Midtown Lunch

When Grub Street reported back in September that a place called Thai Market had opened on Venice and Sepulveda, I got pretty pumped.  Not only was the place going to be an actual Thai market, where dry and fresh Thai ingredients could be purchased, but it was also going to feature a “selection of very low-cost traditional dishes made in the kitchen and left heated at a counter up front”.  Because as much as I love Thai Town, how could I not be excited by the possibility of having decent (read: authentic) Thai food on the westside.  (Sorry Natalee Thai… you just don’t cut it.)

Sadly the Department of Health made it over there before I did, and they were forced to close down and renovate the space before they could serve hot food.  (I’m guessing hoping it was just a permit issue?)  Anyway, after months of waiting it appears as if they finally have the hot food bar back up and running and-brace yourself- it’s 3 items for just $5.

No joke. You give them five dollars, they give you a heaping plate of 3 different Thai dishes. Is there a better lunch deal west of La Cienega?

The steam table has 10 different items, but the menu hanging on the wall lists at least 20, so I’m guessing they rotate stuff out every single day.

The day I was there they had beef prik king, chicken green curry with Thai eggplant, and pad see ew.

Plus chicken wings, a yellow curry with chicken and potato, and pad thai.

There was also fried rice, and a few other curries. The prik king was watery, and could have been way more flavorful, and the noodle dishes were less than mediocre (sitting in steam tables obviously doesn’t help.)  LAX-C and Ganda this place is not.  But the curries were not completely hopeless, and it’s always nice to see Thai eggplant being used.  The chicken wing was also really good, but suffered most of all from being left out on that steam table for lord knows how long.   It also kind of sucks that you only get one chicken wing when you use it up as one of your three items. (I was totally pulling for at least 2.)  But in the end it was a good amount of food, especially considering it was only $5.  Sadly it wasn’t better than any of the other crappy Thai restaurants in the area, but at least it only cost $5, and you get some variety. Did I mention it only cost $5!?

The real draw of this place is actually the market portion, which has pretty much everything you’d need to cook decent Thai food at home- including galangal, kaffir lime leaves, Thai chilies, Thai eggplant, lemongrass, coconut milk, fresh turmeric, and palm sugar.  And the prices are really cheap.  It’s nice that next time I want to make green curry I won’t have to drive all the way to Hollywood to snag everything, and while I’m there I’ll probably use it as an excuse to grab a quick $5 lunch.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It’s only $5 and you get a ton of food
• I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of quality for variety and cheapness (it’s only $5!)
• $5 bucks!!!!!!

The + (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• The food is terrible!  Even Natalee Thai and Thai Boom is better than this place
• Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and chicken wings should not be put on a steam table
• It’s a freaking Thai market for god’s sake.  They’ve got the ingredients… why can’t they use them to make flavorful Thai food.  (The food is really not that good.)

Thai Market, 11127 Venice Blvd., 310-287-9999