Southern California is home to a thriving Thai community with over 100,000 Thai residents. This region has become a hotspot for authentic Thai cuisine, allowing locals and visitors to indulge in various mouthwatering dishes without travelling to Thailand. We hope our blog can help you find 10 best Thai restaurants in Los Angeles near Southern California, offer you and your best friends a delightful culinary experience.
1. Jitlada Restaurant
Considered by many locals as the best Thai restaurant in Los Angeles, Jitlada has earned a reputation for its authentic Southern Thai cuisine. Their menu features unique dishes that are typically enjoyed by locals in the Pak Phanang region. Here are a few personal recommendations from their extensive menu:
Crispy Catfish Salad: The catfish is delightfully crispy, complemented by fresh mango.
Dungeness Crab in Garlic Sauce: A refreshing dish with a delicate garlic sauce and herbal undertones.
Jungle Pork Curry: This spicy dish features crispy pork and is a must-try for curry lovers.
Location: 5233 1/2 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027-5709
Open: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM 4:30 PM – 10:00 PM
2. Ruen Pair
For over a quarter of a century, Ruen Pair has been a star Thai food restaurant in Thai Town, Los Angeles. With its extended operating hours until midnight, it has become a preferred destination for late-night gatherings. The restaurant primarily offers cuisine inspired by the flavors of Central and Northeastern Thailand. Some standout dishes include:
Papaya Salad with Raw Crab: A refreshing and tangy salad that showcases the flavors of Thailand.
Shrimp with Spicy Thai Seafood Sauce: Succulent shrimp served with a spicy seafood sauce.
Fried Egg with Salted Turnip: A classic and satisfying dish that combines the richness of eggs with the crunch of salted turnip.
Location: 5257 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027-4912
Open: 10:30 AM – 3:30 AM
3. Rodded
This place doesn’t look like much but the food was great and amazing value. Rodded specializes in a single dish, the Stewed Duck Noodle Soup. This restaurant has gained a reputation for serving the best Thai noodle soup in all of Los Angeles. Whenever you find yourself in need of a comforting meal or stress relief, a bowl of their fragrant and warm soup will be the perfect remedy.
Location: 5623 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028-6809
Open: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
4. Palm Thai Restaurant
Known for its spiciness and authenticity, Palms Thai Restaurant is a must-visit for spice enthusiasts. Right next to Banana Bungalow in Hollywood. Super convenient for you to find. As one of the best thai restaurants in Los Angeles, which pays homage to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, as it used to have an impersonator who interacted with customers during their meals. Though the Thai Elvis impersonator has retired, a bronze statue still stands to honor this legendary performer. Must-try dish:
Flaky Trout in a Potent Plum Sauce, which offers a harmonious blend of flavors.
Lemongrass soup with coconut milk known as Tom Ka Khai was decent.
Location: 5900 Hollywood Blvd Suite B, Los Angeles, CA 90028-5410
Open: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
5. Kruang Tedd
Shrimp Donuts: three incredibly huge and delicious sweet donuts filled with shrimp, incredibly tasty! The outer shell is fried to a crispy perfection, and the filling is chewy and packed with shrimp meat.
Stir-fried Minced Pork: just this dish alone can make you devour a whole bowl of rice.
6. Ayara Thai Cuisine
You can find this restaurant on Eater LA list of recommended places to eat around LAX. If you are craving for Thai and have few hours to burn before your next flight, do a quick stop at Ayara Thai. The gluten intolerant member is able to eat here without any problems. Here are some recommended dishes:
Chicken Pad Thai: definitely made in-house and you can tell the difference
Thai Beef Jerkey；contains good protein, perfect for beef-lovers
Muai Thai Chicken wings: authentic Thai Style spicy chicken wings
Location: 6245 W 87th St, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Open: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
7. Luv2Eat Thai Bistro
Authentic spot for Thai food with bold flavors. The number one thing to try here is the Phuket Style Crab Curry Kanomjean which comes with a plate of toppings like: rice noodles, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and a boiled egg. If you’ve had Northern style Thai khao soi it’s pretty similar. We also got the Pad Kapi with crispy pork and stink beans. The crispy pork was especially crispy and the stink beans were really unique. Don’t get fooled by the appearance of the place, it’s the food that matters. When in Hollywood, give it a try. The fish cakes were superb and not too oily at all.
Pineapple Fried rice: preferred by sweet tooth
Crying Tiger Beef: The beef came out cooked really well and was both juicy and tender, and paired perfectly with the lime fish sauce!
Location: 6660 W Sunset Blvd Unit P, Los Angeles, CA 90028-7178
Open: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
8. Gindi Thai
Pricier but nice local Thai spot with solid Thai classics and some interesting sushi options. The spicy scallop and crudo were great as was the sexy salmon roll. The name is crazy but the roll itself was really fantastic. Also recommend you and your friends order old standby pad thai, pad see ew and Tom yum soup. Although the portions look initially small, they are rather deceptively generously portioned.They have a very spacious dining area and a back patio for outdoor seating. There were quite a few people eating alone working on their laptops, which may be the big appeal for this place during lunch.
Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl: which was really just okay, contains salmon, black rice, and some avocado.
Tofu Frittes, Garden Rolls and the Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice: recommended appetizers.
Location: 4017 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505-4322
Open: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM; 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
9. Toi on Sunset
One of the best Thai restaurant in Los Angeles. There is many places in the city that are rated very high but have ended up an disappointment but Toi always serve high quality food and contribute with amazing service. If you want to try something new, their server will give you suitable advise and asked if they could do anything for you. The Atmosphere is also super cool and portions are also large so you can usually share 1 dish on two people. Must try dishes:
Tom Kha Kai: chicken & coconut soup, hot & sour with mushrooms & lemongrass
Toi On Sunset Bbq Chicken: half a charbroiled chicken with thai sauce & side salad
Location: 7505 1/2 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046-3407
Open: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
10. Daisy Mint
Yummy. One word to describe this Thai food restaurant in Los Angeles: small and intimate. The service is nice. Drunken noodles are typically spicy; this one lacked spice, but it had great flavour. Just make sure to add the whole chilli powder container on the side! If you love papaya salad, this one has extra lime; order it, and you won’t regret it. Other recommended dishes:
Bbq Chicken: Came with a side of sticky rice and sauce.
Duck Rolls: Wrapped in a tortilla, had a lot of veggies and a few pieces of duck. It came with peanut sauce, Tom Yum Mushroom Soup, and lots of button mushrooms. Taste sour
Shrimp Fried Rice: Good flavour with big pieces of shrimp
Location: 1218 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106-1842
Open: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM; 4:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Southern California is a haven for Thai food lovers, offering many authentic and delectable dishes. Whether you’re in the mood for Southern Thai delicacies, late-night delights, comforting noodle soup, or spicy and authentic Thai cuisine, these are the best Thai restaurants in Los Angeles. Embark on a culinary adventure and explore Southern California’s vibrant Thai cuisine.
FAQ
Traditional Thai cuisine is quite healthy and largely based on vegetables, lean proteins, and fresh herbs and spices.
While spices like red and green chilies are used to add heat to a dish, other spices like cumin and cinnamon are used to create complex flavors. Meanwhile, ingredients like chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and peppercorn give Thai food the tingling spicy sensation that people love.
Traditional Thai cuisine loosely falls into four categories: tom (boiled dishes), yam (spicy salads), tam (pounded foods), and kaeng (curries).
