Jitlada, Los Angeles Southern Thai Cuisine Review

Sometimes in life and in food, the things that are best for you maybe so close to you, that you fail to recognize it. Such is the case with Jitlada, the southern Thai specialty restaurant located less than a mile of where I've been living  in LA for the past year but wasn't able to experience until recently. Bonded by more then just the common love of food and blogging, but also friendship, I met up with Cathy and Vern of Gastronomy and Stellar Recipes, Mike of Pepsi Monster, Bill of Street Gourmet LA, and Danny of Kung Food Panda to enjoy a great southern Thai meal and dishes that I've never had before in any traditional Thai restaurant.  The dishes below encapsulate that meal as as another visit with Kim.

The New Zealand green lip mussels in a fragrant broth of lemongrass, dried chili, and basil is a must order. The mussels are large, plump and juicy and the broth could be separate dish in itself--great with some jasmine rice.

The spicy soft shell crab was lightly breaded and crispy and came with a bevy of interesting veggies such as small round Thai eggplant.  This dish had a delayed type of heat that really hit you a few minutes after eating it.

Spicy shrimp curry was delicious and became a fantastic topping in our lavish pizza!

The famous "Fish Kidney" curry listed on Jonathon Gold's 99 Things to Eat Before You Die.  Jazz Singsanong,  the driving force behind the restaurant explained that kidney's aren't in the dish at all, but that what the Thai's called kidney fish was translated to fish kidney.  It looked like some sort of smelt and was the first time I've had fish in a curry. This was spicy and funky--but in a good way!

Minced fried catfish is interesting texture-wise but the taste of catfish was was lost as the bits tended to be small.

Fish ball soup, whose name just invites giggles and jokes, is nothing to laugh it. Fish paste stuffed with duck egg bathed in a light curry.  This dish just blew all of us away with the execution as well as the flavor.

The coconut, lotus, and red snapper soup was amazing.  This soup was so delicate and well balanced and had us scrapping the bottom of the bowl quickly.

Morning glory is prepared like nothing else we've seen before in the Crispy morning glory salad. Lightly battered strands of morning glory fried and then mixed with shrimp and perfect dressing of fish sauce, lime, and chili.

The "Crying Tiger" grilled beef had a flavor similar beef jerky--strong and intense--and went great with the dipping sauce and some rice and was the only non spicy dish of the night.

Dessert consisted of a custard and kaya toast made especially for us by Jazz and covered beautifully by Cathy--so continue with the meal here. But these dishes are just the tip of the iceberg of the Southern Thai menu as new items are contstantly added.  Jitlada, you've been so close by all this time and we're so glad to have just discovered you.

Jitlada 

5233 W. Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90027

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