LA’s Fabulous Food Gems: Wat Dong Moon Lek Noodles

There are countless Thai restaurants in LA. Heck, there’s even a Thai Town.  But this Silverlake family-run hole-in-the-wall is by far the best Thai food I’ve had in this city.  They have menu options you won’t find at other Thai restaurants. Not to mention, the flavor explosions you experience with every bite of every dish is incomparable.  What I love most is that their menu options incorporate a lot of Thai street food-like dishes; The deliciousness that Thai people eat IN Thailand, and not what has been adapted to American taste.  It’s the closest to the food I’ve had in Bangkok that I’ve found in the US.

Wall Menu Mural

The restaurant is small and cozy, with the food items presented as a beautiful chalk drawn mural (in addition to the individual paper menus for easy reference.)  Everything on the menu is very reasonably priced, with most dishes ranging $5-$15 each, and almost everything is under $20. The owners and servers are so hospitable, it’s as if you’re dining in their home. Ask for the dessert specials – they are all homemade, deliciously presented, and make you feel like you’re dining in an upscale restaurant.

Must-haves:

Larb Tod: I literally have dreams about this dish.  Little balls of ground chicken coated in an aromatic batter of lemon grass and keffir lime, lightly fried to a crisp, and served with cabbage and herbs.  Wrap the chicken in the cabbage and top with the herbs (and some hot sauce if you can take it!) It’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

Larb Tod

Beef Noodle Bowl: This is actually Wat Dong Moon Lek’s speciality, and it’s easy to see why.  Rice noodles swim in a very tasty broth, topped with tender slices of braised beef and fresh scallions.  Not only is it so much more gratifying than most noodle soups you’ll find, it’s bursting with flavor.  It comes in a small and large size and is very shareable!

Beef Noodle Soup

Spicy Basil Crispy Pork Belly: There are almost no words to adequately describe the goodness of this dish.   Ask for green peppercorns to be added and you’ll have it made.  The chunks of crisp pork belly combined with the spicy, tomatoey sauce and little crunchy peppercorns served over fluffy rice make you wish the food was being replenished with every bite you take.

Spicy Basil Crispy Pork Belly with Green Peppercorns

Minced Pork Noodle Salad: Now THIS is my kind of salad. The warm pork, chopped red onions, cilantro, lemon juice, and other authentic Thai herbs and flavors are tossed with cold glass noodles and presented with fresh cabbage slices.  I love the mix of the warm and cold – it adds even more depth to this refreshingly yummy “salad”.

Minced Pork Noodle Salad

WAT DONG MOON LEK

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watdongmoonlek.com‎

(323) 666-5993

4356 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029-2226

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