special pad thai includes lots more toppingsI'm trying to work my way through the amazing Thai restaurants of North Hollywood, and although Josh had a good report on Bua Siam, Krua Thai was next on my list. Krua was kind of disappointing, though. The cold, tile-floored room kind of reminded me of a remodeled Taco Bell, and the waitstaff seemed rather bored. The now-famous Pad thai Krua Thai, proclaimed by Jonathan Gold as the "best in L.A," was certainly better than an average pad thai, with lots of ground chicken and various other toppings. But there was a bit too much greasy chicken and the sweet tamarind sauce didn't offer much variation in flavors, unlike the special pad thai I had at a now-closed place on Sunset. Fortunately the Tom yum kai soup with chicken was quite a good version, with a touch of heat and a jolt of sourness livening up the chicken and mushrooms. Papaya salad was full of fiery flavor but seemed a bit tired, like they made it all at once a while ago. Maybe we didn't get to sample enough dishes at Krua Thai, but what we tried seemed no better than most Thai Town joints, certainly not worth a trip to the Valley. Or maybe it was just that we had come from a screening of "Revolutionary Road," which is sure to leave you with a slightly bad taste all afternoon. Did we miss any great dishes there?
Verdict: Food: two stars out of four
Atmosphere: Indifferent
Value: Good
Krua Thai
13130 Sherman Way
North Hollywood
818-759-7998
3 comments:
Wow, I am sorry their pad thai did not work for you - usually it is spectacular!
Their eggplant with ground chicken is light and very very flavorful. Their green curry is also very good. And their angel wings are a big step above most places.
While we haven't been in a while, our past routine has been to drive over, get $25 of dishes to go, and eat well for days!
Head straight to Norwalk and Renu Nakorn. Better than any of the Sherman Way joints, and classier as well, meaning clean and new!
I do it from sherman oaks!
I think you owe Krua a return visit. I almost always order larb. I prefer the duck, but the pork is good too. I think it was pork... chicken? Anyone? Well it wasn't fish cakes...
I also really like their oxtail soup.
Sorry it was mediocre. I agree their service is noncommittal at best. But give it another go, sans movie. Their food is great.
Post a Comment