Hollywood: Pa-Ord Noodles
The Skinny: So after watching the Noodlewhore make an appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation in Los Angele,s I’ve been meaning to try the Thai Boat Noodles they had. I’m not a big fan of Thai food in general and the only thing I ever really get at a Thai restaurant is the Pad Thai. However, I am a fan of Soupy Noodles, and the Thai Boat Noodles would be something new for me. So after 3 years had gone by since I first saw that No Reservation episode, in 2011 I finally became proactive and found a place with those bowls of Noodles. The restaurant I went to is called Pa-Ord Thai and it’s in Hollywood and next to a dozen other Thai places.
Pa-Ord’s restaurant space is pretty tight and with limited seating, which is the reason why there was a line out the door during lunchtime. I did notice though that everyone eating there was Thai themselves and that’s always a good thing. Their menu offers all types of Thai dishes, like Curry Catfish, Crispy Pork Belly, and Roast Duck with Gravy; and all at a very affordable price.
Since I was there for the Thai Boat Noodle, I got Tom Yum (no.1), which has Pork Balls, Ground Pork, Pork Liver, Dehydrated Baby Shrimps, Bean Sprouts, Ground Peanuts and Pork Skin Cracklings. With it you get a choice of either Egg Noodles or different sized Rice ones. I got the Rice Noodles that are similar to what you find in a bowl Pho. There are also different levels of heat you can have in your soup. I did ask for “very spicy” but the waitress stopped me and said medium was enough for me, so I listened. I also ordered some Thai Iced Coffee.
The Good: My bowl of hot Thai Boat Noodles was simply delicious. The soup felt lighter than eating a bowl of Pho, and it had a nice component of being a little sweet, salty, and sour. The Bean Sprouts gave the dish the texture of crispness and the different assortments of proteins kept me satisfied as a carnivore, especially the Pork Skin Cracklings. However, the “medium heat” was melting my face off and I had to keep on wiping away streams of sweat. Despite the searing pain of spiciness in my mouth, I just couldn’t stop sipping the soup after I had ate everything in the bowl.
The Bad: The Noodle portion size is pretty small, but for a large bowl that costs 5.50, I guess it’s okay. Also, I hate pork liver, it just tastes like funky bad breath.
Would you come back again? Yup! It’s cheap and very good eating, plus the people working there are very nice and helpful.
More Info: Yelp| 5301 Sunset Blvd. Ste 8Los Angeles, CA 90027 | Cash Only | menu and prices
– MJ
Music Related: Nico Vega @ The Roxy
via: sgtmcgrail
Went to the Roxy, saw Nico Vega on May 23, 2011, loved Aja Volkman, and was blown away by their drummer….. Dan Epand.
– MJ
Hollywood: Hoy Ka – Ord Noodle
The Skinny: Hoy Ka is the new name for the Legendary Thai Noodle House ORD NOODLE. The place is in the heart of Thai Town in Hollywood and its probably one of the most authentic restaurants for Thai in all of LA. I’ve been coming to this haunt for years and just because the name’s changed, the food and quality has definitely stayed the same!
The High: I ordered the classic Hoy Ka Noodle Soup (chicken version) and my buddy ordered the Roast Duck Noodle Soup. Both were savory and both dishes Spice level were Magma/Volcanic. You can choose to get the noodles either, skinny, skinny flat, or the wide flat noodles! I chose the wide flat noodles and they were amazing. The soup is also great for hangovers in case you were wondering. Add some of the Green Chili sauce or pickled chilis for extra heat if you want to sweat out all those toxins from a night out drinking in Hollywood.
The Low: What can I say…there is almost nothing wrong with this place! We went in and it was packed at 1pm and they actually had the AC on which is a plus since the old owner of ORD used to never turn that on! The bad thing was that they ran out of diet coke and everyone knows I’m addicted to that stuff so I had to settle for a Thai Iced Tea which was decent.
Would you come back again? UM….YES…I will continue to eat at this spot at least a few times a month…and will continue promote them for free to friends because
1. they’re freakin good
2. they’re freakin cheap
3. they’re as authentic as you can get according to House of Glam Rep, DAVID CHOU
More info: Yelp It. | 5401 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027 – Cash Only
– Echo
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