Travel

This Tiny Spot in L.A. Is the Only Place I Ever Want to Eat Again

I think about the khao soi once a day, minimum.

September 12, 2019
Photo by Ella Quittner

If you suffer from crippling indecision, then you're going to need to get a grip before you pass through the threshold—an unassuming glass door—of Northern Thai Food Club, a new restaurant in Los Angeles.

Because the 33-item menu won't make things easy on you. Neither will the heady fog emanating from a hulking metal steam table, crouched in the corner near the kitchen like some sort of wish-granting machine. And to complicate matters further, owner Nancy Amphai Dunne will offer you tastes of whatever you like.

Top center: larb moo kua; top right: tum kha noon; bottom left: khao soi gai. Photo by Ella Quittner

Northern Thai Food Club, which opened in January 2019 in L.A.'s Thai Town, specializes in dishes from Chiang Rai, Thailand, like gaeng hang lae, a mahogany curry punctuated with chunks of braised pork belly that made its way into the region by way of Myanmar.

Unmissable, too, are the tum kha noon—a warm salad of pan-fried jackfruit, limey and pungent with curry paste and garlic, festooned with a handful of chopped herbs—and the khao soi gai, a sweeter, thicker take on the coconut milk and egg noodle curry.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“Ever since our trip to Chiang Mai 2 years ago we have been obsessed with Khao Soi and it’s hard to find good, authentic versions stateside. I will take any opportunity to get my fix! Thanks for sharing about this place!”
— Irene B.
Comment

"The direction of your meal," writes L.A. Times critic Bill Addison, "is best decided in a conversation with Dunne over the steam table."

Visit Northern Thai Food Club

Northern Thai Food Club
5301 Sunset Blvd #11
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 474-7212


Have you been to Northern Thai Food Club? Let us know what you ordered in the comments!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Elizabeth Detrich
    Elizabeth Detrich
  • Kestrel
    Kestrel
  • Irene Bozich
    Irene Bozich
  • Ella Quittner
    Ella Quittner
Ella Quittner

Written by: Ella Quittner

Ella Quittner is a contributing writer and the Absolute Best Tests columnist at Food52. She covers food, travel, wellness, lifestyle, home, novelty snacks, and internet-famous sandwiches. You can follow her on Instagram @equittner, or Twitter at @ellaquittner. She also develops recipes for Food52, and has a soft spot for all pasta, anything spicy, and salty chocolate things.

4 Comments

Elizabeth D. September 13, 2020
Thai is by far one of my favorites to eat out. The balance of salty, heat, and sour is mouthwatering. I will need to find a way to get down to LA!
 
Kestrel October 17, 2019
For those of us who may never get to LA, PLEASE give us the recipe for khao soi . Thank you!
 
Irene B. September 17, 2019
Well, looks like I need a trip
to LA ASAP! Ever since our trip to Chiang Mai 2 years ago we have been obsessed with Khao Soi and it’s hard to find good, authentic versions stateside. I will take any opportunity to get my fix! Thanks for sharing about this place!
 
Ella Q. September 17, 2019
So happy to hear you'll check it out! Hope you enjoy.