This is the third post in which I am writing about great, Thai restaurants, and I guarantee there will be more to come, because I simply love Thai food. In my opinion, it is one of the best cuisines in the world, and I am only more convinced of that after a recent trip to Thailand (posts to come).
My first post about Thai food, featured restaurants in Long Beach, Garden Grove and Oakland, California, as well as a phenomenal spot in Las Vegas, Nevada. My second post (and the fifth in my "Greatest Hits" series), featured a Michelin-star restaurant in San Francisco. This post features three, amazing, Thai restaurants. Read on to discover where you can get the best Thai food in Southern California.
Hanuman Thai Eatery
Hanuman Thai Eatery
First on the list, is Hanuman Thai Eatery with two Southern California locations, both in Costa Mesa. Hanuman's menu is a mix of both Central and Northern Thai cuisine, so you can order all your favorites, from pad see ew to khao soi. I think this may be the best, casual, Thai food restaurant in California. It is the best I have been to anyway, as measured by taste, presentation, quality, price and service. I am not alone in this opinion.
Though it is relatively new, and opened at an inopportune time (mid-pandemic), Hanuman Thai already has a huge, fan following. The restaurant, which is closed for lunch, opens its doors at 3 p.m. Despite the very, off-peak dining time, the restaurant starts filling up by 3:30 p.m. and by 5:00 p.m., there is almost always a line that extends into the parking lot. This is so standard, that parking spots in front of the restaurant are regularly blocked off by cones, so that speakers broadcasting upbeat music, heat lamps and benches can be set up, to give eager diners a place to wait comfortably for a table.
Coco Mango Cocktail
We started the meal with Hanuman's featured cocktail. I cannot remember all the ingredients in this limited time, summer cocktail, but I do recall that it included rum, mango and some sort of coconut cream concoction that floated on top of the drink and was absolutely delicious.
Son-In-Law's Egg
Next, we decided to order several appetizers so we could sample small amounts of as many menu items as possible. We started with the son-in-law's fried eggs, which weren't fried in the traditional sense.
First the eggs were hard boiled, then they were dredged in something that took on a crispy texture, after they were deep-fried. Finally, the eggs were cut in half and topped with a caramelized, tamarind glaze and fried shallots.
This was such a surprising appetizer. It was sweet, salty, a tiny bit savory and soft. I had never before seen or tried this dish, making it extra special, both because it was delicious and because I love trying new things.
Hanuman's Ceviche
Our next appetizer was a yellowtail ceviche. The description for this menu item simply states, "DEFINITELY A MUST TRY!!! Yellowtail Ceviche Hanuman Style!!!"
I can confirm that it is indeed a "must try." The yellowtail was very fresh and paired nicely with the sweet, pineapple chunks, cherry tomatoes, seasonings and the salty, shrimp cracker.
"Lamb-A-Singh"
Our third appetizer was Chef Andrew Singh’s special, grilled lamb chops.
I have no idea what Chef Andrew Singh's secret to the lamb chops is, but this dish is a masterpiece. The lamb chops were grilled perfectly and served with some sort of tangy, sweet and spicy sauce. There were hints of lemongrass, some thinly sliced, crisp, snow peas and other flavors that were an ideal pairing for the slight gaminess of the lamb chops.
Larb
For our last appetizer, we ordered the larb, a meat salad. Larb can be found throughout Southeast Asia, but the Thai version is a signature, Isan dish. All larb dishes begin with minced meat, in this case, and most traditionally, pork.
The ground meat is then seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, roasted rice powder, thinly sliced shallots or red onions, and spring onions. Oh, and chilis. Lots and lots of chilis, as this dish is meant to be spicy.
The mixture is then served with some kind of fresh produce like lettuce, or cucumber. At Hanuman, they also include shrimp chips, which you can use to scoop up the meat. This dish was so good that I recreated it at home for friends. (More to come on that, in a future "Grillin n' Chillin'" series post.)
Pad See Ew
The one entree-sized dish that we ordered was the pad see ew, which is my favorite, Thai noodle dish. If you haven't ever tried it, stray from the more commonly ordered pad thai, and see what you think. And if you refuse to give up your pad thai, sit tight because I order some particularly delicious versions at the next two restaurants in this post.
Pad see ew is made with flat, rice noodles, meat and Chinese broccoli. These items are tossed together in a very, hot wok with a savory, black soy sauce. You'll find pad see ew on almost every U.S., Thai restaurant menu, but Hanuman does a particularly great job with this dish.
In fact, Hanuman Thai Eatery does a particularly great job with every dish, or at least every dish I tried. That is why this one meal made we want to return multiple times in order to try everything else on the menu. I have found few restaurants that have that impact on me, but when I do, they make my "Greatest Hits" series, so plan on reading more about Hanuman Thai in a future post.
Sovereign Thai
Sovereign Thai
This next restaurant is located in San Diego's East Village neighborhood. Sovereign Thai is recognized by the Michelin guide, which says, "You'll be hard-pressed to make a wrong choice on the menu." Based on the items we ordered, I agree.
The restaurant is run by a brother and sister team who have focused the menu on dishes hailing from the Isan region of Northeastern Thailand. Though we didn't get a chance to try either of these, Sovereign is known to make a delectable khao soi, as well as a great, spicy, fermented, pork sausage. I am eager to return with a larger appetite and more time, to try those dishes and more.
Pad Thai with Shrimp
I think pad thai is the dish most commonly associated with Thai food in America. This isn't surprising because pad thai is also one of the national dishes of Thailand.
Pad Thai features skinny, rice noodles, as opposed to the flat and wide ones in other noodle dishes, like pad kee mao and pad see ew. Though it is offered with a variety of meats and even tofu in the U.S., it is typically made with shrimp.
True to tradition, Sovereign also prepares the dish with wild-caught, Mexican jumbo shrimp, peanuts, scrambled eggs, and bean sprouts. All of these ingredients (plus tofu, usually) are sautéed together in a wok and tossed in a delicious, tamarind-based sauce. Sovereign's pad thai was very tasty and balanced.
Thai Style Spicy Pork Neck
This dish was made with flame-grilled pork neck and served with Sovereign's signature, Crying Tiger sauce, lettuce leaves and sliced cucumber. We also ordered a side of rice to enjoy with the pork.
This was my favorite dish that we ate at Sovereign, and one of my favorite, Thai dishes anywhere. It was unique, but even if it hadn't been, this pork was cooked so well that the meat was as tender as a medium-rate steak.
This isn't always easy to do with certain cuts of pork because they aren't well-marbled. Without a good amount of evenly distributed fat, there is very little forgiveness if you overcook them (think dry, chewy and grey). Sovereign Thai cooked these pork necks to perfection; they were pink, moist and tender.
Plern Thai Cafe
Plern Thai Cafe
The last restaurant in this post is Plern Thai Cafe, located in the city of Lake Forest. The restaurant is very small and it is family run. I have only every seen two people working there; one who greets guests, takes orders and delivers food, and another who is in the back, cooking up all of the amazing dishes.
The small size of the staff and the dining room, creates a very cozy ambiance, giving you the feeling that you are at home. The food is terrific. I have been several times, each time trying a new dish, and every single one has been delicious.
Swimming Pig Tay Po
This dish was totally new to me on several levels. First, I had never eaten it or seen it on a menu in the U.S. or Thailand, and second, and more generally, I had never eaten morning glory, a flowering vine with bright purple flowers that used to grow on the fence of my childhood home.
I really liked this dish and wish I saw it on Thai restaurant menus more frequently. Swimming pig tay po is made with tender, pork belly and morning glory, cooked in a savory and tangy, red curry sauce. Similar to pad kra pao, it was served with a fried egg and jasmine rice.
Rotee and Chili, Garlic Fish Sauce
The server suggested we order a side of rotee (also spelled "roti" in Indian cuisine) in addition to the rice, to accompany the swimming pig tay po. I am glad she did. The rotee was so soft and pillowy that it sopped up all of the leftover sauce beautifully. Even on its own, it was buttery and delicious.
“Sed Jan” Pad Thai
I was very excited to see sed jan pad thai on the menu. Like traditional pad thai, it is made with thin, stir fried, rice noodles, egg, chives, and bean sprouts, all tossed in a tamarind sauce and topped with peanuts. What differentiates sed jan pad thai, is that, in addition to larger, fresh shrimp, it also includes tiny, dried shrimp and pressed and fermented tofu.
Plern serves the dish with some chili powder, if you'd like a little extra heat, and lime wedges. Be sure to give the dish a squeeze of lime before diving in. The citrus really enlivens the other flavors.
Spicy Green Curry
The final item we ordered was the spicy, green curry. Plern's coconut curry, made with green chilis, shrimp paste, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, peppercorns and makrut limes, is silky and fragrant. It is served with a side of jasmine rice and a spicy, chili-garlic sauce upon request. The spice level of the curry is customizable, from mild to very spicy.
The curry is full of Asian melon, Thai eggplant, holy basil and the meat of your choosing. We chose chicken and I was happy to see that Plern used dark meat, which is the most tender and flavorful.
Plern, as well as Sovereign and Hanuman, are all restaurants I will be returning to. I highly recommend all three. If you get a chance to visit, let me know if you agree that these are all outstanding, Southern California, Thai restaurants.
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