Jitlada, an Out-Of-Towners Sripraphai

Now that I live in LA, I have to find replacements to all my NYC go-tos... my fav burger, my fav cheap Japanese, my manicure place, my dry cleaner... and my new Thai hideout. My go-to in NYC was always Sriprapahi in Queens.  Yes, far out but ooooo so worth it. So I was stoked when my secret connect here told me about Jitlada. It's known to be a spicy favorite amongst foodie here.

The menu is enormous and looks pretty standard until you get to the back page, which is a paper insert of a straight-up black ink on white paper, tiny margins, list. The real stuff is back here. On a recommendation we ordered the crispy morning glory salad and the rice salad.



The morning glory salad was a sweet and spicy balancing act only enhanced by the complimentary textures - crispy, crunchy plus supple and smooth. Sripraphai does a similar salad with watercress and I prefer it because the flavors are more separated out across the palate.  Here, there's a myriad of flavor but it all fuses together.



The rice salad was neither of our favorites even though I am a HUGE lover of rice. Moreover, this salad a blend of jasmine rice, mango, green beans, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, Thai chiles, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, bean sprouts, coconut and dried shrimp that all gets mixed into a sauce of kaffir lime, anchovy paste, sugar, lemongrass and ginger.  In theory, I should love this dish but it seemed somehow too soft for me. Too mushed.  If there had been perhaps more citrus to cut the mushiness... I don't know. I wished I'd liked it but I didn't.

Also on a rec, we ordered a green curry which really was good. The sauce was fantastic and in it floated yummy Thai eggplants and little shrimps. I prefer the green curry at Sripraphai - I think it has more fire and more defined, specific flavors but this one was doable.



The crown jewel of the evening was the Satoon Tiger Prawns. Two enormous shrimps came grilled and split down the middle. Seriously, they were little lobsters. The grill taste came through without affecting the tenderness of the meat. Left a good taste in our mouths and we'll surely be back. It may be across town for us in LA but at least it's not cross country.