In loving memory of Wat Thai

Wat Thai Temple North Hollywood, CA

I caught wind of Wat Thai's closing on the Chowhound boards and resolved to make it to what has been called LA's most authentic Thai food on its last weekend. My resolve was so strong that I even cut my San Francisco trip short to check it out.

My mom had cautioned me against wearing shorts and/or tank tops since I wouldn't normally be allowed to step foot in a temple so scantily clad. She failed to realize that this was the tragically hip LA and that the food stands only operate under the auspices of a religious institution--but come on now, we all know they're there to make a profit.

We were pretty distraught at first, since the compound was pretty deserted from where we had entered. A sigh of relief quickly overcame us at the first sight of civilization crowned under a pretty blue tent. While some were there for prayer, we were certainly there only to worship the gods responsible for the fiery curries, sweet satays, and pungent salads of Thai cuisine.

The currency of choice here is not the Baht, but instead tokens purchased in denominations of $.50, $1, and $2, which account for the majority of the under $5 dishes. The most expensive thing we got was the $5 mango with sticky rice, which is cut-to-order and as good as any mango-sticky rice I've ever gotten.

Hands down, the best dish was the Papaya Salad, which was proclaimed the best we've had yet. The sweet, sour, and spicy notes were perfectly balanced, while the salted crabs gave it a unique twist.

We also tried the Noodles, Fried Eggs, and Pad Thai from another vendor down the way. The noodles was just too hot to enjoy in the steamy valley and while I've had better pad thai for $.50 from a street stall in Thailand, this wasn't half bad. I ordered the eggs because they reminded me of Vietnamese bot chien, which is mostly made of rice cakes. Turns out my Thai dish was mostly made of fried eggs which were tossed with clams and served with a mild sauce that tasted like ketchup. It was okay, though I didn't want to finish the entire tray.

There were two booths selling satay, so we bought an order of chicken from each to compare them side-by-side. Americanized Thai food has taught us the Chicken Satay is normally dressed with peanut butter, when in reality all that satay really designates is a meat that grilled on a skewer. Both versions were smoky and tender with the difference in flavor (one was slightly spicier) being only a matter of preference.

One of the more interesting dishes were the Chicken Dumplings ($3), which were scented with peanuts and coconut. The skins were gummy and thin, which I enjoyed, though the filling was too sweet for a savory course.

Speaking of sweets, we also tried these crunchy wafer-like tacos, which were filled with various forms of coconut. A bit too sweet for my taste. Beverages were lacking with mediocre Thai teas, coconut juices and a logan juice that was decent at best.

I made the mistake of saving curries for last and was just too stuffed to eat another thing. It was a fun experience and it reminded me of Berkeley's own Thai Temple--an institution all on its own. It was good spending time with the family and if you've got some time on your hands, sign the petition to keep the weekend food stalls up and running!

Wat Thai Temple
12909 Cantara St
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 780-4200

Tropika [Tustin]

Whether it was our Muslim guesthouse, Cantonese taxi driver, Indian saris, or Thai fruit stands, it didn't take us long to realize that Malaysia was a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. Penang had one of the most vibrant street food scenes we had come across on our travels through Malaysia and I can still remember the baos, rotis, and noodles being steamed, fried, and tossed all along multi-ethnic Gurney Drive.

And although I miss the times when food could be explored at its source, I found Tropika in Tustin to be a close substitute for a Southeast Asia vacation. I was impressed with both the interior and exterior decor, which reminded me of a tropical bungalow you'd duck in to escape the heat. The natural materials and dark wood grains that covered the walls, chairs, and shutters cast a soft light across the room while giving it textural contrast. The ambiance wasn't a far cry from some of the high-end Malaysian restaurants we dined in on our trip.

We started with the Roti Prata ($3) and Chicken Satay ($7). I had sworn off roti after ingesting loads of the greasy stuff on the streets of Malaysia, but Tropika's Singaporean version was paper-thin and crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside and with a touch of sweetness that soothed your tongue after dipping in the thin curry sauce. The satay wasn't peanut-based like its Thai version and was instead a play on sweet and sour.

The menu failed to mention brown iceberg lettuce as an ingredient in the Mango Salad ($6.95), which was our least favorite dish of the night. The salad had a good crunch to it thanks to the raw mangoes and bell peppers, but was doused with a sticky sweet and sour sauce that was less than appealing.

Although I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of fried tofu topped with seafood and veggies, the Penang Tofu ($12) was the star of the night. The tofu was fried to a golden crisp on the outside, but a single bite was all it took to reveal the custard-like softness of soybean on the inside. The thick egg sauce that coated the dish with a gaudy sheen actually had practical use in imparting even the blandest vegetable with a robust savoriness.

Penang Tofu - one of my favorite tofu dishes yet.

The Seafood Claypot ($14.95) paled next to the Penang Tofu ($12) and I'm sure the striking resemblance only added to the comparison. The seafood and veggies were combined with a light broth that was neither good nor bad, while the claypot seemed purely ornamental.

Our waiter seemed tongue-tied when asked for descriptions and recommendations ("everything is good"), though he did express skepticism at our order of two appetizers, one salad, and two entrees for three people (we weren't going to fall for that again). No thanks to him, I'll be coming back to get a better feel for the menu and other Malaysian treats such as Nasi Goreng, Hainan Chicken, and Asam Laksa. Portions were generous and prices were reasonable with entree averaging $13, though some seafood dishes were as much as $20.

Tropika
17460 E 17th St
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 505-9908

The Wheel of Life [Irvine]

I didn't know many places with spring rolls in Irvine and found this place after some scouring. Some loved it, others didn't and I figured that the only way I'll really know if it's good or not is to go try it out myself.

Initially, I thought the sign out front said Vietnamese Cuisine but it actually says Vegetarian Cuisine.

I was greeted warmly upon arrival but after seeing that credit cards are not accepted for orders under $20, I had to make a detour to the ATM and come back. Five minutes wasted.

Most of the dishes on the menu are around $8 and are meant to be served family-style. They also offer a "lunch special" of food from the steam table -- i.e. combination plates of 2 or 3 at $8 or $9, respectively. I deterred from that because of the fast-food like appearance and got what I came here for along with a Thai iced tea ($2.50).

The iced tea was extremely sweet. I don't have Thai iced tea often, because the color stirs me, so I'm not exactly sure if they're all supposed to taste like this. I got my four spring rolls ($8.00) after a little bit of wait and dug in. The rolls were tightly tucked and looked appealing but my tongue says differently. I found that there was a blatant lack of fillings and not like the spring rolls I've had in Westminster or Garden Grove. Is it because this is a Thai/Chinese restaurant and not a Vietnamese one? The rolls had dark-leafed lettuce, cucumbers, fake chicken and nothing more! Where was the mint? Where was the crunchy stuff? The vegetarian chicken was decent -- I've had better fake chicken elsewhere. The sauce it same with was topped with chopped peanuts and had a spicy kick to it.

Even though I only had an appetizer for lunch, it was filling. But, I do feel that I was grossly overcharged for the quality of food I received. Their other dishes may have more potential -- I see that many other reviewers favor the pad thai.

The Wheel of Life
14370 Culver Dr., Suite 2G
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 551-8222

Kimera [Irvine]

Kimera has all the trappings of the type of restaurants I tend to be wary of. First, it belongs to a restaurant group (namely the Dining as Art Collection, which also owns Bastide). Second, it serves fusion food in a trendy lounge and dining room combo. And lastly, it falls into the category of restaurant that I call "overpriced fine dining designed to appease OC conservatism."

To say I was skeptical about coming to Kimera would be a gross understatement. To say that you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming on any other day besides Father's Day would be more like it.

What ended up really selling me on the restaurant was the OC Weekly's mention of "chef Chris Grodach—a true food alchemist from Napa Valley institution the French Laundry." French Laundry and molecular gastronomy? The two biggest buzz words on the culinary front right now? Now I was really curious.


The restaurant certainly makes a statement with its slanted bamboo ceiling and the splashes of abstract art scrawled across bold red walls. The flower arrangements at the center were nothing short of stunning and I'm told that they're brought in on a weekly basis.

Despite the Asian-sounding name and the few dishes reflecting influences from Japanese and Thai cooking, most of the menu has a Mediterranean slant with some Spanish and Italian thrown in for good measure. The menu is purposefully vague and begs you to ask questions of your waiter. We ordered three appetizers and two entrees to share between three people.

Based on our waiter's recommendations we started with the Polenta Beignets ($10.50) and the Seared Scallops ($12.75). I didn't feel as though frying was the best way to bring out the flavor of polenta and the most prominent flavor was the Parmesan cheese, which wasnt even mentioned on the menu. Regardless, the waiters were recommending it left and right and it seemed as though every party had an order on their table. The two jumbo scallops were perfectly cooked and were good enough to be served on their own (the olive oil emulsion and prosciutto didn't add much).

We also tried the Heirloom Squash Blossoms, which came with came with an ibarra and milk chocolate mole sauce. You would have expected the combination of achiote, lime, mole, and goat cheese to be overwhelming, but the flavors worked as good balances against each other and the dish was incredibly light.

For our mains, we ordered the Seared Ahi on ratatouille ($26.75) and the Paprika-dusted hangar steak on a bed of corn with a manchego fondue ($23.40). While both proteins were cooked well and of high quality, they were also both under-seasoned. The kernels of corn that came with hangar steak were like biting into little nuggets infused with the essence of summer.

As a whole, I felt that the flavors could have been crisper and more distinct. While the dishes tasted good overall, the individual flavor components were either incomplete, incompatible, or absent altogether. The aesthetic and presentation, however, was flawless.

I was glad to see that the restaurant had an in-house pastry chef and we opted for the Tropical Cheesecake ($7.50). The texture was good, though the flavors of the coconut macaroon crust and pineapple gelee were lost in the cheesecake.

Service was uneven, though the effort was there. Our waiter neglected to bring us a basket of bread in addition to spilling a glass of water on our table. He seemed to struggle with his words when I asked questions about the menu, though that could have been a lack of eloquence more than anything else. But ultimately, we received our service with a smile and everyone worked together to make sure all our needs were attended. Hey, no harm, no foul.

Chef Grodach's experience at the French Laundry shows in the kitchen's ability to turn out dishes that are perfectly cooked, but the true test of his skill will only be known when the dishes are perfectly seasoned. Kimera just opened not too long ago and I suspect the kitchen and waitstaff have yet to work out the kinks. When they do, I'll be the first revisit.

Kimera

19530 Jamboree Rd
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 261-1222

Thai Nakorn [Stanton]

After failing to make the 2pm deadline in Torrance, we headed back to the OC with our heads hung low, thinking of ways to redeem our failed attempt at lunch. We vaguely remembered hearing that Thai Nakorn had reopened after the fire and made a few phone calls to find its new address. We didn't have much success, but thought we'd try our luck on Beach Blvd.

My SO thought he remembered seeing a bright red sign in a photo online so we kept our eyes peeled and were rewarded with a sighting only 10 minutes after getting off the freeway. We didnt even have to make a u-turn.

The new Thai Nakorn lacks the same charm as its original location near Knotts Berry Farm, though I'm told its pretty similar to the Garden Grove store that previously burned down. We were not deterred, however, thanks to our raging appetites which had been waiting to eat since noon that day. We perused the lunch specials and I settled on the Red Curry Shrimp while my SO went for his stand-by, off-the-menu order of Pad See-Ew. We rounded out our meal with a Thai tea to share and spent the next few minutes in quiet anticipation of our food.

The tea was a little too sweet for my tastes and admittedly, I dont take much of a liking to Thai food. However, I have had my share of travels in Thailand so I can attest to the quality and authenticity of the flavors. I enjoyed the tom yum soup and my curry had ample amounts of shrimp in it. They were a good size and someone even took the care to devein them before serving. It was spicy as hell, but overall, a solid Thai curry. I found the Pad See-Ew to be flavorful and similarly laden with large quantities beef and Chinese broccoli. My only complaint was that the noodles stuck together, indicating that the dish might have been stir-fried for too long or without enough oil [though less oil is more beneficial for your health].

Not the best Thai I've had, but still a good pick if you're in the area and are looking for a meal that cant go that wrong.

Thai Nakorn
11951 Beach Blvd
Stanton, CA 90680
(714) 799-2031