Spicy BBQ: Khao Soi is just the beginning

The path to Spicy BBQ in Hollywood is well trodden.  Midtown Lunch, Food GPS and Jonathan Gold have left markers pointing the way to this tiny outpost in a strip mall on Santa Monica Blvd & Normandie.  There are seats for roughly 20 people inside and with reasonable prices and excellent food, there can be a wait to be seated.

Based on prior intel, my compatriot and I ordered from the Northern Thai section of the menu and were particularly exited to try the elusive khao soi (below), described on the menu as Northern Thai Egg Noodles.  The key ingredient was the egg noodles which were soft and just a little sweet.  The dish also included chicken, cilantro, coconut milk.  Pickles and a lime wedge were served alongside it and the waitress (owner?) insisted that we stir them in.  There were allegedly crispy noodles on top but either they got soggy before we got to them or they were never there.  In any case, this is a dish worth returning for.

We also tried the namesake dish of the restaurant, Spicy BBQ, which is beef barbequed and served off of the bone with a spicy Thai dipping sauce.  (There is a choice between beef & pork for this dish).  We ordered sticky rice to accompany this and the following dish.  The sauce on the beef had some heat but was manageable.  The beef had been marinated and had a good flavor.

The waitress also suggested that we order Nam Prik Noom, a spicy Northern Thai relish made from roasted green chili.  It was served with green onion and cilantro on top and lettuce and cucumber on the side to dip into it.  The sticky rice was also suggested as a dipping vehicle.  This dish was seriously spicy and the two of us only barely scratched the surface, even after we had eaten all of the dipping veggies.  A Thai friend later commented to me that she sometimes uses roasted eggplant in this dish to lessen the heat.  I enjoyed it, but a little goes a long way.

I left Spicy BBQ thinking, why didn't I come here before?  It is a great value, the service is efficient and most importantly the food is seriously good and as a bonus they aren't afraid to serve spicy food and didn't seem to tone it down for Westerners.

Please not that Spicy BBQ is Cash Only.  Also the bathroom is upstairs in the minimall; you obtain a key from the waitress.  Ample parking in the minimall parking lot.

Spicy BBQ: 5101 Santa Monica Blvd @ Normandie, Hollywood.  Phone: (323) 663-4211.

Schnitzel Wagon: Fried, Breaded and on Wheels

When Zach from Midtown Lunch suggested trying out the Schnitzel Wagon, I was hesitant.  Drive all the way downtown for fried cutlets from a truck?  But the scent of fried food won out and I headed over to 350 Grand Avenue to go check it out with him.  The meat is kosher and they are in the process of converting their entire truck to having kosher certification.

The day we went the options were chicken or cod schnitzel.  On other days they have additional meats and on Fridays they have falafel.  The schnitzel comes either in a sandwich for $8 or as a combo plate with two sides for $10.  The combo plate is the way to go.  The chicken schnitzel sandwich (below) came with lettuce, tomato and choice of half a dozen different sauces.  The chicken was moist and crispy but the bread was underwhelming. It would have been even better as a plate, so we wouldn't have had to work to get at it.

The cod was perhaps even better than the chicken (comparing just the meat and ignoring the bread issue), which surprised me as I wasn't expecting to be so enthusiastic about it.  It had a nice crunch exterior and a firm yet tender interior.  We got several different sauces including sriracha and barbeque.  Coleslaw, garden salad, potato salad and french fries were the options for the sides and we opted for the potato salad and fries.  The fries were limp but I enjoyed the potato salad more than Zach, perhaps because it had no mayonnaise taste and I am mayo-averse.

The plate is the superior choice and the portion size is ample.  With the cod, they even suggested getting it as a plate as the fish portion is too much for a sandwich.  They have consistently parked on S. Grand Avenue near Starry Kitchen and CASA but I'd follow their twitter account to be sure they will be out that day.  Once the kosher certification comes through there will be delivery to the jewelry district, and hopefully other parts of downtown.  That would be great as the only thing better than fried food is fried food delivered to your door.

Ganda Thai: Cheap, Spicy & Tasty Thai Food in Hollywood

At the suggestion of Ron of LushAngeles, I joined him for lunch this weekend at Ganda, a Thai restaurant in Hollywood. Once I got there, I recognized it from this Midtown Lunch post and I knew I was in for a treat.

I opted for the fried catfish and the curry with chicken, both from the steam table and served with rice for $7. Ron got the whole fish, which had been butterflied, with each half getting a different sauce. (not from the steam table).



The fried catfish was nice and crispy, with some heat but not painful. The flavor was strong but not overwhelming. It had good crunch to it and I could have ordered a second portion. The chicken curry was more spicy and also had some bamboo shoot like veggie in it.



Ron's fish was a thing of beauty with two sauces, one of which was garlic. The presentation was more elaborate than I would have expected and more importantly it was delicious. One half got a garlic pepper sauce and the other side a spicy chili sauce. I enjoyed both sauces, but thought the spicy chili was the better of the two. This dish was ~$13.

Ganda is located in a minimall on Hollywood Blvd (same one as Ruen Pair). The sign says valet only but if you pay $2, you can self park.

Ganda: 5269 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles. Phone: (323) 466-4281

Thai Cashew Chicken @ Panda Express - Yuck

I was reading MidtownLunchLA and saw Zach's post about free Thai Cashew Chicken. As I had no lunch plans that day, I decided to see what delicacy Panda Express was cooking up, at no charge.

I hadn't been to a Panda Express in a number of years but free was free, so I figured why not. I headed to the Westside Pavillion location, handed in my coupon, and received a surprisingly generous portion of Thai Cashew Chicken.

Unfortunately it was bland and had an unappealing texture. Not recommended, even for free. Apparently Panda Express does one thing well, orange chicken, as the LA Times reported that 40% of all customers meals include that dish. If you must go to panda, get that dish as it has got to be better than the Thai Cashew Chicken.

The name alone should have been a clue. Why was Panda Express, a fast food Chinese restaurant, pushing a Thai dish? I'm not sure where inexpensive Asian restaurants got the idea to just throw dishes from other cuisines of the region onto their menu. They are invariably bad. Sometimes you get what you pay for, even when (or especially when) its free.

The best part was the fortune in my fortune cookie said, "Work on Improving Your Exercise Routine." Now even fortune cookies are commenting on my weight! And this from a restaurant serving calorie laden food...