Editor’s Note: This visit took place prior to the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the city’s mandate, Pa Ord made the decision to move to take-out and Grubhub delivery.
LA’s Thai Town is the place to frequent for some of LA’s best Thai food. Thai Town is a six-block stretch of Hollywood Boulevard crammed with Thai sweet shops, bookstores, and restaurants. A co-worker of mine recently recommended Pa Ord and I paid them a visit.
Pa Ord is located on a corner strip mall on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. It is located next to another popular Thai restaurant, Northern Thai. The parking lot is rather small and I was extremely fortunate to find a space. In the past, I’ve had to park a fair distance away on the street.
The interior is like many immigrant-owned Asian restaurants. The furniture isn’t fancy and the interior is minimalist. Since the area is populated with people that earn modest wages, prices need to be low and the focus is around the food. When someone comments to me about how nice the restaurant decor is, I reply back “that’s nice, but you can’t eat the decor.”
Dishes are best shared since items like the Thai sausage isn’t an ideal lunch entree. Their sausage contained more pork and it was more meat-like and less fibrous-like than the sausage at Northern Thai restaurant. For me, it was more satisfying.
The Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Pork Belly is one of their most popular dishes. After ordering it, I agree it is delicious. A crispy pork belly is far better than the chewy flank steak you typically receive with beef and broccoli. After biting into the pork belly, it almost melts in your mouth.
The wide egg noodles used in their Drunken Noodle with Beef are extremely fresh and the delicious sauce nicely adheres to the broad noodles making this a wonderful eating experience. The spice level for me was perfect.
The Papaya Salad was a refreshing complement to our meal. What makes this dish is that the sauce is made with fish sauce, lime juice, fresh garlic, and other ingredients. It is the perfect vegetarian option packed full of flavor.
Due to the coronavirus directive on LA’s restaurants, Pa Ord only offers “to go” and delivery service via Grubhub.
Pa Ord, 5301 W Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027; 323.461.3945
paordtheoriginal.com