Last Saturday my bride and I had time on our hands because our beloved Trojans didn't kickoff til 7:30pm. So we trekked over to Thai Town in East Hollywood with hopes of rediscovering the vintage Thai cuisine and an authentic Thai scalp massage -more on that later- that I usta regularly treat myself to when I lived in Thai Town for eighteen months after graduating from college.
If my goal was to regale Leti with the upper crust restaurants that firmly imprinted Thailand's savory cuisine on the LA dining scene, then I would've gone straight to Jitlada, Sanamluang or Hoy-Ka.
But today's objective was to recreate the look and feel about how I first discovered Thai food on my first post-college job, thirty three summers ago.
So we found ourselves near the intersection of Normandie and Melrose, where Khun Dhom and the world's smallest parking lot greet you with all the subtlety of a fiery Thai chile pepper! I'd already warned my bride on the long drive over from Diamond Bar regarding the small, family run restaurant's relative lack of stylistic flair. Khun Dhom appears to be a family run affair, and as we Yelpers know- Sometimes the best and most authentic recipes come straight outtve "hole in the wall" establishments!
We ordered a small ton of food- Egg rolls, 2 Kung Pao Chicken dishes of varying spiciness, Chicken Pad Thai and Pineapple Pork Fried Rice.
The sole mistake we made? I shoulder ALL of the blame for, because we knowingly violated one of my few cardinal rules: When in doubt, order the house specialty; And, never order non-regional entrees from international cuisines.
In other words, why on earth order KUNG PAO CHICKEN from a Thai restaurant!!! We subsequently compounded our mistake by doubling up on it, ordering a medium heat version for me and a "hot as you can make it" for my fiery-tongued bride!! As the photo attests, we got what we deserved: The world's lamest and most "Albino" looking take on Kung Pao, ever!!! The chicken wasn't pan-fried, the peanuts weren't caramelized and it sorely lacked any of the green onions and decadent, almost faintly chocolatey mouth feel of great Kung pao!!
If this was golf and I was afforded a mulligan (a do-over) I'd gladly would've substituted the Chicken Satay, Angel Wings or Papaya Salad!
But, whew boy, Khun Dhom delivered like a champion on the THAI dishes! The Chicken Pad Thai was so good I was licking my plate of leftovers back at home!! The egg rolls were abundant (six), glassy, shiny and unctuous. My son's Pineapple Pork Fried Rice was riven with bug crunchy Cashews and wok'd to a beautiful caramel sheen.
THIS IS the wondrous Khun Dhom that I first discovered as a baby-faced college grad, when $10 got me both a Pad Thai and an egg rolls. The times and prices have rocketed by...but sheeeeeeeeit, getting five entrees, two sides and a drink for $65 isn't too shabby!
Pro tips: The cramped parking lot and dingy, sparsely lit, malodorous bathrooms aren't for the faint of heart! Keep that in mind before draining half of your days water ration before arrival!
The brother and sister (?!?) duo who run the front of the house work their fannies off with a constant stream of dine-in and takeout orders. Pls don't skimp on tipping them lavishly. read more