactly where you’ll find Downtown’s Holy Basil. Using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat and partner Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon regularly inspire revelations in Southeast Asian flavor and spice with their version of takeout favorites like pad kee mao and green curry. A second Atwater Village outpost with limited seating offers an expanded menu full of chef-driven dishes like grandma's fish and rice, shrimp aguachile and nam tok-style beef tataki.

Angelenos rhapsodize about this Thai Town staple with a fervor that borders on obsession. While no longer around the clock (Ruen Pair now closes at a modest 11pm), the enticing central Thai menu is full of beer-friendly, shareable plates like fish cake pad ka prow, spongy, light rounds sautéed in basil leaves and vibrant chilies, which justifies a visit on its own. Stir-fry with Chinese olive and ground pork is served with crispy bits of flavorful meat and fresh garlic paired alongside a bowl of steaming rice. Another must order: the fried egg with salted turnip. On our visit, the simple omelette shined when paired with a side of white rice and a glass of frosty beer.

Everything—truly everything—is sinus-clearing, flavor-filled and worth an order at Thai Town’s Northern Thai Food Club, but the tiny five-table restaurant’s khao soi is the platonic ideal of this popular Southeast Asian curry noodle dish, and at only $10.99 with all the bells and whistles, it happens to be one of the city’s best under $15 deals. While you’re there, don’t neglect the spicy pork sausage and the spicy jackfruit salad, both brimming with fresh herbs. If you’re at a loss, feel free to ask for recommendations from the always-friendly chef-owner, “Nancy” Amphai Dunne, who’s happy to find dishes within your spice level tolerance.

No, this isn’t just another coffee shop. Sapp Coffee Shop is a straight-up Thai food heaven, serving some of the best Thai boat noodles in L.A. Funky, fragrant and piping hot, the offal-laced soup makes this tiny Thai Town spot destination-worthy in and of itself. The jade noodles are another coveted item, while the Thai iced coffee is, of course, a no-brainer. In truth, however, you won’t find a single miss on the menu, so order whatever catches your fancy—you won’t be disappointed.

Fame has changed this second-generation Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks, where James Beard award-winning chef Justin Pichetrungsi holds court over Anajak’s infamously busy Thai Taco Tuesdays (where, on a good day, you’ll wait only a hour to be seated—unless you’re a celebrity, of course), plus an à la carte dinner service full of seasonality and nuanced flavor. Lately, it’s become easier to snag seats at Pichetrungsi’s occasional omakase nights (next scheduled for the end of June). We found the food here generally delicious and refined, from the must-order hat yai fried chicken to the enormous river prawns with nam jim sauce. The customer service and consistency of the kitchen has also improved in recent months. Would we show up at 4pm for it, though, or resort to booking a table through Dorsia for a $95 per head minimum? Probably not, but if you do manage to get a table, you’ll have an excellent meal.

One of the oldest Thai restaurants in town, Chao Krung has provided delicious, everyday fare since 1976. Now in the care of second-generation chef Amanda Kuntee, a tighter menu has placed small plates and curries front and center, including a tasty hai todd (crispy mussel pancake) and a deeply aromatic jungle curry thick with vegetables and holy basil. The Mid-City staple’s revamped digs have also made it a great option for a casual weekday date or cozy weekend in, and the newer line-up of seasonal specials, like a Northern Thai isaan sausage, is wooing a whole new generation of L.A. diners.

The word’s finally out about Spicy Sugar, the best Thai restaurant in L.A. you haven’t heard of yet. Located in a former Mid-City diner, the restaurant is far from the congested streets of Thai Town and offers a fiery Isaan-style menu worth going out of the way for. Service can be slow at times and the restaurant is quite small, but it’s worth the wait for delicacies like somtum tad, a family-style platter built around a phenomenal papaya salad. Intersperse bites of salad with crispy pork, boiled eggs, rice noodles, fried fish, shrimp and pork sausage, and you’ve got yourself a flavorful meal for two. While you could easily fill up on somtum tad alone, you’d be missing out on the exemplary larbs, including a crispy duck version and pork jowl namtok, and the seafood dishes. First-timers should order the miang pla pao, a whole grilled (or fried) tilapia served with rice noodles, lettuce, fresh herbs, various aromatics and not one, but two dipping sauces. For a warm, light meal, order the jim jum, or Thai hot pot, which uses a lemongrass-rich broth as a base for vegetables, meats and mixed seafood.

After starting off as a Thai Town weekend pop-up, Malai Data’s amazing boat noodle soup has found a permanent home just five minutes’ walk from its original location. Step into the bare-bones space for $9 bowls of the best boat noodle soup we’ve ever had. Bits of carefully prepared green onions, pork cracklings, bean sprouts, meatballs and your choice of mixed pork or beef offal arrive in each traditionally small bowl—so order two, or even three, if you’re feeling extra hungry. There’s also larger $15 bowls of tom yum noodle soup and an expanded menu that includes pad thai, krapow and housemade Isaan-style sour sausage. For dessert, order the kanom tuay; the delicate steamed pandan-coconut custards are the perfect way to cap off an affordable meal here.

This takeout-friendly Thai Town spot specializes in Thai-style Hainan chicken, which includes a warm, comforting bowl of clear broth on the side and flavorful garlic fried rice. Dipped into the homemade chili fish sauce and sprinkled with the chopped ginger available at each table, it's worth savoring each delicious bite. To jazz up your order, you can also order a mix of steamed and fried chicken. We also love the zabb crispy rice—a flavorful mix of rice powder, red onions and your choice of protein (fish, chicken, or pork). 

The homestyle cooking of this late-night joint in Thai Town and North Hollywood attracts traditionalists citywide. You won’t find fusion or overly sweet noodles at Sanamluang Café—only some of the best Asian comfort food (and slightly intimidating waitresses). Start with the classic tom kha kai, a spicy coconut soup with plump chicken, mushrooms, lemongrass, lime juice and fresh chili for a refreshing starter. Then take a menu detour with the khao pad krapow gai, a satisfying and fiery chicken-basil-rice stir-fry topped with an optional egg, and khana moo grob: This crispy and juicy chunks of pork paired with broth-wilted Chinese broccoli is a must. Wear relaxed clothing and dig in.

Run by the couple behind Ruen Pair next door, this new fusion-style dessert shop in Thai Town serves creamy, not-too-sweet gelato in Asian flavors like candle-smoked salted egg yolk, butterfly pea coconut, tamarind and durian. While you can’t go wrong with a scoop of the Thai iced coffee or Thai tea, our favorite of the bunch is the pandan milk, which offers the lightly grassy, vanilla-like Southeast Asian flavor entombed in a sweet, creamy gelato. For a quirky, ultra-carby treat, order your ice cream wrapped in a Thai-style kanom pang—a hot dog bun topped with coconut jelly, sweet corn, sticky rice, grass jelly and palm seeds. If you manage to grab a table within the tiny, usually crowded shop, we recommend take advantage of the extra surface area by ordering one of the Korean bingsu-inspired shaved iced desserts or one of the custard toasts, both of which come topped with gelato.

When the original Night + Market arrived in West Hollywood, diners were struck by chef Kris Yenbamroong’s bold, salt-forward flavors and heat levels that could melt your tongue. Now with locations in Silver Lake, Marina del Rey and Las Vegas, Night + Market is a veritable neon pink and orange mini-empire perfect for a lively, natural wine-filled night out on the town. Pair sticky rice with hor ab (a catfish tamale), along with some fan favorites: the “hey-ha” party wings, the pork toro (fatty pig neck), the isaan sour sausage for those who aim to prove they can eat anything. The larbs may not come out looking like they might light your mouth on fire, but they will.

For tasty Chinese doughnuts served with a side of condensed milk, gingery, ultra-silky tofu pudding and comforting bowls of Thai-style rice porridge, you can’t do much better than this longtime all-day restaurant in Thai Town. Arrive before noon and take a seat at one of the dusty pink resin-topped tables and you’ll be treated to a cozy Thai breakfast feast, the likes of which are hard to find almost anywhere else in the city. If you’re arriving later in the day (Siam Sunset opens at 6am, and doesn’t close until 10 at night), spring for the guay jub, a complex, offal-rich rice noodle soup that’s topped with slabs of crispy pork belly and the Thai-style Hainan chicken rice, which comes with an addicting spicy fish sauce. Just note that this no-frills spot is cash only.

On the far end of West Hollywood, June Intrachat's modern Thai restaurant quietly serves one of the only Thai breakfast offerings in town and an affordable, simple evening menu of traditional dishes and more creative riffs, like calamari dusted with matcha powder and served with a side of creamy sriracha sauce. Highlights of the all-day breakfast and lunch menu includes khao kai jiew (Thai ground chicken omelet) rice bowl and the "It's a Joke," Intrachat's signature rice porridge. For a Thai take on your average breakfast skillet, order the kai-kata—a delicious savory blend of fried eggs, lap cheong sausage and ground chicken topped with green onions and served with a side of sliced baguette.

Right next to Jumbo’s Clown Room, this late-night restaurant in Thai Town serves a satisfying meal whether you’re pregaming your night out with some khao mok gai (turmeric chicken rice) or stumbling out of the infamous L.A. strip club early for a bowl of warm khao soi. For a nighthawk joint, the flavor and quality of the food is amazing, including the tom yum soup and spicy stir-fried morning glory salad. A full list of wine, beer and cocktails makes for a party atmosphere most evenings, as does the nightly line-up of live music acts.

Noree Pla and Fern Kaewtathip of Luv2Eat teamed up for yet another Thai venture, but this time, they headed west. Think of Noree as Luv2Eat's older, slightly more buttoned-up cousin: The traditional Thai fare is still there—with fun dishes such as pad see ew with beef tongue—but with more composed plates, and a more refined setting spitting distance from Erewhon and the Grove.

The sister restaurant of Mid-City’s Chao Krung has a stylish new home on Sawtelle, where second-generation family chef Amanda Kuntee has expanded the menu with vegan-friendly items and Thai street food-inspired small plates. Though you’ll find the usual Thai takeout mainstays here like pad see ew and panang curry, the newer dishes in the Street Noodle and Snack sections, like the kuay tiew hang (dried noodles with crab, barbecue pork, bok choy and wontons) and drinking-oriented barbecue squid provide more than enough justification to deviate from old favorites.

This Pasadena Thai eatery offers traditional takes on standards such as papaya pok kok, a green papaya salad prepared with dried shrimp and a thick, piquant green curry rounded out with coconut milk, basil, eggplant and a choice of chicken, pork, beef or mixed vegetables. The industrial-looking eatery, not to be confused with Saladang Garden, its newer sister outpost next door, attracts a mix of local families and date-nighters. Start with delectable plates to share—such as pun klib, garlicky bombs of steamed chicken dumplings—while longingly eyeing your neighbor’s sizzling beef with peanut sauce as it arrives on a piping-hot skillet piled high with beef atop wilted spinach and sprinkled generously with crunchy cashews. End the meal with a little dining entertainment: The fried banana wrapped in coconut is dipped in rum honey and set ablaze for a dessert spectacular.