Jitlada - Los Angeles

Some places never change. Jitlada has achieved fame and acclaim for the best Thai in LA, but by their attitude, you would never know. Thanks to a tucked-away, strip-mall location bustling with soft-spoken staff, Jitlada preserves an ambiance of cultured calm, a dark-lit dining room that feels casual-without-trying.

The Papaya Salad is cool and crisp, with clean, even shreds flanked by festive carrots and a cashew kiss.

The Crispy Catfish Salad is an effortless cloud of crunchies, catfish and batter so fine it finishes like wispy cotton candy. The shredded mango beneath is the sweetest surprise, carrying on long after the catfish is gone.

The catfish is a hard act to follow, and the Honey Crispy Duck did not. Not at all crispy, the soggy skin was dripped with uneven dots of sugary paste.

Fierce tears over the Crying Tiger. The sweet n' spicy marinade soaks through every slice of cracklin' grilled beef.

The sauteed Morning Glory finishes light, a bed of sauce-saving straws of watercress. A wake-up from the downer duck and a welcome break between the thick dishes of meat.

They warned us. They really warned us. The Jungle Curry is one of the spiciest items on the menu, and there is no adequate way to warn of its effects. The first bite of this earthy, fragrant curry swamp is a river of elation followed by a searing, punching burn that leaves you senseless. Your head will spin, your tears will flow, and you will chug your Thai iced tea and go back for more. Those pieces of thoroughly-soaked, flavor-burst eggplant will grab you the hardest, but they'll still keep you coming.

There are no words to describe the modesty and humility of a place so spectacular. Signs are scattered throughout the restaurant, humbly apologetic; "Our kitchen is small, forgive us for the wait". It's a moot point, really. Once you get your food, I assure you, the first thing on your mind will not be the wait. Jitlada serves up some of the best Thai food I've had to date, and every bite is enchanting.

Siam Sunset - Los Angeles

A wise person once said "if you want to win, go back to basics." Okay, fine, that person was a character from an early season of Grey's Anatomy, which isn't exactly the best source from which to be pulling proverbs. But in the case of Siam Sunset it actually kind of makes sense.

Don't expect frills from Siam Sunset. Their communal cafeteria-esque tables and wandering servers are about as basic as you can get. But basic doesn't always mean bad - Siam Sunset's basics are as authentic as it gets.

The Thai Iced Tea is as sweet as sugar, a textbook mixture of tea and milk. But if Thai tea had a gold standard, this one would be it. 

The Thai tea calms and cools, and it soothes the fiery burn from the chili-soaked Papaya Salad, a cool and crisp Julienne with a slight hint of sweet-and-salty. It's just papaya, but it's as perfect as papaya gets.

The Glass Noodle Salad is soft and hot, made savory with piles of ground pork and sprigs of cilantro, a great contrast to the cold, spicy papaya.

You can't have basic Thai without some sort of curry, and the Duck Curry hits the spot. The curry is out-of-this-world thick and coconut-milky, and you can taste the duck infused into every sip of broth. 

You're not going to get 5-star service at Siam Sunset, but you will get Thai food that takes you to the streets of Bangkok. It's Thai food at its most basic, which is Thai food at its finest.