Moo Moo Thai Cafe - Venice, California

Address: 11127 Venice Blvd, Culver City, CA 90034

Items Ordered:

• Thai Tea
• "I can't believe this is Mushroom" - fried crispy mushrooms
• Papaya Salad - level spicy, with green beans, tomatoes, shrimp, lime juice, & peanuts
• Kra-Pow Crispy Pork - stir fried with spicy garlic sauce, basil, green bean, & serrano
• Chicken Pad Thai - not pictured

Ever since visiting Thailand a few years ago, I've been searching for a remnant of authentic Thai street food in the U.S. Moo Moo Thai, a new restaurant in Culver City, comes reasonably close, but alas, the ultimate search continues. The mushroom appetizer was only okay, a tad too salty for my tastebuds. The papaya salad on the other hand, was refreshing, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next time, I'll order it extra spicy so I can relive that burning but oh so delicious sensation I felt from eating papaya salad freshly made from street carts in Thailand. The crispy pork was flavorful, and had the right amount of spiciness, but the "crispiness" factor could have been a point of contention. Moo Moo Thai has some good looking noodle soups that I still want to try, and I would definitely return for some good papaya salad.

--y

P.S. The thai tea was fantastic.

Jitlada Thai - Hollywood, California

Address: 5233 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Items Ordered:

• Green Mussel Curry: New Zealand mussels in southern Thai curry with pineapples
  
• Crying Tiger Pork
• Deep fried seabass
• Pad Thai (not pictured)

Jitlada has been on my to-eat-list for almost a year now. After being bombarded by reviews from Jonathan Gold, the Food Network, and other bloggers, I wanted to participate in the Jitlada experience too! The mussels were one of the best I've ever had, and the mussel broth was drinkable like a delicious seafood soup. The best part of the famous crying tiger pork was the spicy sauce that accompanied it, which was really a delight and punishment for the taste buds. Last but not least, the deep fried seabass was a standout dish--probably my favorite of the night. The fish was crispy and delicious even without any sauce. Next time I return to Jitlada, I would definitely order the fried fish and mussels again. Try it for yourself!

--y

T's Thai - Santa Monica, California

Address: 1215 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Items Ordered:

• Tom Kha Seafood Soup
• Panang Curry with Chicken
• Pad Thai with Chicken
• Pineapple Fried Rice

Located just a street away from 3rd Street Promenade, T's Thai offers a large selection of Thai dishes. My favorite dish was the Tom Kha Seafood soup that surprisingly, actually had a generous portion of all kinds of seafood - scallops, shrimp, crab and more. Everything else was solid - would recommend it for a meal after a long day of shopping on the promenade!

--v

Thai Boom - Culver City, California

Address: 10863 Venice Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Items Ordered:

• Pad See Ew with Chicken
• Green Curry with Bamboo Shoots, Basil, and Shrimp
• Royal Fried Rice with Shrimp Paste and Thai Sausage
• Egg Rolls
• Iced Thai Tea

On this diverse strip of restaurants on Venice Boulevard, Thai Boom stands out as a solid contender for best Thai food on the street. It's a hole in the wall type of restaurant, with an expansive menu, all with photos hanging on the wall. We opted for something we haven't really had at a Thai Restaurant - the Royal Fried Rice. The other dishes were Thai staples that I've tried many times before. Most everything had just the right amount of flavor and we left feeling satisfied.

--v