It’s official… my new favorite thing about Los Angeles (and more specifically L.A. over NYC) is Thai boat noodles. I can’t say for sure if there are or aren’t “boat noodles” in New York City (I’m guessing you can get them somewhere) but it isn’t like it is here. Here, boat noodles are a thing. And like most regional specialties in L.A. (be it Thai or whatever) there are quite a few restaurants that specialize in this one dish. For those of you who have never tried boat noodles (aka me, three weeks ago) it’s a beef noodle soup that got its name from being served off of boats in the rivers and canals of Thailand. It is traditionally made with bits of beef, liver, tripe, and whatever else is on hand… but for those of you who aren’t into the offal, most restaurants in L.A. have a version that’s just pieces of plain old beef. The one thing they can’t go easy on (or else it wouldn’t really be boat noodles) is…brace yourself… the blood. (Please don’t stop reading.)
That’s right. The not-so-secret ingredient in boat noodles is blood- but now that I’ve told you that, I want you to completely forget you ever knew it. Because if nobody told you about the blood, and pushed this sweet and sour, savory and spicy soup in front of you and told you to drink, you’d love it. And why should a little blood get in the way of you tasting one of the best foodstuffs ever. I guarantee you will love it. Well, maybe you wouldn’t love every version. But some boat noodles are… let’s say… easier than others. So the trick is to find the bowl that is right for you.
And if you thought department of health ratings or willingness to accept credit cards is a factor, it isn’t. They all get Bs and none of them take plastic.
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Posted at 12:00 pm, August 16th, 2010 under Hollywood, Pa Ord, Sapp Coffee Shop, Thai.
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