LA’s West Adams has become a trendy food destination with Alta Adams, Cento Pasta Bar, Mizlala, and many others. Except for Mian, there is a notable absence of Asian offerings. Imagine my surprise when Northern California’s flashy Farmhouse Kitchen set up shop on West Adams Blvd.
Chef-owner Kasem “Pop” Saengsawang and co-owner Iing Chatterjee opened the original San Francisco location in 2015. The opening got the attention of many, and since then, they’ve opened locations in Menlo Park, Oakland, and two in Portland, OR. Their LA location opened in Oct 2022.
Saengsawang grew up in a rural area in Northern Thailand. He named “farmhouse” after his grandmother because she heavily influenced him in learning how to cook. She often sent him to the market, where he learned how to select the freshest fish and choose the right cuts of meat for stew. His menu is a modern twist on Thai cuisine, focusing on locally available ingredients.
Farmhouse Kitchen’s interior is unlike any Thai restaurant in LA. With a “Hello Gorgeous” photo display complete with a white prancing horse and an abundance of pink leis strung from the ceiling, the restaurant was designed with Instagram in mind. It is the vibe you would expect to find on Sunset Blvd.
The drinks are creative, leading the way with Saengsawang’s King of Spice craft cocktail. Other cocktails feature unique combinations, including sake rum, negroni, and sabe vodka. If you don’t imbibe, you can still benefit from their Phony Negroni and mocktail versions of the King of Spice and Hello Gorgeous.
We started with Egg Rolls ($14.95) and Tiger Prawns ($16.95). Glass noodles and carrots fill the egg rolls and, unfortunately, lack flavor. I favored the Tiger Prawns, a mini lettuce wrap with a delicious mixture of lime, ginger, onion, roasted coconut & peanuts with tamarind reduction.
Ingredients are essential to Saengsawang, who sources cage-free eggs, Mary’s Organic Chicken, and Snake River Farms Beef. He uses local produce even if it means it strays from authenticity. For example, he uses grilled broccolini over Chinese broccoli.
We shared what could be called “Thai Southern style” ($32.95) since fried chicken is typical in southern Thailand. It is seasoned with turmeric, herbs, and fried shallots and served with a yellow curry dipping sauce. Blue rice is a natural color from the blue butterfly pea flowers, which grow abundantly in Thailand.
Slow braised bone-in Short Rib ($46) is topped with panang curry and crispy basil and served with grilled broccolini, red pepper, onion, crispy basil, and signature blue rice. The Short Rib was my favorite dish of the evening.
I was surprised to see individuals arrive at our table with items that I assumed would be complimentary, but it was an attempt to upsell. It’s also evident that the operation is designed for rapid turnover as they have dedicated staff quickly picking up dishes. As we departed, I watched our table take about 2 minutes to turnover for the next customer.
Farmhouse Kitchen, 5560 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, 90016; farmhousethai.com