Don't let the exterior fool you. Nok's Kitchen sits inconspicuously at the back of the very small shopping center next to that giant one. You'll inevitably turn into the giant one first and have to circle back out and try again.
The person behind you will hate you as you scan at a snail's pace for the rather hidden opening, but it's worth the ire of your fellow road-rager, as if they have any sense, they'll follow you in. This spot undoubtedly earned its place on LA's 101 Best list and possibly my top ten.
I don't know much about Laotian food, but delicious is a language everyone speaks, one I'm all too eager to learn.
I recognize the Roti Curry, but it turns out to be my least favorite of the lot. The roti is paper-thin but very oily. A good curry, but not memorable overall.
What IS memorable is the signature Lao Pork Sausage, and the combo is the way to go. The casings snap so hard, and the mincemeat is so juicy, with a finish to sticky and gooey. Add a ball of sticky rice and dip in the hot-sweet-and-sour jeo som sauce for the best bite of your life.
Tum Mak Houng is papaya salad sweetened with fish sauce, and it colludes with salted crab for some next-level funk. I love that living-ocean flavor, but for sure get it with cooked shrimp if you don't like fishy things or try a different salad altogether.
The Larb Pork is a fragrant platter, a substantial portion seared and sliced with a rice powder coat for extra sticking of the fish sauce and spice.
King Mok is a fatty, rich salmon steamed in its own fat, wrapped in an aromatic leaf with cute little eggplants embedded for extra texture. Throw in some fresh dill to make it come alive.
Khao Pad is just fried rice, but with crab it becomes a standout. I thought it'd be little bits for flavor, but I unearth giant, mouth-filling chunks instead. You can just imagine what that does for the taste.
We'd be too full for the Pandan Mango Sticky Rice if it wasn't so damn good. Sage advice to get the coconut ice cream to accompany - believe me, it completes the dish. I don't even like coconut but this stuff is unlike any ice cream I've ever had. It's surprisingly light on the sugar with an icy texture and a taste like a tropical breeze.
The Nam Wan Taro is not quite what I expected, but it hits like the congees of childhood. I thought it was more like a gelatin pudding, but this one is more of a starchy stew. Taro is lovely, bananas are sweet, and tapioca adds little bubbles. It's awesome overall, but the mango sticky rice is too good to beat.
It's a fantastic meal, better than most things Michelin commends. The sausage stays with me, and I still salivate over the memory of the salmon and the pork. I dare you to order something on this menu and tell me you're not in love.
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